Super Robot Wars U
by Hero-of-Winds
Summary: There are two constants in the countless realities that make up the multiverse: humans will inevitably come into being, and humans will never be able to stop fighting. Two worlds, one flourishing, one ruined, are testament to that. 23 series total, 19 with significant plot involvement! Series list in Prologue.
1. Prologue

_Wow, it's been fifteen forevers since I did stuff like this, eh?_

_Well, I'm kind of over Sonic the Hedgehog now, and I'm really busy with real life these days, so those of you who have been watching me for those, I'm afraid you won't be seeing anymore AWAE or Eternal Mobius._

_On the other hand, I've really taken a liking to mecha anime nowadays, especially since I fell in love with the _Super Robot Wars_ games. Granted, I probably haven't seen 90% of the animes I'm using here, but that's nothing a little research can't fix. In order to make these ideas mesh, I reworked a few of the origins of the different robots, and some of the mecha will have no vestige whatsoever of their original plot here._

_Also, I will be doing route splits, one of which will occur right at the start, and I will be writing out both routes._

* * *

It is said that for every choice that is made gives birth to a new universe, each reality taking a path different from those who had not made the choice. In many cases, there is little variance at first, but stay long enough and you will find two very different worlds.

And yet there are two constants in each and every one of these uncountable realities.

The first is that humans always come into being. Humanity's ability to overcome any challenge and do the impossible is the ultimate goal of evolution. Other races may be more intelligent, more advanced, or even physically more powerful, but the human spirit trumps them all when the chips are down.

The other is that matter how hard humans try, they can never stop fighting. Excuses are made and lies are told, all for the sake of gaining power and glory, or simply revenge. Even if they cease warring amongst themselves, they work to gather more resources for their populations, and will wage war on any race they encounter.

This is the nature of the many Earths that exist in the boundless multiverse; and this is a tale of but two of those realities, their situations different, but their destinies inexorably linked. They are the **Flourishing World **and the **Ruined World**.

* * *

**The Flourishing World**

In one reality, the Earth lives, and humanity barely averted its own destruction, but only through outside intervention.

Fifteen years ago, in Celestial Calendar year 195, a massive, centuries-long war between the Earth and the outlying space colonies threatened to annihilate humanity. But by freak accident, a group of peaceful aliens crash-landed the Earth, fleeing the Vega Empire, which had conquered their world. They carried with them a great secret: the ability to harness the power of Spiritia, the essence of life itself, specifically through music. The aliens, seeing the good they could do with the power of Spiritia, used their music to snuff out the flames of war. For four years, war and conflict ceased worldwide as the people of Earth reveled in the overflowing energy of Spiritia. After four years, the aliens decided that they had done enough, and retreated into quiet seclusion within their repaired, transforming ship, which remained in orbit of Earth as the Macross.

The aliens' arrival was also followed by the radical rise of new energies in Japan: Photon Power, crafted by the genius Dr. Kabuto; Electromagnetic Power by the combined efforts of Prof. Yotsuya and Prof. Nanbara of Earth and Kentaro Go of the planet Boazan; the harnessing of Getter Rays by the acclaimed Professor Saotome and the recent discovery of sakuradite as well. The simultaneous discoveries put Japan on the road to becoming the world's most advanced nation.

But humanity could not stave off its addiction to war and conflict for long. It wasn't even a year after the aliens left the public spotlight when the first act of true war was initiated.

The Holy Empire of Britannia, seeing Japan's newfound resources, made all haste to conquer and subjugate the Japanese and take control of all three energy sources for themselves. They were able to achieve this goal in rapid time, thanks to being able to mass-produce their greatest weapon: the Knightmare Frame, an agile humanoid robot weapon that was manufactured based on plans stolen from Japan's databases. Most Japanese, especially the common people, were stripped of all rights, privileges, and even their national identity. Japan became known as Area 11, and Japanese were known as Elevens. Many Japanese were able to escape to the space colonies, called PLANTs, and made new lives there. However, number of Japanese families, particularly those of Japan's great scientific minds, who the Empire knew would be of use to Britannia were allowed to keep some of their dignity and rights as long as they swore absolute fealty to the Empire. They are allowed to live much as they had before, and many were even allowed to attend Ashford Academy, the finest educational institution in all of the Britannian Empire.

Some were cooperative, such as Professor Gennosuke Yumi, a scientist at the Photon Research Institute, and the heads of the Nergal Corporation, a defense contractor who handed over the plans to their Aestivalis machines in order to manufacture the Knightmare Frames; and Professor Saotome of the Getter Ray Laboratory;

Others were much less so. The father-son duo of Juuzo and Kenzo Kabuto, who had first successfully harnessed Photon Power, were both killed in something that appeared like an accident; their rival Dr. Hell, who had his own ambitions for conquering the world; Prof. Yotsuya of the Nanbara Connection, whose wife was kidnapped, and he handed over Nanbara in exchange for her safety; and the mysterious NERV, who is beholden to no authority beside its own, but occupies its entire time watching for the coming of beings called Angels; and of course the colonies.

The colonies themselves are populated almost entirely by, save for some Japanese refugees who fled to space, genetically-engineered humans called Coordinators. First born during the centuries-long war, they still hold scars of the injustices done to them by those on Earth even as they float above them. Many on the PLANTs desire the destruction of the Naturals, while others remember the peaceful aliens and simply prefer to live in peace with their fellow humans.

Ten years have passed since that day.

Japan struggles under the heel of Britannia while the Earth Alliance, growing more and more thrall to radical elements from the Blue Cosmos organization, turns a blind eye, so busy is it trying to keep the Coordinators from growing too powerful militarily. Dr. Hell has also been amassing power as well; his army of Mechabeasts grows in number and ferocity, laying waste to any and all nations who do not submit to his will.

Meanwhile, two rebellions have been bubbling just beneath the surface in Japan: the first is a coordinated effort amongst the different research institutes to resist Britannia with their one-of-a-kind Super Robots, even as Britannia vies to claim the plans for a mass-produced Super Robot; the other is led by a mysterious masked man called "Zero", who has the power to control others with his gaze, a power shared only by a small few...including the Britannian Emperor himself, supposedly.

Adding to the mess are the arrival of numerous otherworldly forces.

The Vega Empire, with the forces of the planet Campbell and Boazan at their command, have followed the peaceful aliens to Earth and are making plans to conquer it and claim its resources. Their arrival was preceded by the appearance of a young man from planet Fleed, who was taken in by Dr. Umon, a colleague of Prof. Yumi and the two Prof. Kabutos. The UFO Robo that Fleed brought to Earth became the basis for the Kabutos' Mazingers.

Meanwhile, the Zonder have arrived on Earth to assimilate more people into their number. The GGG organization, with its powerful machine GaoGaiGar at the vanguard, works to combat them, even as other threats loom.

The Jovian Lizards, a mysterious force who fights only with robotic, AI-controlled machines, has also taken it upon itself to attack the Earth while it is in chaos. To combat this, Nergal has created its own warship, the _Nadesico_, to combat this threat.

The mysterious Protodevlin, abominations from the stars who have allied themselves with the Vega Empire, lurk at the fringes of Earth's influence, waiting for their chance to suck up some Spiritia. The mega-colony of Macross, with its unique transforming mechs, the Variable Fighter series, is the only force that seems to be paying attention to their presence.

Finally, beings not of this reality, only known as Angels, show signs of activity, putting NERV on high alert. Their powerful Evangelions await pilots, and they are looking at Ashford Academy for such individuals...

* * *

**The Ruined World**

The other reality has an Earth that is teetering between life and death. The wealthy of the Earth's nations have fled to massive space colonies after a terrible accident that put the already suffering planet at death's door, leaving behind a number of poor individuals to fend for themselves against a mass of invading aliens. Meanwhile, the colonies themselves decide to cease fighting with each other through war, and unite against the invading aliens, as well as the Principality of Zeon, who wants to restore the Earth, but blames the greedy Earth Federation for the Earth's condition.

In order to cease feuding amongst themselves, the member nations of the Federation have agreed to settle all conflicts and determine the ruler of Earth with the Gundam Fight. A representative fighter from each nation engages in single combat with other representatives using Gundams that utilize the special Mobile Trace System, and the nation whose Gundam is the last one standing will have the highest level of authority in the entire Federation for four years.

Fifteen years prior to the tragic accident, a secret meeting of Neo Japan's top scientists met to discuss plans to restore the Earth. Among these brilliant minds were Professor Juuzo Kabuto, Professor Saotome, Dr. Hell, Dr. Kasshu, and Dr. Masaki Kihara. Together, these five geniuses proposed the creation of the Ultimate Gundam, a robot comprised of cell-like nanomachines with the ability to self-recover, self-evolve and self-adapt. It would then be brought to Earth to facilitate its recovery.

Unfortunately, there were those among the development team who desired to use the Ultimate Gundam for their own purposes, including Dr. Kihara. Saotome and Kabuto caught wind of their plans, and told Dr. Kasshu. Unfortunately, booting Kihara off the team would have indefinitely halted the project, so they instead decided to wait until it was completed before initiating their own plan. Soon after its completion, Kyoji Kasshu, the eldest son of Dr. Kasshu, hijacked the Ultimate Gundam and dropped it to Earth, where they disappeared for a long time.

Not long after, the first aliens arrived: beings simply known as Invaders raided the moon base of the Earth Federation, where Prof. Saotome, as well as other members of the Getter Ray Laboratories, were paying a visit. Saotome escaped with his life, but he soon realized he was infected by an Invader, and would soon become their thrall. He feverishly began working on a plan to combat them, and created a new savior: Shin Dragon. But before he could complete it, he lost his daughter Michiru, who was with him, in an accident. It pushed him over the edge, allowing the infection to take him over. A series of events ultimately led to the Getter Ray Armageddon, which made the Earth all but completely inhospitable to any life form besides humans and Invaders.

Many people have fled to a city under Neo Japan jurisdiction called Teppelin, or Kamina City to its inhabitants. It was once the base of a ruthless alien king called Lordgenome but he was defeated by a heroic lad named Simon, piloting a drill-wielding robot known as Gurren Lagann. The war with the Spiral King and his Beastmen was the main reason the wealthy began to flee to the Neo colonies, but now both human and Beastmen live in relative harmony thanks to the recently-formed partnership between Simon and Viral, one of Lordgenome's former lieutenants.

Also living in Teppelin is Juuzo Kabuto, who is working on a Super Robot as powerful as Saotome's, in the hopes of combating Dr. Hell, who is looking to resurrect a long-dead empire and conquer the world with his army of Mechabeasts.

Watching all this from the dark side of the moon are the people of the Lunar Kingdom, a thriving space colony who separated from the Earth Federation and became independent. Some forces within the royal court are moving to conquer the Earth and colonies, and will use two machines, as powerful as any Super Robot, and sharing traits with the Devil Gundam, to do so.

Finally, the firm of International Electronic Brains was destroyed by massive mecha piloted by the Hakkeshu, who desire to destroy the world, period. Little do they realize that they are being controlled by someone who is already dead.

* * *

At the center of these two worlds are two individuals whose destinies will draw the worlds together through the power to cross between them, and decide the fate of not just those Earths, but all realities...

This is the tale of the twin robot wars.

This is **Super Robot Wars U(ltima)!**

* * *

Yeah, I was pressed for a letter to use. Sue me.

Anyway, I think I'm going to have fun with this one. For those of you who have been following my _Sonic _tales, you'll get to know human versions of Tahra (now just Tara) and Janus, with somewhat reworked personalities.

Anyway, here's a list of the series I'll be incorporating into this mess. Series marked with a * will not have any plot involved, but will have characters and mecha involved. A series marked with a ^ will have at least a few elements of their original plot involved. The stuff in parentheses () will denote what part of a series I will be using.

_Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (1st season of TV series)_

_Mazinkaiser (OVA + Movie)_

_UFO Robo Grendizer^_

_King of Braves GaoGaiGar (TV series + FINAL)_

_Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (R1 + R2, elements of Nightmare of Nunally)_

_Neon Genesis Evangelion (TV series + End, elements of Rebuild)_

_Martian Successor Nadesico (TV series)_

_Super Electromagnetic Robot Combattler V_

_Super Electromagnetic Machine Voltes V_

_Macross 7 (TV series)_

_Super Beast Machine God Dancougar^_

_Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (Lagann Hen)_

_Getter Robo Armageddon (Episodes 4-13)_

_Mobile Fighter G Gundam_

___Hades Project Zeorymer (OVA)_

_Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack_

_Shin Mazinger Z_

_Turn A Gundam^  
_

_Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam*_

_Mobile Suit ZZ Gundam*_

_Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket*  
_

_Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Astray^  
_

_Brave Raideen^_

_Getter__ Robo (70's anime)^_

_Originals  
_

I wanted to add _New Mobile Report __Gundam Wing, __DieBuster, The __Big O, __Space Runaway Ideon_ and _Space Knight __Tekkaman Blade_ to the mix, but at this point it would have been too hard to coordinate them all. But I think this is a pretty sizable series list, and I think I can pull out some pretty good fan-service moments here. So, here's to a new project that maybe I'LL FINISH THIS TIME.

Also, if anyone artistically inclined wants to take a while at creating visual designs of the original robots I make up, please feel free.

**Super Robot Wars is (c) Banpresto & Namco/Bandai, and all other properties are copyrighted by their respective owners, etc. etc.**


	2. Chapter 1 Tara

_Okay, ladies and germs, let's get this show on the road! The way I'll handle route splits is that I'll upload a chapter for each route back-to-back. For example, this is Chapter 1 (Tara). Next will be Chapter 1 (Janus), then Chapter 2 (Tara), then Chapter 2 (Janus), and so on until the two routes converge. As for later route splits, I will be splitting the two protagonists up again. If you have another idea, let me know in your review._

_Speaking of reviews, if you think I can improve the way I write, let me know. I appreciate input on that. But if you don't like the way I'm interpreting your favorite characters (as opposed to simply making them act in a way that is radically inconsistent to the way their creators interpreted them), well, tough beans. I'm doing my best to keep them as close to their original selves as possible.  
_

_Also, please, don't spoil major plot events for other readers, thanks. Let them do their own research if they want to know. Any reviews with major spoilers will be deleted, as much as I like getting feedback on my work.  
_

_Finally, there won't be much romance here, and any pairings here will be the "canon" ones._

_Now, let's dive in!  
_

* * *

**Chapter 1 (Tara) - Lifthrasir Arrives! The Ultimate Birthday Gift!**

A red hand crushing the Earth…that was all that Tara could remember of that dream she had every now and then. It never made any sense to her, yet every time she woke up from it, her stomach felt like it was into fifty knots. Her radio was playing the morning news as she rubbed her eyes, shook her long, purple hair and rolled out of bed.

"Good morning, Area 11. This is HBE Public Radio at 96.4, with today's top news."

_More drivel from the spin doctors of Britannia, I bet_, Tara grumbled to herself.

"Last night, a massive explosion was reported to have come from the vicinity of the Getter Ray Laboratory," the voice from the radio, a middle-aged woman's, began. "Investigators have no way of determining the cause of the explosion, as nothing remains of the lab but a smoldering crater and dangerously high levels of Getter Rays. It is believed that the acclaimed scientist Professor Saotome was inside at the time, as were the three pilots for the new Getter robot: Ryoma Nagare, Hayato Jin and Benkei Kurama. They were assumed to have been lost in the explosion."

At that moment, she heard the voice of her mother, a petite Japanese woman with short black hair, spectacles and sporting a flower-patterned kimono, who was just coming from the hall.

"Oh, Michiru, I know it must be hard…there were few men in this world better than your father, and those three young men; who thought they would die from such an inexplicable accident?"

Tara, for some inexplicable reason, felt much better about hearing this. To hear about the death of someone's friends wasn't supposed to feel good, but all the same, the girl's stomach immediately unknotted. She glanced at the calendar.

It was her eighteenth birthday today, and school had just gotten out for the two month summer vacation that all students of Ashford Academy, "Honorary Britannian" or otherwise, got. Other Elevens were not so lucky. The grounds were still open for the students who had to travel, and Tara was planning to hang out with some friends that day. Still, there was breakfast to eat and Michiru to console.

"Yes, Michiru, I promise I'll make it to the funeral. Your father and I were close colleagues before the war. It's only right that we see him properly honored as a man of his caliber should."

"Morning, Mom. Yeah, I heard on the radio just now."

"Oh, isn't it horrible?" her mother said, putting her hand on the mouthpiece. "Michiru is absolutely beside herself. Michiru…would you like to talk to Tara for a bit? Alright, here she is." Tara's mother gave her the phone and continued down the hall, walking down a set of wooden spiral stairs.

"Michiru-san…hello."

"Hello…Tara…happy birthday…" Michiru Saotome said through sniffles and sobs.

"I wish I could thank you," Tara replied, trying her best not to make things worse, "but you know I can't have a happy birthday knowing you've lost people dear to you."

"Thank you, Tara-chan," Michiru replied, sniffing a bit to calm down. "You're so kind, just like your parents. I don't deserve friends like them…especially after I stayed silent when my father sold us to…"

"…Michiru…shhhh!" Tara exclaimed. She knew that their phone was being wiretapped, so Britannian surveillance agents could listen to their every word.

"Oh, yes, you're right," Michiru said awkwardly, realizing her error. "Well, you go and try not to let this bother you too much. Have fun with your friends today."

"Thank you, Michiru-san. Would you like to speak with my mother again?"

"No, I feel a little better now. Goodbye for now, Tara-chan."

"Goodbye, Michiru-san."

Tara pressed the button on the phone to hang up and hung it up on the charger that sat on a small side table in the hallway. With Michiru no longer weighing her conscience, she could concentrate on the day ahead.

* * *

"Man, what's taking her so long?" Koji Kabuto groaned as he looked up at the clock tower that sat in the middle of Ashford Academy's lawn. Standing next to the young man was his close friend Sayaka Yumi, daughter of Professor Yumi, head of the Photon Power Institute.

"I'm sure Tara is on her way. Besides, you're the one who's always late for things," Sayaka replied as they watched a Knightpolice unit go by. It was one of the commonly seen Knightmare Frames, used by Britannian police to enforce the law. The other kinds of Frame were only utilized by their military.

"Hey, the only reason I got up early was so I could be the first in line to get her gift!" he replied, patting the gift, wrapped in newspaper and tied with twine.

"What did you get her? You never buy anything for me for MY birthday!" Sayaka fumed.

"That's because you never like anything I get you," Koji shot back. "Besides, it's a gift she and I can enjoy together."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sayaka yelled, furious that Koji seemed to like another girl more than her. "Answer me, Kabuto!"

"You'll see once she gets her half-Britannian ass down here. What is taking her so long, anyway?" Sayaka groaned and hung her head.

"Hey, guys!" someone called out from up the street. The two looked up to see Tara rushing toward them with all due speed. Koji placed the gift in his lap and grinned. The purple-haired girl skidded to a stop and leaned on the iron-wrought fence in order to catch her breath.

"We were just talking about you, birthday girl! Here!" Koji said, presenting the gift to Tara with a bit of flair in his motions.

"Thanks, Koji!" Tara said as she sat down on the bench next to Koji, placed the wrapped gift on her lap and deftly untied the twine and undid the tape that held the wrapping in place.

The girl's pupils nearly tripled in size when she saw the gift inside.

"What is it?" Sayaka asked.

"It's only the Complete _Gekiganger 3_ Collection," Koji beamed, "…containing ALL seven seasons on fourteen discs, two discs of bonus features, including director commentary, seiyuu outtakes, and most importantly…"

"It has the never before released video of Fire Bomber's extended cover of the theme song where Basara rocks out in a swimsuit for half the song oh my god thank you Kojiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" Tara squealed before tackling Koji and hugged him as hard as she could. Koji's cheeks turned beet red, while Sayaka grumbled and fumed. "Oh Koji, you know exactly how to treat a woman!"

"Pffft, Koji doesn't know the first thing about women," Sayaka groaned. Then again, no other female I know loves that stupid show like you do."

"It's not stupid! It's better than the rest of the stupid junk on television nowadays!" Tara replied, genuinely offended at Sayaka's statement and getting right in her face as she did so. "Tenku Ken is a shining example of how men should be, as is Basara Nekki!"

"Whatever. Let's go get some ice cream or something," Koji said, delicately pushing the two apart. But before much else could happen, an explosion rocked the area, nearly causing the three to fall down. The sound was followed by a loud, long roar.

"…What the?" Koji gasped, looking up. A massive head, like a human skull with scythe-like blades jutting out from its sides, peered over the building before continuing on. Then, a different roar sounded out further downtown. Several Knightpolice rushed down in the direction of the roars. This part of town, unlike the ghetto where most Japanese were confined to, was home to many Britannians who lived and worked in the area.

"Crap…Doctor Hell's Mechabeasts! That's the second time this month!"

"I guess you guys have to go get them, huh?" Tara sighed. She knew of the alternate life Koji and Sayaka led: they were the pilots of Mazinger Z and Aphrodite A, two of the Photon Power Institute's Super Robots. They did battle with the forces of Dr. Hell, an evil mad scientist who schemed to take over the Earth and colonies with his army of Mechabeasts. Even Britannia's advanced Knightmare Frames weren't good enough to handle them, so it grudgingly allowed the Institute to operate freely in exchange for knowing that they would deal with the Mechabeasts.

"…Sorry, Tara," Sayaka replied with a sigh as Kouji signaled the Institute to send Mazinger and Aphrodite. We'll deal with them quick so we can get that ice cream."

"Mazinger and Aphrodite will be arriving in T-minus five minutes at 5th and Yokohama," Kouji said. "Hover Pilder will be here in a sec. You can rid in the back seat, Sayaka."

"Doesn't the Pilder have only one seat?" Tara asked.

"Sayaka's father tinkered around a bit and made room for one. It's more cramped than it usually is, but comfort is the last thing I worry about with Mazinger." At that moment, a flying vehicle the size of a compact car, with two large fans at the end of its wings and a fin along its top and a bubble window came down. The bubble window retracted and a side hatch in its rear opened, revealing a second seat for a passenger.

"Tara, get to a shelter until we finish off those Mechabeasts."

"Okay. Be careful," Tara replied as the two got in. Pilder took off and flew over the nearby building. The girl, now alone, sighed and stamped her foot.

"It's not right! Why do I have to sit on the sidelines while my friends risk their necks to protect a bunch of stupid…whatever; they'll be fine." Tara started to head off towards the nearest shelter, which was about two blocks away, when she stopped as she felt a tingle in her spine.

Behind her, a massive deep blue portal had opened up seemingly from nowhere. Her jaw dropped open at the sight. Had the universe heard her pleas? Or was this some freak cosmic event that just decided to happen fifteen feet from her? She didn't have to ponder long, as out came what appeared to be a giant robot. It was about forty-two feet tall, a primarily white color, but also contained some blue and green streaks, and had a slim, feminine shape to it. Thin golden fibers extended from its head like flowing hair, forming a pair of wings at the shoulders. It had no eyes, but seemed to be wearing a band around where they would be, almost like a blindfold. Sticking out from the band was a leaf-shaped bit of metal that seemed to serve as a sort of antenna. Its forearms were equipped with beam-bladed tonfas, and two rifles jutted out from its back, flanked by a pair of booster jets that allowed it to fly in. The area near its navel was emitting some steam, as if it had just expended a lot of energy. As the mech landed, the golden fibers relaxed, becoming more like normal hair. The portal closed behind it.

"Whoa, that's some robot…but it couldn't be mine, could it?" she wondered out loud.

As if to answer her yet again, another, much smaller blue portal opened beneath Tara's feet. Gravity predictably took over, but she didn't fall far. She plopped butt-first into a rather comfortable piloting chair. She looked in front of her.

Sitting in front of her, where the controls should be, was a device that looked a lot like the one on her G-Box game system, except a bit larger and with several more buttons, as well as a small screen in the center. There was a bent screen surrounding her that covered the entire chamber she was in. She heard a click, and the walls lit up with images of the outside surroundings, including anything above, below, and behind her.

"Ms. Tara Zifell, welcome," a robotic sounding woman's voice sounded forth.

"…What? Who's there?" Tara exclaimed, looking around.

"Down here. Look at the control console," the voice said. Tara looked down and saw a light blue hologram of a rather curvaceous and naked (but no nipples or privates) woman being projected from the tiny screen.

"There you are. I am the AI of this machine, XEM-00 Lifthrasir. I was programmed to watch and maintain all functions in this robot, as well as aid you, the pilot, in combat.

…_You, the pilot_. It was music to Tara's ears. She pinched herself to see if she was dreaming, but nothing changed. Her heart soared. Now THIS was a present.

"Ahem," the holographic woman said, crossing her arms and tapping her foot.

"…Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that I never though I'd get to pilot a giant robot of my very own!"

"Well, if you're familiar with the _Gekiganger 3 _video game, you should be able to figure out the controls easily. I will explain the extra buttons when the time comes. For now, you had wanted to help your friends. Is this correct?"

"Oh, yes! Let's go…um…what are you called again?"

"Are you discussing me or the robot?"

"You, as in the AI."

"I do not need a name, but you may call me whatever you wish."

"Hmmmm…I'll call you Xemmey. X-E-M-M-E-Y. Xemmey! Got it memorized?"

"The data has been entered into my memory banks."

"Alright Xemmy…let's go!" Tara cheered as she strapped in her safety belts. "Lifthrasir, launch!"

"…Understood."

The robot bent its knees in a manner quite like a human, then sprang up into the air, firing its boosters and forming its golden fiber-wings once more as it sped off in the direction of where the Mechabeasts were fighting.

* * *

"BREASTO FIYAH!" Koji bellowed as he pulled back on two levers on his control console.

Mazinger Z unleashed a torrent of heat and energy from the two plates on its chest, turn one of the blade-headed mechabeasts, a Garada K7, to molten slag.

"MISSILES, FIRE!" Sayaka yelled as she slammed a red button on her own set of controls.

Aphrodite A fired a pair of large Photon-tipped missiles from its chest, blasting another Garada to bits.

No sooner did those two Mechabeasts fall than did several more Garadas appear, this time accompanied by several Mechabeasts with two heads, each attached to a serpentine neck.

"Doublas M4s and Garada K7s...brings back memories, eh?" Koji said with a hint of sarcastic nostalgia. "I didn't think Doctor Hell still had faith in pieces of trash like them."

Suddenly, several more Mechabeasts dropped out of the sky. Colored like newly smelted bronze and shaped like a barrel-chested brute of a man, these newcomers were more like oversized primitive toy robots than a mechanical beast.

"Dayan N4s...haven't seen those in a while," Mazinger's pilot chuckled as he made Mazinger's right arm rotate around and around in a circle, spinning it faster and faster. "Guess Doctor Hell is as nostalgic for old times as I am!"

At this point, his arm was a blur, creating strong winds. "Alright, let's dance, you bronze bozos! DAISHARIN ROCKETO PUUUUUNCH!"

With well-honed timing, Koji pressed the trigger to let the rocket-propelled fist fly straight at its target. The added momentum provided by the windup multiplied the force of the blow tenfold. It struck the bronze machine square in the face, knocking its head clear off its body.

"Heh, how's that!" the hotblooded pilot cheered. But he didn't notice the other three Dayans as they raises their own fists and fired them. One of them smacked Mazinger in the face, knocking it down, causing it to break off a huge chunk of a building as it fell.

_Crap...I hope there was no one in there, _Koji thought as he got Mazinger to its feet. The three Dayans trudged ever closer. He then heard Sayaka cry out over the comm link.

"Aaaaah! Koji, help!"

Koji turned Mazinger around to see some Doublas M4s restraining Aphrodite A, and then looked up and saw a familiar, bloated flying ship above him, and then a familiar, unnerving laugh, as if a man and a woman were laughing in unison, came over the comm link.

"Baron Ashura!" Koji cried out.

"Bahahahaha! Koji Kabuto and Mazinger Z, we meet again!" the voice came. It belonged to a peculiar being indeed: a hooded and robed being with half of its face belonging to a man, and the other to a woman.

"Let Sayaka go, or I'll blast you out of the sky like I always do!" Mazinger's pilot roared, taking aim at the two-faced fiend's ship with a fist, aiming a Rocket Punch right at the bridge.

"You say that when I clearly have the advantage, Koji Kabuto! Aphrodite is in my power, and no other besides you can challenge the Mechabeast armies of Doctor Hell! If you do not surrender this city AND Mazinger Z to my master, I will have these Mechabeasts tear Aphrodite A limb from limb, and then crush your dear Sayaka to a pulp!"

"Oh yeah?" Koji yelled as he took careful aim. "R..."

But before Koji could say any more, one of the Doublas ripped one of Aphrodite's arms off, causing Sayaka to yelp as backed up electricity overloaded her controls.

"That's one arm, Koji Kabuto. Do you want to see how long she holds out?" Baron Ashura's male half laughed.

Koji was paralyzed, unable to move. On the one hand, he wasn't about to let Dr. Hell have Mazinger Z, a machine that could make its pilot a god or a demon; on the other hand, Sayaka was one of the few things in the world that really mattered to him. He didn't care for the Britannians living here either. It would be just as well to let them know the meaning of oppression under the heel of Doctor Hell.

But suddenly, something whizzed between him and Ashura. The two Doublas M4s exploded, knocking Aphrodite A to the ground.

"What the? Impossible! There is nothing else that can destroy my master's Mechabeasts!" Ashura cried out.

"Lord Ashura, look!" one of the Iron Masks, Dr. Hell's brainwashed footsoldiers and ship crew, exclaimed. The camera inside the ship turned upward toward where the blur had stopped.

"What?"

"Lifthrasir, at your service!" Tara's voice called out.

"Tara? Where on Earth did you get that machine?" Koji exclaimed.

"I dunno. But I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth," Tara replied as her mech grabbed the much lighter Aphrodite and hoisted it up a bit. "You can take these monsters and that ship while I get Sayaka to safety!"

"Thanks!" Koji said eagerly. With Sayaka safely out of Ashura's clutches, Koji could afford to go back on the offensive. "Looks like the shoe's on the other foot now, eh, you two-faced freak?"

"Grrrr...open all gun ports! Ready all missiles! Destroy Ko...no...destroy Lifthrasir and Aphrodite A! Mechabeasts, destroy Mazinger Z! For the glory of Doctor Hell!"

"Oh no you don't! BREASTO FIYAH!"

Mazinger again launched a blast of intense heat and energy, striking the flying fortress in one of its engines.

"Gotcha!" Koji cheered as an explosion rocked the ship.

"Curse you, Koji Kabuto!" Ashura roared. "Next time we meet, you will rue the day you were even born! I promise you that! Iron Masks, get us out of here! All Mechabeasts, go! Cover our retreat!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Tara had already reached a safe place to drop off Sayaka, on the other side of the city, near the entrance to the ghetto where the Elevens were forced to live. Unfortunately, several Knightmare Frames, Glasgow models, were patrolling the area and keeping the Elevens inside the ghetto when they arrived.

"Halt!" came the voice of a Britannian soldier. "You are not authorized to be in this area. This area is under strict control of His Majesty's armed forces."

"If it means anything," Tara retorted, "The pilot of Mazinger Z is fighting his hardest right now to protect you guys from those Mechabeasts, which your little wind-up dolls can't do much about!"

"This is Sayaka Yumi of Photon Power Labs," Sayaka declared over the radio. "Aphrodite A has (cough) clearance from the Emperor himself to remain with restricted military areas."

"What? An Eleven having military clearance from the Emperor himself?" another Britannian pilot exclaimed. "Tell us she's just lying, Sergeant!"

"No, this Eleven actually does have clearance, as does anyone directly involved in the operations of Photon Power Labs," said a Britannian sergeant, who was riding in a slightly more decorated Glasgow. "It's highly limited, but she is allowed to stay in this area and utilize our resources for basic repairs. But that doesn't go for this white one here. I'm afraid you're gonna have to clear out, missy."

"Fine. I was going to head back and help Mazinger Z away." Tara scoffed.

* * *

Within a darkened throne room, the hunched, bearded form of Dr. Hell stared at the live footage being fed from his spy satellite that showed him everything that was going on in the battle. Drumming his fingers, he grumbled and groused at losing again.

"Curse you, Mazinger Z. Curse you, Koji Kabuto. Yet again you stand in my way. If not for you and the other creations of your blasted grandfather, Britannia, the Earth Alliance and the colonies would be mine!"

Just then, Lifthrasir came on screen. It reached behind its back, grabbed a rifle, and began firing at a Garada K7, knocking it to the ground. At this, Dr. Hell got to his feet and stamped his foot down.

"And to make matters worse, a new machine has entered the equation. A speedy white warrior that can pierce the armor of my mighty Mechabeasts as well as Mazinger can! Curse you, white gadfly! I will destroy you AND Photon Power Labs!"

"Is something bothering you, Dr. Hell?" a voice came from a communication screen. The image of a blue-faced, human-like alien appeared onscreen. The alien had pointed ears, a black helmet that covered his left eye and had fin-shaped projections behind his ears, making him seem almost like a fish-man.

"You have caught me in a bad mood, Zuril," Dr. Hell grumbled. "What is it?"

"You seem to be having trouble with that little boy Kabuto," Zuril replied. "Maybe there's something we can do. I believe it's a saying on your planet...'It takes two to tango?'

"What are you implying?" Dr. Hell replied, his anger turning to interest.

"King Vega's offer still stands, Dr. Hell. If you meld your Mechabeast Army into our already substantial army of Vegan UFO Robos, Campbellian Slave Monsters, and Boazanian Beast Fighters, this planet will fall in no time!"

"Even though there are the PLANTS to concern ourselves with?" Dr. Hell asked. "Those Coordinators are not to be discounted."

"ZAFT holds nothing but contempt for the humans they call Naturals," Zuril reassured Dr. Hell. "They have agreed to look the other way in exchange for being left alone. Of course, once we have subjugated Earth and taken back Grendizer, the PLANTs will be our subjects as well."

"And what of the Zonders and Jovian Lizards?" Dr. Hell said. "They will surely get in our way as well."

"...Mere stumbling blocks," Zuril again assured the doctor. "Let us concentrate on dealing with those Super Robots that stand in our way. The Nanbara Connection and Big Falcon are already working out an alliance with Photon Power Labs. If we do nothing, Combattler V and Voltes V will combine forces with Grendizer and the Mazingers of Photon Power Labs, and then surely you will fail!"

"Hmm...very well. I, Dr. Hell, will accept your king's generous offer for the time being. But I would prefer to work out the details with King Vega directly. A neutral ground with which we can forge our contract should be decided on."

"Our king, in his infinite foresight, has already found a suitable location. We will meet at one of the PLANTs. ZAFT, as a neutral party in this affair, has agreed to arbitrate our negotiations. Quintilis Two was this particular PLANT's name, I believe. We will meet there in thirty-six Earth hours. ZAFT has already sent one of their officers to escort you there and should be arriving at your location soon."

"Your king is rather insistent, I see. Very well, I will come to Quintilis Two."

"Good. I eagerly await to meet you in person, Dr. Hell."

With that, the comm link was disconnected, leaving Dr. Hell alone with his thoughts once more.

* * *

The battle was over. Lifthrasir and Mazinger Z prevailed over the remaining Mechabeasts, which all been reduced to either slag or scrap in the face of the deadly duo. Knightpolice and Glasgow-type Frames were on the scene as well, inspecting the remains of one of the Mechabeasts. Aphrodite A, back in working condition but still missing its arm, came over as well.

"Tara, that was awesome, especially since you never piloted a giant robot before," Koji said. "I couldn't imagine trying to control that thing. It's so fast, my eyes couldn't keep up with it!"

"I don't think I could pilot this thing either, at least not without Xemmey," Tara replied.

"Xemmey?" Sayaka inquired. "Who's that?"

"Greetings," Xemmey replied, temporarily assuming control of the communication system. "I am the AI of the XEM-00 Lifthrasir. You are Koji Kabuto and Sayaka Yumi of Photon Power Labs, correct? According to my data banks, your relatives are friends with my creators."

"Yeah, I never did ask, who made you and Lifthrasir anyway?" Tara asked.

"Please wait while I access the data," Xemmey said. She went silent, and the entire cockpit of Lifthrasir seemed to emit a very low hum, barely within range of human hearing.

"Unfortunately, my data banks do not include any records for who built Lifthrasir itself. However, this machine was restored to working condition by your father, Dr. Gilbert Zifell; I was coded and programmed by your mother, Dr. Haruhi Zifell."

Tara smiled. It was the best birthday present she ever got.

* * *

An Iron Mask soldier stepped into the room and saluted Dr. Hell later that day as the mad scientist was enjoying a cup of his favorite tea.

"Doctor Hell, a ZAFT mobile suit has been spotted landing at your lab's front door. Shall we capture the pilot?"

"No, but do bring him to me all the same. Not even a Coordinator ace would dare attempt to attack my unconquerable Hell Island alone...and I have been expecting him. But If he tries anything suspicious, kill him."

"As you command, my lord."

The soldier left, and Dr. Hell was again alone. He sat back down at his throne, trying his best to look intimidating for his guest, in order to be treated with the proper respect. A few minutes later, three Iron Masks returned, leading a blond-tressed man in a white uniform with black cuffs, black shoulder pads, and a red and yellow flag, the flag of ZAFT, sewn onto his outfit. But the man's most noticeable feature was the white mask that covered his eyes and nose, which was elegantly designed and made from a light carbon. Dr. Hell smirked when the man got down on one knee and bowed.

"Greetings, Dr. Hell. Rau Le Creuset, ZAFT commander at your service. I will be taking you to Quintilis Two."

* * *

_And that's it for Tara's first chapter. Next, we'll hop over to the other world and begin Janus' story, where the only thing standing between the world and its demise are anime's most crazy awesome robot pilots. Stay tuned!_


	3. Chapter 1 Janus

_And now, we begin Janus' route. Also, GURREN FREAKING LAGANN. I hope my two originals haven't come across as too Mary-Sue/Gary Stu-ish. It's not easy with Super Robot protagonists._

* * *

**Chapter 1 (Janus) - Dreamer, Take Wing! Granlif Arrives!**

"Same as usual, Jan?" the crow Beastman, who ran a food stand in Kamina City's open air market, asked as he put some meat and bread in a bag for his customer, a young man, barely seventeen, with black hair and a maroon streak running along it.

"And an apple for Yoko-sensei, please," the young man buying from him replied.

"Someone's ambitious," the merchant chuckled as he picked up a shiny, flawless red apple from a crate full of them and added it to the bag. "But she's waaaay out of your league, Janus."

"It is not like that at all!" Janus exclaimed, snatching the bag and slamming some money down on the counter. The crow chuckled some more as he picked up the money and counted it.

Kamina City: The Spiral Haven. A city filled with hundreds of thousands of humans and Beastmen. Not long ago, before the Getter Ray Armageddon, they had been enemies. Now they were, at the very least, tolerant of each other. But it is completely free of Getter Ray contamination, unlike almost every other area of the planet.

This situation is all thanks to Spiral Power. It is a power that all living things possess to one degree or another, but is especially potent in human beings. It is the power of hope, of dreams, and of the desire to live. As long as the people of Kamina City continued to believe in their own power and in a bright future, the city's lights would never go dark. Of course, the acting governor of the city, Commander Rossiu, dismissed such a notion.

Standing at the vanguard of its defense is the Dai-Gurren Brigade, led by the hero of the war against the Spiral King…Supreme Commander Simon. Once a meek lad, he was inspired to heights of greatness never before witnessed, and with his robot Gurren Lagann, he saved mankind from being trapped within the Earth.

Though few people have actually met Simon, their faith in him and his ability to protect the city is unshakeable. Those lucky ones who had the privilege invariably say that he was the most approachable, honest person they had ever met. He always seemed to have a saying from his "big bro" Kamina for any occasion. But most of all, he never let the immense power he possessed go to his head. He had even enlisted one of the Spiral King's former lieutenants as his co-pilot.

His fellow Dai-Gurren Brigade members fill other roles in the city. In particular, Ms. Yoko, who was only four years older than him, was Simon's first companion besides Kamina, even before Commander Rossiu, who served as his co-pilot during the war with the Spiral King. Rumor had it that she was leaving Kamina City for some faraway place. Janus, who had seen her many times before, had inevitably developed a crush on her. He had to see her off.

As he walked, he suddenly felt someone was following him. But whenever he looked behind, he only saw the crowds passing him by. Janus turned a corner, and headlong into another face from the Brigade he had met, but hardly one he had hoped to see.

"Well, well, look who's trying to be all romantic and stuff."

"…Uh, hello, Leeron."

Leeron of Littner – a mechanical genius and a fellow who seemed to have a thing for other men. Much of the city's engineering was crafted from plans devised by his brilliant mind, but he was always somewhat difficult to deal with.

"You…I've been watching you, handsome, and you're perfect!" the cyan-haired young man cooed, getting right up in Janus' face.

"Look, Leeron, I don't…"

Leeron withdrew and waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, get your mind out of the gutter, kiddo. Just come with me."

"Look, I'm looking for Ms. Yoko-sensei. I need to see her off on her new journey."

"Oh, small world…I had invited her to see my latest project before she left. She's at my workshop."

"…Truly?"

"C'mon, you know that lying to people isn't the way Team Dai-Gurren rolls." Leeron replied, putting his hand on Janus' shoulder.

"Alright, I suppose if Simon trusts you, I guess I can…Ow!"

Janus grabbed his head as Leeron deftly placed a hair from Janus' head into a strange analysis machine. He smiled.

"A 99.952% DNA match. That should be just fine."

* * *

The two arrived at Leeron's personal workshop, where they saw something tall, about the size of Gurren Lagann, standing near it, draped in a gigantic sheet that was carefully tied with rope. Standing just beneath it, sipping some Spiral Cola, dressed in her unmistakable skimpy black and yellow two-piece outfit and red jacket, was Yoko. Janus swallowed nervously when she looked in his direction.

"Ah, Leeron…is this the one you were looking for?" Yoko asked.

"Seems like it. His DNA is pretty much a perfect match." Leeron said confidently as he strode toward a bit of rope hanging on the ground.

"…For what?" Janus cried, his patience wearing thinner by the second.

"Just watch, kiddo," Yoko replied. Leeron, with great gusto, yanked on the rope, untying it in an instant. The sheet dropped off of the object was covering…a giant robot, but unlike any Gunman Janus had ever seen.

The robot stood almost sixty feet in height. Its body was painted white, with blue and black accents on the arms and chest. It was very humanoid, with broad shoulders, slightly oversized hands, and slightly conical feet. Its head was very unusual: it seemed to have a crown of golden, hemispherical knobs adorning its head, and its eyes were replaced what appeared to be black wrap-around sunglasses, with the lens stretching almost all the way down to the chin. Two fins protruded just behind its arms, with three small turrets atop each, and what appeared to be solar panels on the back. The forearms and shins were decorated with black and blue symbols resembling an upside-down Y.

"It was a mess when I found it in Lordgenome's junk piles, but with a little elbow grease, some spare Gunman parts and a whole lot of love, it's as good as new!" Leeron cheered. "All it needs now is its pilot."

Janus took a few steps toward the machine when a red portal opened beneath his feet, and he fell into it. Yoko and Leeron nearly jumped at the sight. As much as they were used to impossible things happening, it was only when Simon was around.

"Where'd he go?" Yoko exclaimed. "Leeron, if you don't find a way to get him back…"

* * *

Janus didn't fall far before he plopped into what was most likely the cockpit, but there were no obvious controls. The room instantly lit up a deep cyan. Instead of a Gunmen-type cockpit, a harness made of heavily tarnished gold fibers dangled in the middle of the small chamber. Viewing screens surrounded the harness as well.

The young man, figuring that it would be impractical to hide a mech's controls, stepped into the harness. As soon as he did so, the harness seemed to come to life, rapidly and skillfully securing it in all the other places on Janus' body, even tightening itself to the point where security and comfort were optimally balanced. The screens lit up, giving Janus a full view of his surroundings.

He also noticed that anklets and wristbands made of the same tarnished gold fibers had formed around his ankles and wrists, and beams of energy were streaming into the floor and ceiling. But Janus was able to move as freely as he could without the harness. When he raised his arms, the robot lifted its arms as well. When Janus scratched his head, so did the robot.

"Eureka! It works!" Leeron said, hopping into the air and clicking his heels together.

"Okay," Janus' voice came over the mech's loudspeaker. "So…what's this thing's name?"

"Um…I haven't thought of one. But it's your mech, kiddo. You name it."

"I'm only a few years younger than you! And my name is Janus! Stop calling me kiddo or I may decide to squash you guys!"

"Fine, fine, whatever you say. Just think of a name already, sheesh."

Janus stroked his chin (with the mech once again mimicking his motions) and pondered. He wanted to avoid stealing Gurren Lagann's name, so Shiro Lagann was right out. It had to be original, yet still testament to the awesome that this mech exuded. As if to answer him, the screen in front of him opened up a status window with a single word, written in tall, bold green letters:

…Granlif.

…_Yeah! Granlif! I'll call you Granlif! Now…it's time to come up with a super awesome phrase to go with your name. _

The mecha projected another screen, with much smaller text, but still big enough to read.

"When dreams take wing in the face of a hostile universe…my battle cry will shatter all foes and light the way to the future. I am the guardian…mighty colossus…Granlif?"

"Um…if you were trying to be like Simon, you reeeeally need to work on your delivery, kiddo," Leeron quipped.

"I said my name is Janus!" the robot pilot yelled "Besides, I was just reading it out loud before I really tried it..."

But before much else could be said, an alarm sounded throughout the city.

"What? What's going on? Is it another emergency drill?" Janus exclaimed, looking back and forth.

"No. I think we're under attack for real," Leeron replied, keeping surprisingly calm in this situation. "Rossiu has probably already scrambled the Grapearls."

Grapearls…mass-produced versions of Gurren Lagann that were the mainstay of Kamina City's defense force. More advanced than the old Gunmen, the Grapearls were supposed to be marvels of engineering. Janus didn't believe in their ability one bit. They were just cheap toys compared to Gurren Lagann.

…And probably Granlif as well. Janus decided to impress Yoko the only way he knew how.

"Guys, I'm going to help the Grapearls out! See ya later!" Janus called out. He leapt into the air, and did a quick somersault in midair before rocketing up, as wings made of silver light streamed out from the fins on Granlif's shoulders.

"Stupid kid…he's going to get himself killed!" Yoko said, angry at the brashness of this new kid. "Leeron, you have my old M-Tank Gunmen in there, right?"

"…Yep. It's all set and ready to go out back. I even loaded it up with a full stock of ammunition just in case!"

"I'm going to launch in it so Janus doesn't get himself or anyone else killed!" the red-tressed sniper said, rushing toward the door of Leeron's workshop. "In all likelihood, it's those freaky Invaders!"

"C'mon, believe in the kid," Leeron replied, "Just like you believed in Simon, who believed in you, me, Team Dai-Gurren and everyone in this city."

Yoko paused and smiled. Leeron was right. But all the same, she was still worried about Janus. He obviously never knew true battle, and he would need a veteran's guidance.

* * *

The market square was in an absolute panic as eight massive black abominations, Invaders that flourish in the wastelands surrounding the city, trudged into the crowd, scooping up people left and right and devouring them, their teeth spurting blood everywhere, terrifying the populace. The growing despair caused the city's lights to flicker and dim as the Spiral generators powering the city grew weaker.

The Grapearls were firing with all their might, but even their Spiral Power-enhanced bullets did little to stop the rampaging fiends. The Invaders lashed out with tooth, nail and tentacle, piercing the armor of the Grapearls, causing them to crash to the Earth. Just as Janus arrived on the scene, the last of ten Grapearls was impaled by an alien tentacle.

_No…I'm too late. But I will save the city! _Janus thought, his heart filled with bravery.

"…Hey, uglies! Over here!"

The Invaders ceased their rampage and looked straight at Janus. In the back of his mind, he knew he was being crazy…he had never fought in battle before, and he was outnumbered eight to one. But he couldn't give up. He wouldn't let all these people die to a bunch of tentacle monsters…not now, not ever.

Janus' mind raced as he thought about what kind of weapons the machine had. In response to his thoughts, the two side screens (the front screen was kept uncovered, as they all were charging him head on).

_Let's see…Visor Beam…Gran Bits…Karma Knuckle…Gran Fire…ah, this should do…_

"…Graaaaan Claymoooore!" Janus roared at the top of his lungs, raising his hands high and pretending to hold a two-handed sword. Sure enough, a golden energy sword formed in his hands, and a real golden sword appeared out of thin air in the robot's hands, appearing out of the same kind of red portal that Janus fell into when he first entered Granlif.

"Heeeeeyaaaaaah!"

A ground-based Invader was nearly upon him when Janus swung, and was instantly sliced in two. A winged one came up right behind its fallen fellow, but Janus reacted quickly.

"GRAN FIRE!"

Granlif let out a blast of white energy from the symbol on its chest, melting the Invader's head clean off, and blasted through the chest of the one behind it.

"…Yeah! I'm unstoppable! I could take you guys on all day!" Janus laughed. But his laughter turned to dismay when the Invader he had just sliced in half rose up and tackled Granlif, knocking him down.

"Crap…" Janus groaned. As the Invader prepared to bite through the mech's armor, three bullets whizzed through the air, piercing the Invader all the way from tail to head. It received a lethal dose of Spiral Power, causing them to mutate wildly and explode into a mess of gore, goop and eyeballs. Janus turned around to see a pink Gunmen with a very large cannon mounted on its top, its barrel still smoking, and a large ammo clip poking up.

"Hey, Janus, these guys can't be beat through brute force alone. They love energy of all kinds, but they can't handle too much or they evolve too quickly and explode. Try adding more passion and spirit to your attacks. They'll overdose on Spiral Energy that way!"

_That explains why those guys I used Gran Fire on aren't getting up…guess I need to yell louder._

"…Alright, how about this? VISOOOOOOR BEEEEEEEAM!"

Granlif's visor glowed silver, then let out a blast of white energy twice as strong as the chest blast he used before, roasting the four remaining Invaders in one go, and blasting a hole in the building.

"That's its weakest attack at full strength?" Janus exclaimed, shocked by the show of power. "Man, this thing is incredible…"

"Wow…that Granlif might give Gurren Lagann a run for its money," Yoko gasped. "Is this kid some kind of Spiral Power whiz kid like Simon? No…it's not Spiral Power. It's similar, but…"

But before much else could be said, the loud, echoing laughter of an old man rang through the now empty square.

"…You who would defy our rightful place on this world, listen and tremble!" the voice called out. Suddenly, several large red robots appeared: Getter Dragons. One of the Getters had a man with wild, overgrown grey hair and a long grey mustache and beard standing in its open palm.

"Is that…" Janus gasped.

"It's the guy who's responsible for the Getter Ray Armageddon that consumed the entire outside world…Dr. Saotome! He's just like those men from Neo-Japan described him!" Yoko said grimly.

"What do you want with Kamina City?" Janus yelled, pointing accusingly at the mad doctor.

"…Bu-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! It is not for you weaklings to know! Besides, you cannot hope to challenge the power of Getter Rays with your pathetic Spiral Power!"

"Not on my watch! KARMA KNUCKLE!" the hot-blooded pilot yelled, shooting out the mech's left fist. The old man sunk into the Getter with a twisted smirk, and it dropped altitude to avoid Granlif's attack. It flew wide, and blasted a hole in one of the buildings.

"No!" Yoko cried out, seeing the damage being done, and the screams of people being crushed on the fist of Granlif.

"Damn it, Saotome, hold still!" Janus roared.

The mad scientist cackled yet again, this time through the loudspeaker of the Getter Dragon. "Foolish humans and your weak feelings for each other are nothing!"

A new voice issued from the loudspeaker, one of a brutish thug of a man. "The next stage of evolution is coming, and you will be left behind!"

A third voice then spoke, one of a small, conniving fellow, "Shin Dragon will wipe away the old, weak life, and we Invaders will make it our new home!"

Finally, Saotome's voice rang forth once more. "Now, die, bathed in the Getter Rays you so fear…GETTER BEAM!"

"Don't bet it on it, bozos!" another voice rang out, one that was music to Yoko's ears: Simon's.

"What?" Saotome exclaimed. Suddenly, three of the Getter Dragons were beheaded by sunglasses-shaped boomerangs. They returned to their owner…the almighty Gurren Lagann.

"Hey, you old fogie; clear out or we'll bash your skulls in!" the voice of Viral declared. "Your little tentacle buddies may be able to handle some Grapearls, but they're no match for Team Dai-Gurren!

_It's him…it's really him…Simon! _Janus said, barely able to contain himself.

"Fool! I'll make you suffer!" Saotome roared as his Getter Dragon withdrew two large axes and connected them at the handle.

"…DOUBLE TOMAHAWK…"

But instead of attacking Simon and Viral, he turned his attention to Janus.

"BOOOOMERANG!"

The Getter threw the weapon with all its might. Janus instinctively put his arms up to block the attack. The silver wings on its back immediately formed a barrier, dulling the force of the blow. The axes bounced off into another building, nearly slicing it in two. Saotome and his two co-pilots began to laugh with riotous laughter.

"No!" Simon cried out. "Viral, let's end this quickly before any more damage is done to the city!"

"…Right!"

Gurren Lagann grew drills out of every hole in its form, which then gathered at its upraised arm, which was then replaced with a massive drill.

"…FINISHING MOVE! GIGAAAAAAAAA…DRILL…BREAAAAAAAAAAAK!"

Gurren Lagann rocketed forward, catching Saotome unawares and drilling a massive hole in the Getter Dragon's body, stopping short of the building behind them.

"Hahahaha…Cohen…Stinger…it seems we misjudged the power of the Spiral. We should retreat for now."

"Yes, it would be most prudent not to press our luck at this point," the voice of the small man, Stinger, declared.

"I agree. So far away from Shin Dragon, even Getter Robo has its limits."

The mech warped away before it could explode. Simon let out a sigh of relief, but his relief turned to dismay when he surveyed the damage done. Even Janus, who had just been overwhelmed by the awesome spectacle of Gurren Lagann's ultimate attack, could not help but feel the weight of those whose lives he unwittingly ended on his shoulders. He stared at the blood-stained hand of the mech he had just come to know…

* * *

"Janus Olendra, this court finds you guilty on the seventeen charges of manslaughter, fifty countless of reckless endangerment and the seventy-five counts of destruction of city property," spoke Commander Rossiu grimly. "I hereby sentence you to life imprisonment in solitary confinement without the possibility of parole."

"Hey..what about his efforts to protect the city?" Kittan shouted from the benches. "More lives could have been lost if he didn't do something! Your stupid Grapearls were so useless, they might as well have just thrown themselves to those things and say 'Hey, Invaders; Free lunch!"

"Kittan, talk out of line again and you'll find yourself in prison as well," Rossiu said.

"No. I accept my punishment, Commander," Janus replied with a sigh. "My crimes were inexcusable." He was already in a deep depression over his acts. The high of combat had made him heedless to the destruction he was causing.

"However," Rossiu said. "Kittan is right. Many more lives could have been lost than those you took without knowing had you done nothing. In light of that, this court shall lighten your sentence as follows: in lieu of life imprisonment, you are hereby banished from Kamina City until you return with proof that the true murderer of those people, Dr. Saotome, has been brought to justice through your own efforts. You will take Granlif with you to facilitate that."

"I'm going with him, then." Yoko declared. "He's never left the city, and he'll need someone to help him survive in the Getter Ray infested wastes."

"Yoko-sensei," Janus gasped.

"Very well; Guards, escort Janus Olendra and Granlif outside the city."

Outside the courtroom, he passed Simon, who had been watching from the back the whole time. He smiled and gave Janus a thumbs-up, as if to say, "I believe in you, kiddo."

That little gesture alone gave Janus the courage he needed to face his coming trial.

* * *

_And that's it for the first chapters of each route. Now, for a little episode preview for the next chapters:_

_Next time on Tara's route - Tara goes to Photon Power Labs to meet up with Professor Yumi, only to find that both Britannia and Nergal Corporation want the rights to the Labs' most ambitious project yet...but will the scientist have to pick the lesser of the two evils, or will he have to take a third option? Find out on **Chapter 2 (Tara) - Fight, Nadesico! Aestivalis vs. Knightmares!**  
_

_Next time on Janus' route - Janus and Yoko begin their long hunt for the mad Saotome. Will they be able to survive the Getter Ray tainted wastes without aid? Or will they be forced to seek new alliances? Find out in **Chapter 2 (Janus) - The Tower That Wanders! Enter Getter Team!**  
_


	4. Chapter 2 Tara

_Now we continue with Tara's route, where _Martian Successor Nadesico_ and _Code Geass_ make their formal entry into the tale. I'm sure most of you know about the latter, but the former is pretty awesome too, based on my experience with it in _Super Robot Wars J.

* * *

**Chapter 2 (Tara): Fight, Nadesico! Aestivalis vs. Knightmares!**

Unfortunately, the ice cream parlor that Tara, Sayaka and Koji were thinking of going to had been destroyed by a Mechabeast's rampage, so doing that was right out. But then, Koji got an idea.

"Say, why don't we bring Tara to Photon Power Labs? Your dad would understand us bringing Tara there, right? I mean, her parents have worked with him. We need to bring Mazinger Z and Aphrodite A back anyway."

"Hmmm...let me contact the Lab right now," Sayaka replied. "My communicator is still working just fine, thankfully." Sayaka pressed a few buttons, and a small screen appeared on her console. After a few moments, an image of the interior of a laboratory appeared, with a middle-aged man, probably in his mid to late fifties, in a white coat working on something.

"This is Aphrodite, reporting in," Sayaka said into a microphone next to the screen. The man turned around and approached the screen, adjusting his glasses.

"Ah, Sayaka...I am glad you and Koji are all right. I saw your battle on the and Koji performed admirably. But...there was another machine fighting alongside you..."

"Oh, it's about that," You know my friend Tara, right?"

"Tara Zifell? I've never met her, but I've been regaled with many tales about her while you two were growing up from her parents."

"Well, she's the pilot. Apparently her folks gave her that robot as a birthday present. Anyway, as long as Koji and I are bringing Aphrodite and Mazinger back, I thought we'd have her come and look around."

"Hmmm...normally I'd be happy to," Professor Yumi replied after a moment of thought. "But I'm expecting other visitors, rather important ones. I'll give you the details when you return."

"Come on, Professor Yumi! We'll promise not to bother you!" Koji begged. "We'll just show her the lab and maybe the hangar! Nothing else!"

"No...I'm being too restrictive. Tara is a young lady now, and I'm sure she's smart enough to know proper behavior within the labs. Besides, I doubt her own home has the proper facilities for maintaining a giant robot. She should leave it in our care."

"Are you okay with that, Tara?" Koji asked. "I'd hate to see that clumsy Boss Borot scratch up its nice paint job."

"I think so. What do you think, Xemmey?" Tara asked.

"According to my data banks, Big Falcon, the Nanbara Connection, and Photon Power Labs are the only friendly facilities to possess the tools and materials necessary for Lifthrasir's maintenance. I recommend accepting their offer."

"Okay, it's settled. I'm coming with Lifthrasir to the labs."

"We will be waiting for your arrival."

* * *

The three friends arrived at Photon Power Labs without further incident, and soon Koji was giving Tara the grand tour of the acclaimed research facility while Prof. Yumi was preparing for his other guests. They stopped at a window near Mazinger's hangar, where what appeared to be a pilotless jetpack and set of wings was parked.

"That's Jet Scrander, for when Mazinger Z needs to fly," Koji said. "I'm glad we didn't need it today, though." Suddenly, a voice came from down the hallway, one filled with shock and rage.

"No! Have you completely lost your mind, Professor? I won't let you! No! Never!"

"Uh-oh...who's that?" Tara asked uneasily.

"Tetsuya Tsurugi. He's sort of an adopted older brother of mine," Koji replied with some embarrassment. "He's the pilot of Great Mazinger, an improved model of Mazinger Z...or it would be if they actually had the original. He pilots one that Sayaka's father created based on my grandfather's blueprints."

Just then, the man in question stormed out of the nearby room and started down the hall, his face red with rage. When he saw that Sayaka and Tara were here as well, he quickly composed himself by taking a few deep breaths.

"Please excuse my outburst, Sayaka. I hope I didn't terrify your guest."

"What's going on? I've never seen you angry like that before," Koji asked.

"Kabuto, Professor Yumi has gone mad," Tetsuya said, getting worked up again. "He is going to sell the plans for Great Mazinger to some big defense contractor called Nergal! First he sells out Father and Grandfather to the Britannian Empire, now he's selling their life's work to some corporate goons! That man cares for nothing else but his research!" Sayaka would have come to her father's defense, but Tetsuya was mostly right, at least in her view. She remained silent. Tetsuya, realizing that he had needlessly opened a wound for Sayaka, calmed down again.

"What?" Tara exclaimed. "What would Nergal want with the plans for Great Mazinger?"

"They most likely want to mass-produce it and sell off cheap copies to the highest bidder," Tetsuya replied. "Even if they won't as powerful as my own Great, they are far too dangerous to be sold like children's toys. Kabuto, Sayaka, talk some sense into the Professor!"

Just then, Professor Yumi came out of the room, adjusting his tie as if going to greet the guests. Tetsuya turned around and barred his path, as did Koji.

"Tetsuya, get out of the way. The representatives from Nergal have just arrived."

"I won't let you sell my grandfather's work, Professor!" Koji replied indignantly. "You of all people should know the danger of letting a Mazinger fall into the wrong hands!"

"I see you heard Tetsuya's rather limited version of the situation."

"Please, Father, tell me you won't really do it!" Sayaka said, hoping that her father would explain everything."

"I have made no agreement of any sort with Nergal yet. Indeed, I am as hesitant as you all are in simply letting such people possess the plans to Great Mazinger for mere money. I had to meet with their representative personally and gauge their character. If I can reasonably believe that Nergal will not abuse the power of a mass-produced Great, only then I will set the minimum amount the Labs will accept."

"Sorry, Professor, but you can't put a mere monetary price on the power to be a god or a demon," Koji replied. "Don't even THINK about money until you are absolutely sure that Nergal won't abuse its power. Promise?"

"I swear it upon your grandfather's good name," the scientist replied solemnly, putting a hand on Koji's shoulder. The young man let Professor Yumi pass as Tetsuya leaned against the wall and took another deep breath.

"So, uh...nice to meet you, Tetsuya," Tara said awkwardly. The pilot realized his error and took a few steps back.

"Oh, in all the commotion, we were never properly introduced. You are?"

"Tara Zifell."

"Oh yes, the girl who seems to be obsessed with _Gekiganger_. I watched that show when I was very little. Of course, there's more to piloting a robot than simply having two hands and a lot of fighting spirit. It requires years of daily training, fine-tuning your control of the machine."

"Or a really good auto-pilot system," Koji quipped.

"Come again?" Tetsuya asked.

"Just come on, Tetsuya!" Koji groaned as he started back toward the hangar.

* * *

The hangar of Photon Power Labs stored more than just Photon Power Labs' Super Robots: it had plenty of room for equipment and for landing anything up to, and including, a mid-sized warship. And one such warship landed in the middle of the room: Nergal's own warship, the _Nadesico_.

From its exit hatch came two people: the first was a middle-aged man with glasses, neatly trimmed head and mustache, a yellow shirt, a purple tie, dark-blue pants and a purple tie, carrying a calculator in one hand and a briefcase in the other.

The other was a young woman, probably about twenty years old, with long dark-blue hair, fair skin and purple eyes. She wore a rather fashionable variation of the outfit worn by a warship captain, including a beret-like hat perched neatly on her head. She walked with a spring in her step, as if nothing in the world could be troubling her. It was these two people that Professor Yumi met and greeted.

"You must be the representatives from Nergal. I am pleased to finally meet you in person."

"Oh, Mr. Prospector here will be doing all the talking," the young captain replied, "I'll simply have the crew work on loading the supplies we purchased for the Mars expedition."

"At least tell me your name," the scientist replied cordially. "Whoever your relatives are, they must be very proud to have a warship captain in their family."

"My name is Yurika Misumaru, sir."

"Misumaru...you mean she's related to Kouichiro Misumaru?" the scientist said with some surprise. "The most renowned warship captain in the entire Earth Alliance?"

"That's my papa!" Yurika replied with a smile and a giggle.

"I can hardly believe it myself," another girl's voice said. Walking down the ramp was a girl with silver hair tied up in twin pigtails on the sides of her head who was noticeably younger than Yurika. She had a cold, near emotionless expression that seemed to glare against her bright orange vest and black and white clothing. "This idiot is actually undefeated in strategic simulations at the Federation officer's academy."

"That's no way to speak about your captain!" Professor Yumi exclaimed.

"It's okay, I don't mind. This is Ruri Hoshino, my main engineer. I may be captain, but she's the one who makes everything run smoothly on the _Nadesico_." Yurika replied before turning to the girl. "Ruri, have all the crew gotten ready to load up the ship?"

"Yamada is still in his room watching _Gekiganger 3 _again. I'll never understand what he sees in that show. Tenkawa, Subaru, Maki, and Amano have all assembled near the exit hatch, as have the rest of the bridge crew."

"Great! Get them started!" Yurika cheered. At that moment, Koji, Sayaka, Tara, and Tetsuya happened to be passing by, and unwittingly wandered into Yurika's peripheral vision.

"You four! Would you be so kind as to help my crew load up the ship with supplies?"

"Us? Why us?" Koji complained, not at all in the mood for manual labor, especially after a rough battle.

"Do you see anyone else in the room?" Ruri replied, not even batting an eyelid. "I can only assume all the other workers in this facility are busy since you four are doing nothing productive."

"I think we should help. It might be good for us to get a sense of what Nergal's employees are like," Tetsuya suggested quietly. "That way we can know if the Professor's decision was wise."

"Count me out. I'm too hungry to work anyway," Koji answered before continuing in his original direction.

"If you heeeelp us, we'll treat you to free food from our special on-board luuuunch coooounter," Yurika said in a sing-song voice. Koji spun around and started in the direction of the exit hatch, a big, goofy grin on his face. Sayaka rolled her eyes.

"Men."

* * *

As Professor Yumi and Mr. Prospector continued their negotiations, the four robot pilots got themselves acquainted with the crew of the _Nadesico_, since there was little else to do but chat whilst moving heavy things. And it was mostly the Aestivalis pilots that ended up doing a good deal of the work.

Tara noticed that one of them, a glasses-sporting girl about her age, pushing with all her might on a particularly heavy box, using her entire back to push it up the slope. Even though it was hardly steep, the sheer weight of the crate made it nearly impossible for her to push. The crate was near the top, but the girl was obviously straining just to keep it from sliding back down. Tara rushed over to help, putting her own back against it.

"C'mon, let's push together! DOUBLE GEKIGAN SHOOOOOVE!"

The two pushed as hard as they could, and the crate finally reached the top of the slope, and onto the level ground of the ship. The two girls slumped down onto the ground, exhausted from the effort, the one with glasses moreso.

"You (pant) like _Gekiganger _(huff) _3_? the girl asked as she tried to catch her breath.

"Best media ever (huff) produced," Tara replied, expecting a snarky retort.

"Yeah...anything with a theme song that (huff) Fire Bomber (pant) covers is (pant) awesome."

The two girls stopped panting, and looked at each other quizzically, and then...

"Who's your favorite Gekiganger pilot?" they asked each other simultaneously.

"Tenkuu Ken!" they replied to each other at the same time.

"…Favorite original Fire Bomber song?"

"Try Again!"

"Did you get the DVD collection that just came out?"

"You bet I did!"

The others, save one, could only look on, stupefied at this strange occurrence. The one who was not surprised, a black-haired man in his early thirties, Gai Daigoji, simply watched with a warm smile.

"It's like a dream come true...two women who have the burning soul of _Gekiganger _in their hearts! You guys cannot imagine how happy this makes me!"

"I just wonder how long it will be before they ask each other for their names," a brown-haired lad, Akito Tenkawa, said. "I like _Gekiganger_ too, but this is almost TOO much."

"It's like poetry in motion...if poetry was like a runaway truck ramming headlong into a daycare center," Izumi Maki, a young woman with long bangs that covered one eye and a constant dour expression on her face added.

"Hey, we still have more crates to load!" yelled the last of the bunch, Ryoko Subaru, a dark blue-green haired young woman. "Move it, bozos!"

"Yeah, the three of us are breaking our backs here!" Koji yelled as he pushed a crate with the help of Tetsuya just behind Ryoko.

"Huh?" Tara said, finally realizing what was happening. "Oh, right. Let's go...um...what's your name?"

"Hikaru Amano. Pleased to meet you," the girl with glasses replied.

"Tara Zifell. The feeling is mutual."

* * *

After several grueling hours of pushing crates up, the combined efforts of Tara, Koji, Sayaka, Tetsuya and the Nadesico crew finally paid off. They were all aboard.

"Man, I'm sore all over," Koji groaned.

"Ah, now THAT is a workout," Tetsuya said with great satisfaction as he stretched his arms up. "I think I'll count that my exercise regimen for the day."

"Hahaha! Those crates were no match for our combined teamwork!" Gai declared, laughing heartily.

"It would have gone a lot faster if Boss was here, though," Sayaka said. "We could have had Boss Borot load them up in no time flat."

"Oh, great job, everyone!" Yurika's voice suddenly called out. She, Ruri, Professor Yumi and Mr. Prospector all entered through the door that Koji and company had come out of hours before. "You got it up all by yourselves. I was going to suggest that you man your Aestivalis in order to move things along, but I must have forgot."

All at once, Hikaru, Ryoko, Izumi, and Akito fell backwards from shock, while Koji simply buried his face in his hands and sobbed quietly.

"At least we're still ahead of schedule," Ruri replied. "In light of that, the Captain is going to keep her word. You four are invited to join us on the _Nadesico _for a meal. Mr. Prospector has also invited Professor Yumi to dine with us."

"Yes, you simply must! My darling Akito's cooking is simply divine!"

Immediately, Akito sat up and looked around.

"I'm not that great a cook. It's just something that I enjoy doing."

"Come now, Tenkawa, do not be so modest," Mr. Prospector said. "You not only make the best food to ever be served on a warship, you somehow do it with a limited budget!"

"We accept!" Tara cheered. "Just lead the way, Captain!"

* * *

And so, they dined. Tara had never tasted food this good in her life, even the stuff made by her mother. Everything was cooked to perfection, whether it be plain white rice, tender bean sprouts or succulent chicken. She had even dared to try mushroom risotto, and she hated mushrooms.

Before long, everyone's belly was full and satisfied. Tara's, Gai's, and Koji's bellies were sticking out, so full of food were they.

But their feast proved to be a distraction that proved problematic. Ruri entered the lunch room with some dire news.

"Everyone, we have a problem. Omoikane detected a large number of Knightmare Frames headed towards our location. Close to three dozen of them. A mix of Sutherlands and Glasgows, but there's a new model among them as well. Omoikane is unable to identify it."

"Knightmare Frames?" Koji exclaimed. "What does Britannia want with us?"

"I knew this would happen," Professor Yumi said. "It seems Britannia also desires control of the mass-produced Great Mazingers."

"Well, this is certainly a problem," Mr. Prospector sighed. "Nergal is willing to offer money for those plans, but I highly doubt Britannia is going to be so generous. If anything, they're going to expect them on a silver platter, with or without your heads."

"It appears we don't have a choice then," Professor Yumi said decisively. "I'm going to have to entrust the Great Mazinger blueprints to Nergal...on one condition. The plans must be transferred into the _Nadesico_'s computers, and that you take Koji, Tara and Sayaka, as well as their respective mechs, with you to Mars. They must not have any of our Super Robots!"

"Wait, hold on! I can't go to Mars!" Tara exclaimed, looking at everyone. "I promised my folks I'd be home by midnight!"

"I doubt your parents would have entrusted you with a machine like Lifthrasir if they weren't expecting things like this to occur," Koji reassured her. "Just like my grandfather entrusted me with Mazinger Z."

"C'mon, haven't you ever wanted to see outer space?" Hikaru said. "It's awesome!"

"The choice is out of your hands anyway," Ruri added, pressing some keys on a tablet-shaped device. "Omoikane just intercepted a coded message from the Britannian base to our uninvited guests. They want Lifthrasir pretty badly. They'll pursue you to the ends of the Earth, but you'll be safe in space...safer, anyway."

"…Fine. I'll go. But I'm not going to turn tail and flee. Guys, let's give those Britannians a whoop'n they won't soon forget!"

"I concur. I'm tired of watching them walk all over my fellow Japanese," Yurika agreed. "Aestivalis pilots, prepare to sortie!" Without any more encouragement, the five Aestivalis pilots rushed back toward the hangar where the _Nadesico _was waiting.

"Let's go, Sayaka!" Koji said. "Professor, get Jet Scrander ready for when Mazinger launches!"

"Indeed. Tetsuya, go to the data room and start backing up all of our data to the secure servers, then download Great Mazinger's plans onto this red drive. Boss's favorite game, which I have stored on the quarantine server, should be downloaded onto this blue drive. I will join you shortly to help you back up the servers." Tetsuya nodded and made a run for the data room.

"Papa...you're not thinking of..." Sayaka said, shocked that her father would do such a thing.

"Britannians believe us Japanese to be sick, twisted people. I see no point in trying to change their minds."

* * *

Suzaku Korurugi was a traitor to his nation, but it was the only way for him to save it. He had worked to enter the Britannian military, and had somehow managed to work his way up the ranks and gotten himself a rather formidable Knightmare Frame, the very first of the seventh generation. It was painted white with gold accents, and sped along at a clip much greater than the others.

He couldn't hear his fellow soldiers, but he could sense the resentment oozing out of every one of those Sutherlands and Glasgows. He was an Eleven, yet he was their vanguard, their hope for victory, and that made them hate him even more. But with the Lancelot, he would claw his way up the hierarchy, and change Britannia from within when he was close to the top. Ever since Lloyd Asplund found him, and he had earned his position during the liquidation of the Shinjuku Ghetto, Suzaku felt like he could do it. He didn't know how long it would take, or who he would have to fight or kill to get there, but he would never give up until he had achieved his goal.

"Korurugi, we're coming up on the labs now," one of the Britannian soldiers said through the communicators, barely concealing his utter disgust for even talking to Suzaku on even terms. "You realize we're probably going up against fifty foot monsters, right?"

"…Yeah. But we outnumber them. We'll just have to aim for their weak points. They'll be too slow to catch us."

"For once, I hope you're right, Korurugi."

The labs loomed ahead in the distance, shining from the light of the full moon. As they advanced, they saw the waiting force. Suzaku sped to the front of the group to meet the defenders, most likely fellow Japanese. The other Knightmare Frames zipped left and right, surrounding the base.

"This is the Lancelot of the Britannian Royal Army. We come in His Majesty's name to claim the plans for Great Mazinger. If you do not surrender them immediately, you will all be slaughtered! Give me your answer now!"

Out stepped Koji Kabuto, riding Mazinger Z. The other Britannian soldiers cried out in terror at the giant that loomed over them. He surveyed the cowering lot with a smug face, but Mazinger's gaze met Lancelot's.

"Well…I am Mazinger Z of Photon Power Labs, and this is my answer…PHOTON BEEEEEAM!"

Mazinger fired yellow Photon energy beams from its eyes. But Suzaku was too skilled, and Lancelot too swift for Koji's attack to land. It sped off left, then right toward Mazinger's right foot…a smart choice, as Mazinger was built for fighting Mechabeasts, not Knightmare Frames, especially not ones as fast as Lancelot. Suzaku drew the Lancelot's sakuradite sword and pushed the Frame to full throttle. It slashed Mazinger across the foot, shattering the blade as sakuradite met Alloy Z, but leaving a deep cut in the Super Robot's leg and staggering it.

Emboldened by Suzaku's easy counterattack, the other, less-advanced Knightmare Frames began their charge…only to find themselves up against Koji's backup. The door to the labs' hangar sprang open, revealing five Aestivalis with Ground Frames, Aphrodite A, Lifthrasir, and the majesty of the _Nadesico. _Even Suzaku was concerned now. Had he been sent on a suicide mission?

He didn't have time to think, because Lifthrasir suddenly rushed straight at him. It was moving incredibly fast, and it was at almost four times as big as Lancelot. Suzaku forced his Knightmare Frame into full reverse as he tried to shake the white mech, which was firing its rifle at him, always barely missing.

Meanwhile, the others were busy laying waste to the less elite Brittanian troops. The three Aestivalis girls virtually twirled and pirouetted in their mechs as they let fly a torrent of bullets, piercing the armor of numerous Knightmares. Akito stayed back, guarding the _Nadesico_ from any incoming Knightmares with his knife and rifle, while Gai ripped and roared through the enemies, bellowing _Gekiganger _dialogue as he did, and Aphrodite A provided fire support with an occasional barrage of missiles. Akito and Sayaka did not enjoy battle, even against Britannians.

"Akito, c'mon, we could use a hand here!" Ryoko cried out as she batted away a Glasgow that gotten too close. The Distortion Fields of the Aestivalis held off most of the Britannian attacks, but even so, they weren't taking chances.

"A hand, you said?" came the voice of the _Nadesico_'s helmsman, Minato Haruka, on the communicators of all the defenders. "If it's a hand you want, I suggest you all get out of the way, unless you enjoy being pancakes.

"What does that mean?" Koji exclaimed.

"It means that the _Nadesico _is going to take out all of these Brittanians at once with its signature weapon," Ruri replied. "The last place you want to be is in the line of fire."

"Don't need to tell me twice!" Koji yelled as he scrambled to get Mazinger Z out of the _Nadesico_'s way. Akito and Sayaka quickly got atop the warship as it left the hangar and rose into the air.

"Systems are all green, Captain," Ruri said to Yurika. "Gravity Blast charge is complete, Distortion Field running at full strength, and optimal targeting angle has been set. We await your orders."

"Fire the Gravity Blast, now!"

Every Knightmare Frame in front of the _Nadesico_ suddenly increased in weight 950 times as the gravity field emanating from the bow of the vessel grew. Then, a barely visible (if not for the crackling energy) wave of pure gravitational force shot down at light speed, crushing every Knightmare Frame in the blast area when their weight grew to 4000 times normal, causing it to collapse and implode.

* * *

Suzaku and Tara were now a good ten miles from the site of the actual battle, and both were nearing the point of exhaustion as both pushed themselves to the limit trying to strike and dodge each other, but Suzaku knew exactly what he was doing. He had hoped to wear the pilot of the Lifthrasir down before striking it down and taking the mech, but it was taking way too long. Luring her into the ambush was his only option now.

"Get ready!" he radioed the ambush team. He then skidded to a stop. Just as he calculated, his much taller pursuer stopped.

"Listen, let's stop this nonsense for a minute and try to talk like civilized people," Suzaku said.

"You said just a few minutes ago that you were going to slaughter us all, didn't you?" Tara spat back "Guess the shoe's on the other foot now, huh, half-pint?"

Suzaku was silent, yet didn't seem shocked. He then let out a chuckle.

"I never thought we'd meet again like this, Tara Zifell…the class otaku…always absorbed in your TV shows and your manga and your video games. I always thought you were kind of cute, though."

Tara's indignation momentarily faded away at Suzaku's complement when it finally dawned on her who the owner of the voice was.

Xemmey, on the other hand, was privy to the danger. "Tara, I'm detecting a large number of Knightmare Frames in the area, all of them heavily armed."

But Tara paid no attention to her AI co-pilot, as she was blushing and lost in her thoughts. She remembered back at her first year at Ashford when she had first laid eyes on Suzaku: the late Japanese Prime Minister's dashing young son. Memories of those fleeting moments of ecstasy returned, rendering her incapable of fighting.

The clicking of fifteen guns in unison snapped Tara back to reality. She found herself surrounded by Knightmare Frames, just as Xemmey had warned her.

"Oh…crud…" Tara gasped, realizing that she had been had.

Every last Knightmare Frame opened fire simultaneously. Too enraged to think of the easy solution of flying away, Tara hunkered down as she took the attack head on, using Lifthrasir's golden fibers to block the worst of it. But it gave Suzaku an easy opportunity to disable the mech with one blow.

"I wish I didn't have to trick you like that. I really did think you were kind of cute," the pilot of the white Knightmare Frame said with sincere regret as he drew his sakuradite sword once more. He sped around to the rear of the giant white mech, ready to slice it open in one strike.

But then a red blur passed through the line of Knightmare Frames, all but one, a custom-made Gloucester, receiving a fatal blow. Suzaku stopped his attack long enough to ready his defense, as the nature of the blur was revealed: a red Knightmare Frame, with a bronze-orange- neck collar and an overlarge, unpainted right claw, which was glowing brilliantly with red energy, which had grabbed hold of the Lancelot's sword.

"I have you now, white-head! This is payback for Shinjuku!" the pilot of the red Knightmare Frame, a young woman, called out.

_Kallen? _Tara thought, recognizing the voice of yet another classmate. _Kallen Kozuki, the sickly girl?_

"Korurugi! We've got the plans, we need to get out of here!" the voice of Suzaku's commander, Cornelia Li Britannia, yelled. Suzaku's blade shattered, and the red Knightmare Frame grabbed Lancelot's arm and yanked it off, causing it to stagger back.

"Damn it…it's too fast?" Suzaku grunted.

"It ends here, white-head!" Kallen cried as she charged up her claw once more. But this time, Suzaku was able to avoid its reach, and sped away again, in reverse. Tara got Lifthrasir to its feet and watched Cornelia and Suzaku retreat.

"Kallen Kozuki! Thanks for saving me, but what the hell are you doing piloting a Knightmare Frame?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't believe we've met," Kallen lied, as she too realized who the voice at the other end was. But yet another voice came over her communicator: a deep, commanding voice, muffled slightly by something, as if wearing a mask.

"Kallen, there is no need for you to hide yourself from her, like I must," the voice said. "No need to mask yourself, like I do."

"Tara, I am picking up a transmission signal from another Knightmare Frame nearby. It appears to be a Burai model; it's most likely one of the resistance."

"Very unusual…it appears your little friend's machine is capable of intercepting messages on our secure channel," the voice said, still speaking even knowing Tara could hear him. He then switched to an open channel. "If I am not mistaken, you are Tara Zifell, daughter of Gilbert and Haruhi Zifell; student at Ashford Academy, and if personal anecdotes from my associate are correct, rather obsessed with a certain anime from three decades ago?"

"Great, is there anyone else who'd care to remind me of how much a nerd I am today?" Tara cried out in frustration. "I swear, I will throttle the next person who mentions it!"

"Well, you certainly have commendable spirit, taking on the white-head solo," the masked man said, only slightly fazed by Tara's outburst. "I am Zero, leader of the Japanese resistance. I had come to propose an alliance between us and Photon Power Labs. Unfortunately, it sounds like we arrived too late. Britannia has what it came for…"

"You mean those plans that they can use to mass-produce those Super Robots?" Kallen replied. "That would spell an end to anyone being free of Britannian resistance."

"No…they didn't get the plans. They're safely aboard the warship _Nadesico_, and what was surrendered to Britannia is absolutely useless to them." Tara said, remember what Sayaka had told her that Professor Yumi was planning to do. "We're going to fly into space, far out of Britannia's reach."

"Ah, a good plan," Zero replied. "I will meet with the scientists there and discuss combining our forces. Kallen, go into space with Tara and the _Nadesico._"

"But…"

"That is an order, Kallen."

"Yes, Zero."

* * *

When Tara, Kallen and Zero arrived back at the labs, they arrived at a scene of mayhem. It seems that the defenders of the labs had been overwhelmed, as many of their mechs were lying on the ground, being repaired. But also, the ground seemed to be completely littered with broken and shattered Knightmare Frames, some in slightly more salvageable condition than others.

Seeing Tara return was a relief to everyone, and Yurika also greeted the new arrivals warmly, knowing that they were allies somehow.

"Hello, I don't think I've seen you two before," she said as Zero stepped out of his Frame. "Yurika Misumaru, captain of the _Nadesico_. You are?"

"Hey, you're Zero, the leader of the resistance!" Sayaka exclaimed. "I saw you on the news recently…and I must say that…"

"I have no time for idle chatting at the moment. Kallen, load Guren onto the _Nadesico. _I must find Professor Yumi."

"What's your business with him?" Tetsuya said, standing in the masked man's way.

"I must address certain matters with him. You WILL take me to Professor Yumi!"

Suddenly, Tetsuya's mind came under a massive psychic attack. Zero's gaze burrowed deep into its mind, gaining the loyalty of every single cell in the pilot's brain.

"Yes…follow me. He should be in the data room," Tetsuya droned, his iris ringed with pink.

"Creepyyyyy…" Hikaru chimed in with a little shiver. "Did you see the way Tetsuya turned all zombie-like?"

"Based on what I've heard, Zero has the ability to bend others to his will merely by meeting his gaze," Ruri answered. "As for who the man really is, it's anyone's guess."

"All I know is that Zero will not rest until Japan is free from Britannia's grip!" Kallen assured them. "I know his way of doing things might seem wrong, but just believe in him! I know that Japan will be great once more after we have freed it under his leadership!"

_Those words have been used far too often in defense of tyrants, _Ruri thought. _We should be careful of just how much trust we put in Zero…_

* * *

Lelouch, alone with C.C. again, could finally remove his mask. It was necessary to keep his face hidden from everyone when in the guise of Zero, including his old friend Suzaku and his close ally Kallen. Only C.C., who had given him the power of Geass in the first place, was allowed to see his face…and one other person whom he had come to know and trust. Within his private chambers in a hidden base near the Academy, he picked up a specially crafted cell phone. The signals it sent out were heavily encrypted and impossible to listen to on any other device, even if tracked, as it could only be used to communicate with a single person…a man of countless secrets, who lived entirely in the shadows.

"Lelouch vi Britannia," the voice at the other end said. "How did it go?"

"The Professor was bit difficult to persuade, but I earned his cooperation."

"You didn't Geass the old man, did you?"

"Come now, Alan Igor, I would not waste my Geass on a potential ally like that. He is a man of science. I merely used the facts to sway him to our side. How did your meeting with Shinobu Fujiwara go?"

"He's been itching to leave Britannia behind ever since that Shapiro Keats showed up at your old man's doorstep and wormed his way into his good graces."

"I hear he is as egotistical as my father," Lelouch replied.

"Keats? I can't even begin to explain it. He has a god complex, straight up...but as for Fujiwara, I had to throw him off me before I could make him understand that I couldn't just arrange a meeting between the Cyber Beast Force and the famous Zero right then and there. But whatever the case, we should consider Dancougar a new member of your resistance, Lelouch. What's your next move?"

"I have already sent Kallen and the Guren into space to monitor the activity of the _Nadesico_. The captain and crew of the vessel are for the most part too naive to be deceitful, but considering Nergal's past dealings with Britannia, I highly doubt the plans for Great Mazinger will be safe in their hands. Corporations are usually no different than tyrants like my father when it comes to handling dangerous weapons."

"Oh…apparently something's going on in space, too, based on reports from my contacts in ZAFT."

"Oh? You even have eyes in the heavens, Alan Igor?" Lelouch laughed. "You truly are something."

"I've been doing this sort of thing when you were learning your multiplication tables, Lelouch," Alan replied. "Anyway, it looks like ZAFT is playing mediator for a little meeting between Dr. Hell and some aliens representing the Vega Empire or something. That's all I know. You should warn your little red-tressed bodyguard of the situation up there, and that she should keep their eyes peeled. I have a hunch the _Nadesico _will be the wild card in the little game you've been playing with the powers that be, Lelouch."

"Indeed. I hope to continue counting on your assistance, Alan?"

"Anyone who fights for freedom is an ally of mine. Just remember...I know everything about you," Alan said, still remaining friendly as ever. "Go back on your word and I'll make you regret the day you learned I existed."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Until next time, Alan Igor."

"Until next time, Lelouch vi Britannia."

Lelouch pressed the button to end the call and leaned back on the sofa as C.C. lazily munched on a slice of twelve-hour-old pizza.

"You puzzle me, Lelouch. You hide your face from your dearest friends when you become Zero, yet you openly acknowledge your identity as a Britannian prince to this Alan Igor fellow, who you only know as a voice. What will you do when the inevitable happens and he turns on you?

"He only knows what I have chosen to reveal to him, and that's the way it should be. Even he has his role in the plan, as does the _Nadesico._"

* * *

_Intrigue! Action! Mythology Gags! Shout-Outs! All this and more! Stay tuned._


	5. Chapter 2 Janus

_Now, let's move on to Janus' second chapter. I find myself enjoying writing Tara's chapters more, sadly, since they go on longer. Don't worry, Gurren Lagann fans, things will get better in Janus' chapters.  
_

* * *

**Chapter 2 (Janus) - The Tower That Wanders! Enter Getter Team**

Janus remembered nothing about his life underground, or rather, he chose to remember nothing. Though he knew he once lived there, all of his memories were from Kamina City. As such, the outside world was entirely new to him, even at eighteen years old.

And even though the ground beneath Granlif's feet was barren and dead, the stars in the heavens still shone brightly. Of particular note were a large number of particularly large lights in the sky. On a clear night like this, one could barely make out the shadows of the floating space colonies, the Neo countries where the wealthy had escaped to. And Kamina City's guardian colony, Neo Japan, seemed to emit much more color than the mere twinkle of the distant stars.

It was all so much for Janus to take in. It was beautiful, the night sky…compared to the ugliness of the Earth, anyway. Yoko's Gunmen suddenly slowed its walk, and eventually came to a stop in front of a cave. Not nearly enough to fit Granlif, but more than enough for them. Yoko did a quick check on the Getter Ray levels.

"Janus, we can get out here. The Getter Ray levels here are pretty low, even this far away from Kamina City," Yoko said through the communicator. "This cave is as good a place to sleep as any."

"Yoko-sensei, what are Getter Rays anyway?" Janus asked.

"I'm not really sure, but I wager they're similar to Spiral Power," the sniper said after a moment of thought. "And if those two creeps who were with Saotome weren't just talking nonsense, it must have something to do with evolution."

"…Evolution, huh?" Janus said. He tugged on the harness a bit, and it immediately undid itself. He walked towards one of the walls, and a red portal opened up. Another one opening up in the machine's leg as soon as he stepped into it, and he never felt the change in vertical distance.

"Granlif is something else," Yoko said as she stepped out of her Gunmen. "I've never seen anything that lets you get in and out like that. What's more, the portals only seem to activate when you will it."

"Nah, they can't be that special if all they do is let me get in and out of the mech," the young man replied as he walked towards the cave entrance.

_Whatever helps you sleep better at night, kid, _Yoko thought as she followed him.

* * *

The two slept through the night soundly, but Yoko awoke to the sound of something rumbling across the wastes…something very big and very loud.

"Mmm…five more minutes, Mom…uuuuugh…" Janus groaned, turning over in his sleep.

"Heh…just like Kamina…" Yoko whispered to herself. She got up and went out to her Gunmen to investigate the source of the noise, which appeared to be coming to a stop.

It was a massive tower on what appeared to be three sets of tank treads. Numerous exhaust pipes jutted out of its front and top, and from the side, Yoko could make out six round grates, two near the top and two near the bottom.

Yoko lifted up her trusty sniper rifle and looked through the scope, using it as a spyglass in order to get a better look. Sure enough, she saw people walking on a platform out in the open. Slinging the rifle over her shoulder, she returned to the cave to start up her Gunmen.

It would be that sound that finally stirred Janus from his slumber.

"Yoko, what's going on?" Granlif's still drowsy pilot said after letting out a wide yawn, with one eye still shut and the other eye only half open.

"Open your eyes all the way, kiddo," Yoko replied. "You can't see the gigantic metal tower that just rolled its way over here if you don't open 'em."

Janus got both eyes fully open.

"Oh. I guess we're going to investigate it?" he asked after yawning again as he started walking towards Granlif.

"There are other humans on it. Maybe we can join up with them…and maybe they even saw Saotome," Yoko answered, already on her way there.

* * *

"Captain, two unknowns approaching at two o'clock," Yamazaki, a blond, soldierly woman in a military uniform said to a man in a dark suit, red shirt and dark pants. The man wore sunglasses and had three scars on his chin, and one long one that ran from one cheek to the other, going up over his nose.

The man was Hayato Jin, once a member of the Getter team, now a man in command of the Tower, a crawling fortress designed to house the only group capable of challenging Saotome, Shin Dragon, and the Invaders. In particular, it housed the crowning achievement of Saotome's career before he went insane:

Shin Getter Robo.

Three jets that could combine into three different robots: Shin Getter 1, a red winged demon that attacked from the sky with beams and tomahawks; Shin Getter 2, a white robot with a drill on its arm that sped as quickly underground as it did on the surface; and Shin Getter 3, a greenish-gold robot on tank treads, with extendable arms whose maximum length was unrivaled.

"Get a visual on-screen," Hayato ordered. One of the bridge crew flipped some switches and rapidly typed something. Immediately an image of Granlif and Yoko M-Tank walking toward Tower appeared on a large screen hanging from the ceiling.

Just then, a shorter but much more muscular man slightly older than Hayato entered the room next to him. It was Benkei Kurama, former pilot of Getter 3. He had just rolled out of bed as well, and let out a great yawn.

"Hayato, what's going on?" Benkei asked as he rubbed his eyes.

"Just open your eyes, Benkei. We're been approached. I've never seen those kinds of mechs before, though. They could be Invaders."

"Or they could be fellow humans. We should let them on."

"You saw how Invaders can steal the shapes of their victims," Hayato replied, still grim as ever. "And we know Saotome went in the direction they're coming from."

Suddenly, a young man with extremely dark green hair, wearing a ragged brown cloak and a dark red, skintight jumpsuit under it came in behind Benkei. He stared at the screen for a few moments then turned to Hayato.

"They're not infected." the young man said.

"You can tell from just a projected visual, Go?" Benkei asked. The young man said nothing, but simply gave a slight nod and walked away.

"If the resident Invader expert says there's nothing to worry about, then let them on!" Benkei said.

"…Fine. But I can't trust them yet," Hayato replied as he turned to leave the bridge in the same door Go came in from. "There are other monsters in this world besides the Invaders."

* * *

Yoko and Janus were hardly welcomed with open arms, in spite of being let in without any violent resistance. They were escorted in cuffs by armed guards, after Yoko was forcefully relieved of her sniper rifle, and their mecha put into quarantine to be examined for Invader contamination. Yoko opted to go quietly, while Janus wriggled in vain against his bonds. They were locked in a small padded room while their robots underwent a thorough inspection.

Thankfully, they were only left inside for fifteen minutes, at which point two more guards came.

"Come with us. The Captain is expecting you," one of the guards said.

The armed guards shoved the two travelers into Hayato's quarters, where he sat at his desk, polishing a pistol while he skimmed a few reports. He looked up from his work as Janus and Yoko were forced to sit down on two metal chairs.

"So, tell me, travelers," Hayato began. "What possessed you to travel into this blighted wasteland from Teppelin? You're hardly equipped to handle the effects of Getter Rays, and the quarantine analysis indicates the presence of Invader cells in your machines."

Yoko needed only a glance to tell Janus that he needed to keep his mouth shut while she did all the talking.

With that, she began her explanation. "This kid and I are out looking for Dr. Saotome. He attacked Kamina City, or Teppelin as you prefer to call it, with some weird red machines called Getter Robos and a pack of Invaders. We managed to drive him away with some difficulty, but not without the loss of several dozen lives and hundreds of injuries. It would have been far worse had not the city's greatest defender, Gurren Lagann, come to our aid and dealt major damage to his own Getter Robo. Still, we can't let a monster like him continue to exist. So, we're trying to hunt him down."

_Heh...so he's no longer in Teppelin, eh?_ Hayato thought. "Well, that certainly explains why the analysis only found dead Invader cells as opposed to live ones, and it also explains your unusual choice of robot...well, I guess you can stay."

"Alright, it worked!" Janus cheered. "We got a place to stay now!"

"However...until the inspection can confirm you aren't working for some other organization like the Principality of Neo Zeon or the Lunar Kingdom or the like, you will be confined to the guest quarters, and your machines will be subject to a through inspection."

"We have nothing to hide, Captain," Yoko replied calmly. "Search my Gunmen and his Granlif all you want."

"Hmph. Okay, men, bring them to the guest quarters. And uncuff them when they get there. They deserve that much trust at this point."

* * *

"So these are the robots those two travelers were using..." Kei Kuruma, a young woman in her early twenties with a short soldierly haircut, and wearing a combat uniform said, looking up at Yoko M-Tank. "I guess we need to inspect them for anything suspicious. Dad said that Go knew they weren't going to harm us."

"The Gunmen should be easy enough," Gai Daidou, a stocky but powerful young man in a military mechanic's uniform, "but I can't find any way to get into that tall white one. There are absolutely no doors or hatches on it anywhere on the body. There's definitely a cockpit in there, but there's no way inside at all!"

"What, does he magically transport inside it or something?" Kei replied with a laugh. "You guys need to get your eyes checked."

"Actually, that's exactly what he did," said Schwartz, a Neo-American with blond hair, blue eyes and a chiseled chin said. "Or, at least he came out of a portal. I couldn't believe it myself."

"You two are crazy. I'm going to look myself."

"Kei, wait!" Gai called out. But the young woman was already starting towards the elevator that was used to raise inspectors up to the higher parts of a machine. She carefully examined the machine, tapping on it and listening for a hollow sound. Aside from the chest area where the cockpit was located, she couldn't find anything of the sort. At that moment, Shin Getter 1 was being wheeled in for another round of maintenance.

Suddenly, Granlif's head started to move, its gaze following Shin Getter as it passed by. Kei noticed this and recoiled in shock.

_It just moved...please tell me I'm seeing things_, Kei thought.

Shin Getter was placed into a repair machine across the room from Granlif. After a few tense moments, the white machine suddenly shot some small jet-propelled objects with white laser blades on the end. The machines rushed right at Shin Getter, as if to cut it to shreds. Shin Getter suddenly opened its eyes and fired a thin green Getter Beam from its forehead, sweeping across the large hangar, destroying all of the flying objects in one motion. The bits were reduced to a fine dust, and a black burn line ran across the rear wall. With one more suspicious look at Granlif, it closed its eyes again.

Gai dreaded the report he would have to submit to Hayato for THIS incident.

* * *

"My mech did WHAT?" Janus exclaimed when he heard about Granlif's attack on Shin Getter from Hayato. "You think I would have it attack your robots?"

"Our inspectors searched up and down that machine of yours," Hayato said angrily while loading a full clip into his pistol. "There's no way in or out except by that portal you used. Who's to say you didn't just warp into your machine, attack Shin Getter, and warp out? Start talking, kid, unless you want your head to be made of Swiss cheese."

"…Hayato!" Benkei cried as Hayato got up, "You don't need to threaten him like that! Did you even read the whole report?"

"And you did?" Hayato said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well…no, but Gai told me everything. He said that when the white robot attacked, Shin Getter activated on its own and defended itself from the attack. Gai and Kei couldn't have gotten inside Shin Getter that quickly. Meanwhile, Go was on the outer deck as he usually is."

"What's your point, Benkei?" Hayato spat as he slowly put the gun to Janus' head.

"It could have responded to Shin Getter's presence and acted on its own, and Shin Getter did likewise in order to defend itself."

Hayato lowered the gun.

"Well, in this day and age it's certainly not unreasonable. I'll overlook it this time, since no severe damage was done, and no one was hurt. But until I can see some definitive proof that you aren't here to kill us all, I don't trust you."

Just as he finished that sentence, an alarm started blaring.

"…An attack?" Benkei wondered.

"Captain, we've got a situation outside!" one of the bridge crew called out on a walkie-talkie at Hayato's hip.

"…Invaders?"

"Negative," was the response. "They look like…Neo Zeon troops! There's a whole bunch of those Zakus...second generation ones!"

"Neo Zeon?" Janus asked. He had never heard of them before.

"They're from a nation of humans who live in space colonies far away from the colonies that participate in the Gundam Fight. Of course, they give even less of a damn about Earthlings than the ones in Earth's orbit do. But I wonder what brings them down here?"

"Hey, let me help you fight them," Janus suggested. "That will prove I'm on your side, right?"

"And give you the chance to betray us?" Hayato laughed. "I'll pass. Besides, we have plenty of help as it is. You're staying locked up here, kiddo. Benkei, can I trust you to keep an eye on him?"

"He will not leave this room," Benkei assured him. Hayato nodded and started walking out, but suddenly an idea came to Janus.

"Hey, Captain. What will happen when I'm in here and my mech attacks Shin Getter again? At least if I'm inside it, I have full control, and then you'll know it's me and not the machine."

Hayato paused and smirked, his back still turned.

"You've got me there. I suppose it will be better keeping you where we can see you," Hayato replied. "Get down to the hangar and prepare to deploy."

* * *

Indeed, a large Neo Zeon force was heading for the Tower: Fifteen Zaku II's, ten Geara Dogas, and a pair of Zaku IIIs. But leading the force was a Mobile Suit of which only two existed: a dark purple Qubeley MK II. This machine seemed to happily dance around its subordinates, like a butterfly flitting above a swarm of army ants.

"Miss Puru, the unaffiliated vessel is in attacking range!" a Neo Zeon soldier said into his communication radio, addressing the pilot of Quebley. "We're awaiting your orders!"

"Hmmmm…I want to have some fun with them first," the voice of a young teenage girl came from the speaker. "Assess their strength while I'm at it too!"

"My lady, if we attack now before they can deploy, we can win easily!"

"But if what the old karate man that Char knows says is true, they've got a machine that's waaaaay more powerful than anything we have in our arsenal,"We need to either grab it for ourselves or destroy it. And maybe this will make the Double Zeta come running, and I'll see Judau again!"

"I see. All units stand down. We're gauging the enemy's strength. Keep an eye out for that unique machine. If it splits into three fighters like our intel says it can, take at least one of them out before they can recombine!"

Sure enough, numerous bulky robots came out of the Tower. Joining them were Janus, Schwartz, Yoko, and the new Getter team: Go, Kei and Gai.

* * *

Janus, feeling the need to apologize for Granlif's actions, opened a comm channel with Shin Getter.

"Hey, Go…I'm sorry about my machine attacking yours. I don't know why Granlif would activate on its own, especially when something happens to pass by it. Can we let bygones be bygones?"

"Sure," Go replied.

"Don't mind fearless leader here. He's not much of a talker," Gai chuckled. "But man, he knows this thing like the back of his hand!"

But Kei was watching the enemy, and immediately noticed the Qubeley moving to the front of the pack.

"Guys, the queen bee looks like she's up to something!" Kei called out over the radio. "Spread out!"

But the Qubeley spread its arms out, and from numerous holes in its back came several purple attack drones, except no blades extended out of them, and they shared the same dark purple color as their owner.

"What…we have to deal with more of those things?" Schwartz exclaimed, spurring his Stilva into high gear, hoping to dodge the incoming attack drones. They quickly went to work, zipping this way and that like crazed hummingbirds, firing lasers at every pause.

The other robots were too slow and bulky to dodge these strange weapons, and in a matter of seconds, all of them were shot out of the sky before only Schwartz, Yoko, Janus, and the new Getter Team remained.

"Grrrr…no, damn it! We can't lose here!" Janus roared. "We haven't even found Saotome yet!" Granlif shifted into high gear and opened its wings as it took off, heading straight for the enemy mechs.

"Hey, Janus! You have a death wish or something?" Kei called out. "Grrr…Go, let's move!"

"BATTLE WIIIIIINNNNG!" Go suddenly yelled. Shin Getter extended a pair of dark purple bat wings and took off after Janus and Schwartz, leaving Yoko in the rear.

"Welp, let's get to work," Yoko thought out loud, and begin aiming at the oncoming enemies.

Janus decided to give these Neo Zeons a taste of his own attack drones.

"GRAN BITS…LAUNCH!"

Another ten of the bladed attack drones appeared out of the small turrets, and began their assault, this time at the right enemies.

"What the…that thing's got funnels?" one of the Zaku III pilots exclaimed as one of the Gran Bits zipped by at a high speed. It doubled back, and sliced through the Zaku III's cockpit, killing the pilot instantly. The mech quickly went into a tailspin, and crashed into the ground hundreds of feet below. The other bits went after the other enemy mechs.

"No!" Puru cried out. "I really liked that guy! Ooooh, you're in for it now, you meanie! GO! FUNNELS!" The attack drones once again launched out of the Qubeley's back, moving at lightning speed. But this time, their targets were Granlif's Gran Bits.

Oddly, Janus' attention was turned entirely elsewhere when a pair of Zaku IIs tried to attack him from behind. He whirled around to strike them with a pair of Karma Knuckles, yet the Gran Bits kept moving, as if each was capable of controlling its own movement. The two Zaku IIs were finished off by a volley from Yoko's Gunman.

"Eat it, Zeon punks!" Schwartz roared as his mech smashed a Zaku II into a Geara Doga, then pelting them with his arm gatlings.

"GETTER SCYTHE-O!" Go cried, and a long pole extended out of a hole in Shin Getter's left shoulder, and a long scythe blade appeared at the end of it. With a single swing, the scythe slashed apart four Zakus and a pair of Geara Dogas.

Puru, on the other hand, had to concentrate to keep her funnels moving, and trying to hit other funnels with them was not something she was used to. This made her easy for Shin Getter to sneak up on.

"GETTER BEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!"

Puru only had enough time to turn around and eat a point-blank Getter Beam from the red robot's navel.

"Miss Puru!" the other Zaku III pilot yelled, and used his mech to barrel right into Shin Getter. Amazingly, the Qubeley held together, even in the face of that ferocious attack, but it was still heavily damaged.

Just then, Puru heard a voice coming over her communicator:

"Puru…Puru…Elpeo Puru! That's enough!"

"Lord Char?" Puru whimpered. "Everyone, hold on! Lord Char is here!"

The situation suddenly turned against the remaining defenders of Tower. As if rallied by this news, the Neo Zeon troops renewed their assault in earnest, even in the face of a Super Robot such as Shin Getter Robo and the "autonomous funnels" of Granlif. But the real source of their joy became apparent: a mech that appeared almost like a cross between the Zaku IIIs and Geara Dogas but completely red, and much faster.

"It's Char! The Supreme Leader is here!" one of the Zaku II pilots cheered.

"Elpero Puru, retreat. You have done well, but you are outmatched. Allow me and my Sazabi to cover your escape." The entire squadron began to fly off without another word.

"What are you idiots doing? Get them!" Schwartz bellowed as he took off after the enemies. But to his shock, he was met by waves of bullets, and in moments, his Stilva was wrecked, forcing him to eject. That left Yoko, Janus, and the Getter Team to deal with Char.

"And THAT is why you usually want to let your enemy go when they outnumber you and they're running away." Janus quipped.

"I must commend you Earthlings for taking on a Newtype like Elpeo Puru with such ease," Char said, using their frequency to communicate with them. "But she was just a child who has not seen a lot of battle. Let me show you how a veteran Newtype fights…FUNNEL!"

More funnels, each red as the mech who fired them, popped out from his back, and moved with all due speed towards the three.

"Heh, you think you're tough with your little attack drones? Well, how would you like a taste of some GRAN BITS?" Twelve more Gran Bits flew out of the turrets in Granlif's shoulders and rushed at Char's funnels.

But Char's battle experience was much greater than Puru's, and he was more than capable of manipulating his funnels well enough to counter Janus'. It wasn't long before every last Gran Bit was reduced to ashes, and it was just as quick that Char's funnels went to work pummeling Granlif and the others.

With this, Char took this chance to retreat. He didn't want to destroy Shin Getter…it would be a great loss to destroy something so unique, and in his favorite color too. His Sazabi moved at lightning quick speeds, and by the time the Tower's defenders could see straight again, the entire Neo Zeon force was out of sight.

"Damn it, they're gone," Kei grumbled.

"And that's a bad thing HOW?" Gai groaned. "We nearly got murdered out there!"

"Everyone, back to the Tower," Hayato's voice said over the communicator link. "I'll send out a team to rescue Schwartz and recover the Stilva."

* * *

"It's obvious I misjudged you," Hayato said with a rare smile as he, Janus, Kei and Yoko stood on the bridge. "You put up quite a fight out there, kid. I bet the only reason we lost was that the Supreme Leader of Neo Zeon decided to show up. Not only is he an ace pilot, but he's a Newtype…a human with inborn psychic powers."

"Wait…the pilot of that speedy red mech was the LEADER of Neo-Zeon?" Janus exclaimed. "Wow, he must be incredibly skilled if he's confident enough to fight on the front lines."

"But now we know that Neo Zeon is interested in Getter Robo," Kei said. "First, Saotome, now those stupid space-dwellers."

"They can't all be like that," Yoko replied. "There must be some people in Zeon who don't want war."

"Even if there are, they have no voice," Hayato said coldly. "The Zeon rulers have hated the Federation for as long as anyone can remember. Of course, there are plenty of Feddies who aren't the most pleasant guys either."

"Sir, we're receiving hails from a pair of approaching Federation mobile suits," one of the bridge crew called out. "Our records show one ID match, but the other isn't in our records."

"Speak of the devil. What's the one we do know?" Hayato replied.

"The one match we have is the MST-010…the ZZ Gundam. Pilot's name is Judau Ashta."

"Come in, Tower…do you read?" a woman's voice came over the communicator. One of the bridge crew pressed a few buttons, and the image of a woman in a space suit worn by mobile suit pilots appeared onscreen. "This is Lieutenant Christina Mackenzie requesting permission for Gundam Alex to land."

"Alex?" Hayato said. "I thought they scrapped the project after the incident on Side 6 a few years ago."

"After the Getter Ray Armageddon, the Federation decided to give it a new life," Christina replied. "Besides, someone's gotta babysit this runt, and the rest of Londo Bell is off in the area around Mars."

"Stupid adults!" the voice of a teenage boy grumbled as an image of its owner, a kid about fourteen years old with brown hair and sky-blue eyes. "They just wanted me out of their hair so they could have a stupid war in space."

"Well, we're a bit short on help right now, so we're glad to have new people aboard," Yoko said. Judau's cheeks immediately went beet red when he laid eyes on Yoko's substantial assets.

"Um…uh…" the young pilot stammered.

"Judou, you little pervert!" Christina scolded the young pilot, who saw .

"Ah, cut him a break," Janus laughed. "I was the same way when I first met Yoko."

"Gaaah, stupid adults!" Judau yelled.

* * *

"So, did you get the data you needed, Aznable?" the Undefeated of The East, Master Asia, said with a hint of derision in his voice to Char when the Supreme Leader returned to Axis, the Neo Zeon home base. "That machine is as powerful as I said, no?"

"It was able to extensively damage the Qubeley used by Elpeo Puru. Still, it was no challenge to me, even with the help of two other machines."

"Heh, you obviously didn't stick around long to _truly_ understand the kind of power Saotome's monstrosities are capable of," the old martial artist replied, standing up from his lotus position. "Once you do, you'll understand the importance of using that Gundam…it's the only way to restore the Earth!"

"I told you already, the Earth is dead, spiritually and physically. We of Zeon have no further use for it."

"Have you even known it when it was alive, Newtype?" the old martial artist replied, with a bit of nostalgia in his voice. "It was beautiful beyond measure. It's more beautiful than anything you've ever seen in your life, even depictions of it in your storybooks. You deny it, but in your heart you yearn to return to that lush, green and blue world."

"I don't have time for your nostalgia, old man. I have a meeting in two hours. Good day, Master Asia."

Char slammed his door, muttering something about how the old were crazy.

_Hmmm…it appears that Char Aznable is as stubborn as a certain student of mine_, the Undefeated of the East thought as he returned to his meditation._ Perhaps there's another individual in the Neo-Zeon government who will be more receptive to my words…_

* * *

_So now _Getter Robo Armageddon, Mobile Suit ZZ Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket _and _Mobile Fighter G Gundam _have had characters from their respective series. Time for the "next time on this fanfic" segment!_

_- Nergal's warship _Nadesico _reaches outer space, safely out of Britannia's reach, and starts its journey to Mars. Unfortunately, the radical elements in the Earth Federation government also want to manufacture Great Mazingers for their army, and now seek to take the plans. Will the Nadesico be able to break through the "Big Barrier" which has even kept ZAFT from attacking the Earth? And what cost might they pay to cross it? Find out next time on Chapter 3 of Tara's route: **Goodbye Came Too Soon! Escape The Big Barrier!**_

_**- **Tower, with Judau and Christina augmenting their forces, finally catches up to Dr. Saotome, but it seems he was waiting for them, as he has something he wishes to reveal. Meanwhile, a grim prophecy is delivered in Kamina City by a surprising messenger. What secrets are waiting to be told? Find out next time on Chapter 3 of Janus' route: **Secrets! Terrible Words Better Left Unsaid!** **  
**_


	6. Chapter 3 Tara

_And now we continue with Tara's story. The two paths will be crossing soon enough. Alas, someone we just got to know will be leaving us soon. Fans of _Martian Successor Nadesico _probably know who I'm talking about. Also, a duet that, if it hasn't happened in SRW yet, NEEDS TO HAPPEN._

* * *

**Chapter 3 (Tara) – Goodbye Far Too Soon! Escape the Big Barrier!**

The _Nadesico_ was out of Britannia's reach now, as not even their most advanced Knightmare Frames could fly this high. But, as Ruri was quick to point out, there was another issue to contend with: the Earth Alliance's fearsome "Big Barrier".

It is a seven-layered defense: There were always numerous mobile suit and mobile armor patrols in the first through fourth layers, like border guards patrolling the edge of a country's border; the fifth and sixth layers were mobile armors and fighter planes, and the final layer, the barrier itself, was a powerful array of nuclear fusion-powered satellites. The first version of the barrier was created toward the end of the Earth's long war with the Coordinators prior to the arrival of the super-colony Macross. It is maintained on a regular basis, and then brought online whenever there is great trouble going on in space or on Earth. With ZAFT now threatening the Alliance, the barrier has gone online.

To make matters worse, the _Nadesico_ received a call it had hoped to not receive.

"…Father!" Yurika exclaimed when the image of her father came up on the communication monitor. "What an unexpected surprise…we were just on our way to Mars. We want to see what became of the colony there. "

"Hello, Yurika," Admiral Misumaru said with a sigh. "It appears that you seem to have something the Alliance wants."

"What? What could be so important that you would prevent your only daughter from going a peaceful surveillance mission? Lives could be at stake!"

"Based on our sources, it seems you have some plans for a Super Robot designed by Photon Power Labs in the _Nadesico_'s computer," the admiral replied. "I must ask you to hand them over to the Earth Alliance command."

"Father, I was entrusted with these plans by Professor Yumi himself. How can I trust that the Alliance will not use them to cause more war and suffering? And besides, how do you know that I have them?"

"That, I cannot say. But please, Yurika, rethink your position! Do you know exactly what you're getting yourself into? Even the _Nadesico_'s Distortion Field won't last long against the Big Barrier!"

"Forget it, Admiral," Ruri remarked, "you know your daughter as much as I do. Once she makes a decision, she'll stick to it no matter how stupid it turns out to be. Besides, you probably know full well what the Alliance will do if they get their mitts on the plans for Great Mazinger."

The admiral grimaced. Ruri was probably right…with the likes of Muruta Azrael rising through the ranks as Alliance Command was being told exactly what they wanted to hear, the Earth Alliance government was fast becoming as tyrannical as Britannia.

"Fine…do as you please. But I've already informed Alliance Command of your intent, and I have only made this call in order to try and change your mind. You will face the full force of the Big Barrier. Hundreds of Moebius and other Alliance mobile weapons will be dogging your every move."

"And we shall meet them head-on!" Yurika said decisively.

"Yes…I had assumed you would, my dear Yurika." With that, the monitor went dark as the connection was cut. No sooner did that happen than did something collide with the ship's barrier, causing the ship to quiver.

"We've just reached the first line," Megumi said. "We just took a hit from a missile, but the field is holding."

"Ruri, how long will it be until the phase transition engines can be engaged?"

"We can maintain both the fields and the engine charge for about two hours," Ruri replied, running some quick math through her head. "If we keep getting pounded though, we won't be able to do both and still keep this thing from crashing."

"We can make it, I know we can!" Yurika reassured the crew.

"Yes, but we'll have to risk the lives of our Aestivalis pilots and our trusted passengers in order to keep the defensive forces busy," the silver-haired technician said rather nonchalantly.

* * *

Even as missiles rained on the rising battleship, there was little scrambling of the troops being done. Though the knowledge that they would have to sortie at any moment sat in the back of everyone's minds, Tara, Koji, Hikaru, Akito and Gai decided to pass the time with an episode of_ Gekiganger 3_. Amazingly, Tara had held on the set of discs containing the entire series since Koji had given them to her, making Gai green with envy.

"Hey, want to watch the entire series, digitally restored AND in widescreen? You're gonna do exactly as I say, Yamada!" Tara taunted Gai, using his lamer real family name to mock him. "Okay, first,

"Curse you, Zifell! It's not fair! Why is Gai Daigoji, the greatest _Gekiganger_ fan to ever live, forced to submit to your odious demands? I do not care how much Basara of Fire Bomber loves _Gekiganger 3_…I will NEVER accept his cover of the theme song as a proper tribute! It's a disgrace to all that is manly and brave! And that music video of his is nothing but pandering to the sudden wave of female fans! He is a disgrace to men everywhere!"

"Gai, don't you think you're being a little unreasonable?" Akito asked timidly. "It can't be that bad. Just listen to it once. It can't hurt you."

"I would rather die than let that monstrosity fill my ears again!" Gai roared. "I'm going back to my room to watch my tapes! Call me when we're about to sortie!" The rather angry man got up from his seat and walked out, just as Kallen happened to be walking by. He did not even say hello, so infuriated was he. Wondering what all the fuss was about, Kallen entered the room.

"What's his problem?" Kallen asked. "He had this look on his face like someone asked him to do something completely against his beliefs."

"He's just too insecure in his manhood to handle the sheer unadulterated sexiness that is Basara Nekki's version of _Gekiganger 3_'s theme song!" Hikaru quipped.

"_Gekiganger 3_? I think I watched an episode of that show once when I was a kid. It was just okay. I do like Fire Bomber's music, though, and Basara Nekki's cute."

"Well, perhaps now that you're older," Tara said devilishly. She grabbed hold of Kallen and dragged her onto the sofa in the room in front of the television, "you'll appreciate the awesomeness that is _Gekiganger 3_!"

* * *

The super-colony known both as Macross and as City 7. A floating city in the heavens, closer than the PLANTs, there was never was no danger of it ever falling. Once the ship of the peaceful aliens, it now served as a transit location to travel from Earth to space and back, making it a vibrant city. Due to its complete neutrality, it was also a haven for peace, and many Coordinators who were sick of the fighting between the Earth Alliance and ZAFT came here from the PLANTs to live in peace with their Natural neighbors. But the aliens, who never made any public appearances since the war, were not its only famous residents.

Calling the super-colony home was the rock sensation Fire Bomber. Their leader, Basara Nekki, was a world-renowned sex symbol, his good looks and pitch-perfect voice causing young women to swoon, scream, and throw their panties at him at concerts. And whatever Basara admitted to liking during the occasional interview, sales of that item would skyrocket. It was a boon for the company who owned the Gekiganger 3 rights that Basara one day said off-hand that he still watches an episode at least an hour before a concert to get himself fired up. Barely a day after it happened, the company was overwhelmed with orders from young adult women for episodes of the show on disc.

But Basara essentially lived in his own world and gave little else besides his small circle of friends (including the other band members) and his music any regard. There was the bassist Mylene Jenius, youngest daughter of the mayor of City 7; Ray Lovelock, an ex Earth Alliance pilot who met Basara one day and started the band with him, and Veffidas Feaze, a quiet woman who is believed to have been one of the original aliens who came to Earth that fateful day. There was also the pilot Gamlin Kizaki, a refugee from the conquered Japan who now serves as part of City 7's Variable Fighter force, and is Mylene's betrothed. Mylene was elsewhere at the moment.

"Basara, visitor!" Ray called out as the rock star was lounging in his band's spacious, opulent quarters watching an episode of Gekiganger 3 on his own copy of the seven disc set, a gift from the producers of the show. The keyboardist led in a teenage girl with pink hair like Mylene, but with a golden trinket clipped to her hair, and with lavender eyes. Bouncing in alongside her was a pink ball with a rudimentary face and two flaps on the side, near its eyes.

The guitarist could immediately tell that this wasn't just a random fangirl. Her eyes were not that of a sexually frustrated young adult; more of a bright idealist with a purpose. Basara wondered what she wanted.

"It's nice to meet to you, Basara Nekki," the young girl said. "My name is Lacus Clyne. I come to you not simply as a fellow musician, but as one who seeks peace and harmony above all else." Basara wasn't entirely clueless as to the state of affairs of his surroundings, though. The Clynes were Coordinators, highly influential ones in the PLANT political scene at that. Her father was the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the PLANTs, which gave her messages of peace and love strong political backing. He also knew from listening to her own work that Lacus was gifted with a heavenly singing voice and a knack for lyrics. He instantly knew that he would like Lacus.

"Well, it's awesome that you decided to come all the way here, Lacus. How about you and I have a little jam session before we get down to business?"

"Um, I'm sorry, but I'm not very familiar with your work," Lacus replied, embarrassed.

"TOO LOUD! TOO LOUD!" her little toy suddenly uttered.

"Oh, sorry. I never introduced Mr. Pink," Lacus said with a giggle. "He's of few words, but I love him all the same."

"HARO! HARO!" the pink Haro chirped. "SING IT! SING IT!"

"Sing what?" Lacus asked, holding the robotic ball with two hands. "I think he wants me to sing one of my songs."

"FIELDS OF HOPE! FIELDS OF HOPE!"

"What? That one? But I just finished composing it. I haven't even sung it for Father yet," Lacus said with some disappointment. "How about you pick, Basara?"

It didn't take long for the guitarist to decide. There was one song he had composed and wanted to sing alongside someone like Lacus. Mylene's voice was amazing, but it was just a little too high and squeaky for this number, something that Basara could never live down. But now that Lacus Clyne was here, maybe he could do it justice.

"How about a little number I call 'Angel Voice'?" Basara replied. He went over to the TV, picked up his favorite guitar, handed Lacus a sheet of slightly crumpled paper upon which the lyrics were written, and stepped on over to the doors leading outside to the balcony.

"The acoustics here are perfect," Lacus said with a smile. "You must want other people to hear us."

"Of course. I love to share my music with everyone! It's no fun playing a song if no one else is around to hear it! Okay, I've got all the stuff on the left, you've got everything on the right."

"Okay. Whenever you're ready," Lacus replied. With an eager grin, Basara began to play the opening notes to the song on his guitar. Sure enough, the sound resonated just right, and would be audible over several city blocks even without the aid of the speakers that Basara had plugged his guitar into.

"HEY ALL YOU COORDINATORS AND NATURALS OUT THERE! LISTEN TO MY SONG!" Basara yelled at the top of his lungs, which seemed oddly out of place for the rather tame and slow rhythm of the song. Lacus closed her eyes and let the melody flow through her and around her, bobbing her head up and down to the beat Basara had maintained with his foot.

_If you strain your ears, you can probably hear it  
Hey that voice  
I always feel something  
That can't be put into words  
That's an angel's voice_

The sound immediately caught the attention of anyone in earshot, and the citizens and visitors to City 7 began to follow the voice, some knowing its source, others not. The Coordinators in the city, however, immediately began to cheer when Lacus got her turn to sing, her voice filling the air with her sweet voice.

_It leaves an echo  
Like a melody fading into the darkness  
It quietly descends in a deep blue aurora  
I also sing_

Basara's spirit soared when he heard Lacus' own angel voice singing his lyrics. It was perfect, just as he had hoped!

Meanwhile, Mylene had just returned from her errand, and saw Basara performing with Lacus, who she was not familiar with. She would have been jealous if it were anyone else, but their voices kept any such feelings from filling her. Now their voices were either alternating with almost every line, or together.

_There's something I believe  
Though I'm called a fool for it  
The dream I had that day hasn't changed_

Angel voice I found it  
It was shining beyond the horizon  
Your appearance wasn't a dream  
It flows and flows on  
Let's meet again  
When i close my eyes  
It's always in my heart, that angel voice

"Lacus Clyne and Basara Nekki doing a duet!" someone in the crowd cheered; "it's like every music lover's dream has come true!" But Basara was utterly engrossed in the song, and even Lacus' heightened senses could barely tell that a crowd had gathered below, so caught up in the music was she.

_The heart changes, just like the scenery  
It can't be helped  
"where is God?" is a whimsical question  
So don't count on getting an answer_

_Let's go on running_  
_It's not yet time to stop_  
_I wanna get past the dark_

_Angel voice i felt it_  
_The distant beat of the heart joins the rhythm_  
_At last we can meet here_  
_Your appearance_  
_Burns into my eyes_  
_Even in a heavy night_  
_It certainly gives me strength angel voice_

_Wow oh oh wow oh oh ..._

_Strain your ears, don't you hear it always?_  
_Hey that voice_  
_That's an angel's voice_

Basara strummed his guitar one last time and let out a whoop. The crowd outside went wild as they cheered for more. But Basara and Lacus has business to attend to, so they returned into the band's house.

"Man, Clyne, you're something! You just earned yourself another fan!" Basara whooped, still coming out of the high that he always got from playing music.

"I'm honored, Basara...but now, let's address the matter at hand. I would like your fellow band members to hear what I have to say as well."

"Oh, sure. I'm all ears!" the guitarist declared.

* * *

"Attention, _Nadesico _crew and available pilots," Yurika's voice came over the loudspeaker that could be heard from anywhere on the ship. "Prepare to sortie. A large wave of Alliance mobile armors will be upon us in less than thirty minutes. I repeat, prepare to sortie...a large wave of Alliance mobile armors will be upon us in less than thirty minutes."

Tara, Koji, Hikaru, Akito and Kallen had just finished watching a third episode of _Gekiganger 3_, so the timing of Yurika's message could have been worse.

"Well, it's off to battle again," Koji sighed. "First Dr. Hell, then Britannia, and now even the Alliance wants our heads! At this rate, the entire Earth Sphere will want us dead!"

"I wish I could help," Kallen sighed. "but Guren is still be modified for space combat, and it doesn't have any flight capabilities yet."

"Actually, I think Uribatake should be finished by now," Hikaru chimed in. "He's a fast worker, and he does his job well, even if he is a dirty old man."

"In that case, let me at 'em!" Kallen cheered.

* * *

The four arrived at the hangar as Sayaka, Izumi and Ryoko were doing their last minute checks on their mechs. Sure enough, Uribatake, a man in his 50's with glasses, greying brown hair and a long nose was just wiping the sweat from his brow as he finished the last adjustments on the Guren.

"Well, hello there, Kallen!" the mechanic said with a little swoon. "You're just in time! I cannibalized a few parts from a worn-out Zero-Gravity Frame and fit it onto your Knightmare here. It ought to work just fine for space combat now. And we're already past the point where we would switch out Air Frames for Zero-Gravity Frames on the Aestivalis."

"Thanks, buddy," Kallen replied as he boarded her mech.

"How about a little fun later?" Seiya said with a lecherous grin.

"In your dreams, bucko," Kallen retorted as the hatch closed.

"Systems all green. Lifthrasir is ready for launch," Xemmey said to Tara as she began the final preparations for launch.

"Gai...where's Gai?" Akito exclaimed, looking around for his friend.

"Never fear, Tenkawa, Gai Daigoji is here!" Gai's voice rang out. They saw him running down the hallway into the hangar at full speed, wearing a heroic grin on his face.

"Is he seriously going to..." Sayaka gasped.

"Oh brother," Ryoko sighed. "He does this every time he deploys."

"GEKIGAN LEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAP!" Gai bellowed as he reached the edge of the platform, with his Aestivalis still about thirty feet away. With all his might, Gai sprang into the air, doing his best awesome pose.

Tara watched in awe as Gai soared through the air, only to notice that he wasn't going to make it.

"Gai!" she called out, and in leaning forward, accidentally pressed a blue button on her console.

Suddenly, a blue portal formed right at the spot on the ship's floor where Gai was about to land, and he fell through. Everyone was baffled at what had just happened. Their bafflement only increased when his voice came from WITHIN his mech.

"Wow...I guess my pose was so awesome the universe just decided to cut straight to the chase and put me right in my cockpit!"

"Xemmey, what just happened?" Tara asked her mech's AI. "That portal just came out of nowhere."

"Pressing that button activates Lifthrasir's Portal Cannon function. I saw that Yamada was in danger, so I automatically anticipated his point of impact and created a portal there, then created an exit portal in his cockpit."

"Wow, that's amazing, Xemmey!" Tara exclaimed. "I wonder why you even need me, then!"

"Only the pilot can activate the function. After that, it was simply a matter of logical deduction that keeping Gai alive would be best for our continued survival. But now we must deal with the imminent threat outside."

"The enemy is within three minutes of us! All pilots stand by for launch!"

* * *

The incoming Alliance pilots or the crew of the _Nadesico _had no idea what was to happen next. The small squadron of mechs remained on level with the _Nadesico _as it hovered in place, its phase transition engines charging up more and more.

Soon, Tara was able to see the incoming Alliance soldiers coming in at them.

"Man, just how many of them ARE there?" Koji groaned. "It's going to be a long fight."

"You just need to stall them, really," Ruri replied over the communicator. "We're close enough to space proper that once the phase transition engines fully charge, we can force our way through the remaining defensive lines.

"How much longer will it be?" Koji then asked.

"Another ten minutes, at least."

"Crap."

The Alliance squadrons moved into attack formation, their weaponry loaded and ready to shoot the _Nadesico _out of the sky.

But someone had other ideas.

A gigantic white portal similar to the one Lifthrasir generated appeared out of thin air, blocking the view of the _Nadesico _and the robots defending it. Unlike Lifthrasir's, this was as wide as two Mazinger Zs would be high and twice as tall as the _Nadesico_'s length. The sound of madly fluttering wings could be heard on the other side, and then a rapid series of explosions.

The portal disappeared slowly, unveiling an equally imposing sight: lined up in perfect phalanx formation, twenty-five figures, about the size of Kallen's Knightmare Frame, with smooth, bladed wings and bodies seeming to be composed of blinding white marble, each of them exactly the same, wearing the same expressionless face with dead white eyes and wearing the same white toga. The only noticeable difference between them was that some carried a sword and shield, and others carried a long spear. However, one of them was different. He was made of the same marble, but it was dotted with brown, red and black, more like granite than marble. His eyes were black like the darkest onyx, and his wings were the same black color.

Predictably, it would be the granite figure that would address them, as if speaking directly into their minds.

"Children of the bloodstained race, repent, for thy judgment is nigh."

"What? You aren't going to introduce yourselves, and explain what grand purpose you might have for us pathetic humans?" Tara said, rolling her eyes, not intimidated in the least by this new foe.

"Pathetic? Thou couldst not understand how wrong thou art. But the less thou dost know…the better." He conjured a rather menacing-looking scythe black and red, raised it up, and pointed it at Tara and her friends.

Responding to his silent command, the winged beings rushed at the _Nadesico_'s defenders, raising their weapons to attack. They seemed to fan out, and yet they moved as one.

"Not on my watch!" Koji declared. "BREASTO FIYAH!"

Mazinger launched a wave of searing heat and energy at the incoming winged soldiers. The formation was able to dodge, but one didn't move quickly enough, and was quickly incinerated.

Before anyone else could make a move, the winged soldiers scattered, and began attacking individually. Their swords and spears were powerful, and could even pierce the Distortion Fields of the Aestivalis, but even so, they lost their numbers slowly, especially when fighting the fifty foot behemoth Mazinger Z. The scythe-wielding commander, meanwhile, made a beeline for the _Nadesico_.

"Ruri, fire our missiles! Don't let them get close!" Yurika ordered.

The battleship unleashed a torrent of missiles, all aimed straight at the commander. With a small smirk, he descended a bit…right into another white portal. A second white portal opened over the _Nadesico _within its Distortion Field, and the winged scythe wielder was poised to carve the warship like a Christmas ham.

Akito noticed this, and broke away from the melee to attack the commander. Gai, noticing Akito's sudden change in plans, followed him.

"Oh, no you don't!" Akito cried out, pumping the output on his field to full and putting the pedal to the metal. The winged commander paused, amused by the reckless charge the young pilot was making. Gai did the same thing, and both were even with each other.

"Akito, let's do it!"

"Right, Gai!"

The two Aestivalis' energies seemed to merge as they charged the enemy commander.

"Take this…the fist of our souls!" Gai roared. "…DOUBLE GEKIGAN FLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARE!"

The two mecha barreled straight into the enemy, who was too shocked by this display of power to counterattack. He was sent flying, safely out of range of the _Nadesico_. The Guren, seeing an opportunity, grabbed the swords of one of the winged soldiers, slashed it in two then heaved the sword at the general. It struck his scythe, slicing the blade off of it. The shock of the blow caused the grunts to suddenly disappear, as if his concentration had been broken.

"Impossible…to have grown this powerful so quickly…" he gasped, and appearing visibly damaged. "I cannot afford to fool around any longer!" The winged warrior conjured up another scythe and raised it skyward. The entire surrounding area seemed to turn black as night, even though it was still daytime.

"Gaze upon the gate to the abyss and know that your end is at the hands of Samael!" he laughed. He jumped into another white portal and warped right behind Akito.

Gai, without a second thought, forced himself in between the enemy commander and his friend, and took the blow just as the scythe came down. An explosion rang out, and the darkness cleared, and everyone watched in horror as the two halves of Gai's Aestivalis began their descent to Earth.

"…GAAAAAIIIII!" Akito cried out, reaching out to the falling pieces, tears suddenly pouring down his face.

"Shall I increase your despair?" Samael cackled. "Then come, and face it!"

Tara felt tears running down her cheeks as well.

_I…I…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…I was only kidding…no, no, no, nooooo!_

Suddenly, something within Tara awakened, like a chain holding something back had just snapped. As if she knew it all along, she began making adjustments and calculations to Lifthrasir. She fired a portal a few feet in front of her and set its exit point to Samael's side. She extended the beam tonfas and dashed into the portal. As she struck Samael, she repeated the process, and did this over and over.

Finally, she emerged one last time, and pulled out both rifles, increased their output to max and fired them at point-blank range.

"Crawl back into your pit, Samael…HEAVENLY BLAZER!"

The shot forced everyone back, but only Samael received any damage…and indeed, it was heavy damage.

When the smoke cleared, Samael's body was blasted apart, leaving only his right arm, his torso, and part of his head, enough to show him physically frustrated. The rest of his body was broken into pebbles.

"Grrrr…of all the people to resist us, it had to be you…" Samael growled. "You'll regret ever being born into this world!"

Samael's body disappeared into a white portal, and the battle was finally over.

"The phase transition engines are fully charged," Ruri declared. "Everyone, return to the _Nadesico _and prepare for atmospheric escape."

"Gai…" Akito sobbed as he flew his Aestivalis back to the _Nadesico_.

"I know…" Hikaru replied with a sniffle. "One of the last things he said was that he would rather die than watch Fire Bomber's cover of the _Gekiganger _theme song…we never thought that it…"

Everyone else, even Ryoko, Sayaka and Izumi, was silent. They could only move on now, and break through the Big Barrier, lest Gai's sacrifice be in vain.

* * *

"Yurika, we're coming up on the seventh layer," Ruri said. "There's an energy buildup going on in all the satellites. It looks like they're really not keen on letting us out."

The many satellites suddenly shot out energy beams toward each other, and the web of beams formed a wall that would block the _Nadesico_'s progress.

"Well, we'll just have to punch on through!" Yurika declared, pointing forward. "Reroute as much power to phase transition engines and Distortion Field as you can without compromising our computer systems! Get us going as fast as possible!"

"…Righto, Captain!" Megumi said with an eager grin and began the power rerouting process.

The entire ship's lights went out, and only the glow of the computer monitors could be seen on the bridge. The warship began to accelerate, and the field surrounding it began to thrum audibly.

"Seventy seconds to impact with the field," Minato said grimly. "We may not have enough momentum to break through." Yurika's keen tactical mind quickly ran through any other options.

"Ruri, do we have enough time to charge up for a Gravity Blast?" Yurika asked.

"We can charge up and fire a half-strength one in about twenty seconds…I think I know what you're planning; and frankly, we have no other option."

"Work your magic, Ruri!"

Ruri quickly began to turn the _Nadesico _so the Gravity Blast so the barrel was aimed straight down.

"Thirty seconds to impact…" Minato said.

The Gravity Blast began to charge.

"Twenty seconds to impact…" Minato said again.

"That's all we need. Firing," Ruri quipped.

The warship suddenly zoomed further upward at a ludicrous speed as a Gravity Blast forced its way downward. It dissipated after traveling a mile or two, so no other harm was done.

"All crew, brace for impact!" Yurika yelled, and jumped into her chair, which strapped itself in.

The _Nadesico _rammed straight into the field. For a few tense moments, the ship's field strained against the energy barrier, and several explosions could be heard coming from different areas on the ship.

But the barrier couldn't hold against the power of the Distortion Field and the sheer momentum of the _Nadesico_, bolstered by the addition of the last-minute Gravity Blast. The satellites' auto-cooling programs kicked in to prevent their nuclear cores from going critical, and the barrier shorted out.

Inertia kicked in and the ship began zipping out into the void of space. Ruri quickly restarted the engines and righted the ship, slowing it as much as possible, not enough to notice a small transport zipping by. Eventually, it stopped, and everyone on the bridge gave a sigh of relief.

"Jun, damage report," Yurika panted as she addressed the sole male member of the bridge crew, a young man about Akito's age.

"Main engine blocks D and G took substantial damage, and the phase transition engines are completely shot. We can't get to Mars in this condition."

"Fiddlesticks..." Yurika sighed.

"Captain, something seems to be approaching. It doesn't appear hostile."

"Come in, _Nadesico_. This is First Lieutenant Gamlin Kizaki of Macross. Do you read?"

"I hear you loud and clear, Mr. Kizaki!" Yurika replied with a sigh of relief. "We could use some help here. Will the Macross be passing by soon?"

"Indeed…I've been authorized by the mayor to lead you to the city, where you can get your ship repaired."

"That's awfully nice of them," Megumi quipped. "But I wonder how they know about our mission, though…"

* * *

"How kind of those Nergal fools to let us through," Dr. Hell chuckled as he watched the _Nadesico_ right itself. "You have great cunning, Rau Le Creuset, to take advantage of such an opportunity."

"You flatter me, Doctor. While I had another plan in mind, the unknowns and the sheer bravado of that warship's crew saved me the trouble of having to go through with it. We would have gotten this far regardless. We will be at Quintilis Two with plenty of time to spare. Normally, we of ZAFT cannot tolerate you Naturals, but our leader Patrick Zala has ordered that you be welcomed and treated as an honored guest."

"Ah, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend', is that how this works?" Dr. Hell chuckled.

"You are the enemy of the Alliance, and anyone who opposes them is worthy of consideration as an ally."

"Now you flatter me, Rau Le Creuset," the scientist replied. "But enough…I am going to take this opportunity to rest my tired body, so that I will be refreshed in time for the negotiations. Wake me when we have arrived."

"Of course, Dr. Hell," Rau replied. The scientist closed his eyes and was soon fast asleep, leaving Rau alone with his thoughts.

_What a character…it will be fun watching him and the Vegans tear those Naturals apart_, he thought._ Perhaps I should convince Councilman Zala to let ZAFT join in on the party?_

The masked pilot chuckled just barely under his breath.

* * *

_So long, Gai Daigoji. You were a hoot while you were here. A moment of silence for his awesomeness, if you would._

_...  
_

_*sniffle* Thanks.  
_


	7. Chapter 3 Janus

_And now, we continue with Janus' story. Things are starting to really get interesting now. I hope I'm not overlooking too much plot from the other series. If I am, feel free to let me know and I may go back and add more to other chapters. _

* * *

**Chapter 3 (Janus): Secrets! Terrible Words Better Left Unsaid!**

With the addition of Judau and Christina to the crew of the Tower, things were noticeably livelier. While always vigilant for Saotome and Invaders, there was some time to relax for everyone. Even Judau, who wasn't terribly keen on being surrounded by adults managed to find ways to stay occupied.

In particular, he had taken to checking out Granlif. When he had heard stories of its ability to use bits, he wondered if Janus was a Newtype like him. It would be at this point that Janus would catch him.

"Hey, get off of my robot!" he yelled when he saw Judau climbing on Granlif's head. It was difficult, as Granlif's body was very smooth. He started slipping and soon lost his footing. Janus quickly got under Judau and raised his arms up to catch him.

Janus managed to catch the falling teen, but couldn't stand up while holding on, and fell on his back. Judau rolled off of Janus, who was groaning in pain.

"What the heck do you eat up in space, kid?" Janus groaned, slightly relishing the chance to call someone "kid".

"For your information, I eat whatever I please, so butt out!" Judau snapped back, before realizing that Janus had just broken what could have been a nasty fall. "Thanks for saving me, though. I'm not used to Earth's gravity just yet."

"Just don't mess around with Granlif, and we won't have any problems, okay?" Janus replied.

"Sure, whatever," Judau said, rolling his eyes. "I didn't get any Newtype resonance from your robot anyway. You must control those bits of yours some other way." With that, he walked away.

No sooner had Judau walked away did Go wander in, looking up at Granlif.

"What? You still mad about a few days ago?" Janus asked. Go shook his head.

"Granlif…hates Getter. That bothers me."

"Why? I gave it a stern talking-to, and…"

"Janus…I do not wish to be your enemy."

"We're not!" Janus replied, completely confused as to why Go would say such a silly thing. "Okay, so we're not the best of friends, but we've fought in battle as allies. I'm not going to suddenly turn on you…unless I get possessed by an Invader for something, but other than that…"

"No," Go replied, "I should not have said that. I'm sorry." Without another word, Go started off in the same direction Judau went. Janus followed after him, but by the time he caught up with him, he had slipped into another room. Kei just happened to be standing there.

"Oh, Janus…did you see Go just now?" Kei asked. "He looked like he had just done something terrible."

"He just popped in, took a look at my machine, then said something about not wanting to be my enemy and just ran off. That guy is a mystery wrapped up in an enigma."

"You're telling me. Anyway, I'm gonna watch one of the Gundam Fight with my dad. We're Japanese citizens, so we can pick it up on Neo-Japan satellite television. You want to join us?"

"Sure, but I didn't think Captain Jin would tolerate that kind of thing," Janus replied. "He seems awfully resentful of the Neo colonies."

"Hey, there's not much to do here other than eat, sleep fix the robots and keep an eye out for Saotome," Kei replied frankly. "Besides, I want to see this new fighter Neo-Japan has. I hear he was trained by some guy called the Undefeated of the East."

"I guess I wouldn't mind watching some fighting," Janus replied. "It'll be nice to be on the sidelines again."

* * *

"I've got the popcorn, Dad!" Kei said excitedly as she carried in a huge bowl of popcorn. "You got the candy?"

"Yes, I do!" Benkei replied as he carried in a large bag of individually-wrapped candies. "Ah, this reminds me of old times. I used to be a pretty good baseball player back in the day. Maybe one day I'll go up to Neo-Japan or Neo-America and play baseball there."

"Let's just survive this, Benkei," Janus replied as he fiddled with the TV's antenna. Slowly, the signal pierced through the static, and an image became visible. It was a ruined city somewhere in Italy. The satellite camera, with its incredible range of vision, was able to peer down to the location of the fight. But it was not as they expected.

They recognized Neo-Italy's Neros Gundam, stomping after a man in a red cape, who was heading for a large building. A large red, y

"Hey! What's Neo-Italy's fighter doing! What a creep!" Kei yelled. Suddenly, the red-caped man skidded to a stop and turned around mid-slide. Behind him, a massive red metal object that resembled a lily flew upward. The red-caped man suddenly let out a hot-blooded battle cry as he raised his hand.

"RISE, SHINING GUNDAAAAAAM!"

With a snap of his fingers, the red flying lily began to open up, revealing a white Gundam with blue and red accents. As the flower opened, the rockets began to reduce their power, causing the platform to slowly descend to the ground.

"It's him! That's gotta be Neo-Japan's fighter: Domon Kasshu!" Benkei exclaimed before stuffing a handful of popcorn into his mouth. "Boy, now that's what I call an entrance!"

Domon, the man in the red cape, leapt up as the platform came down, landed in the Gundam's hand and jumped into the cockpit. After a few moments of standing still (to the tune of some rather awesome music used by the broadcasting team) the Gundam began a rather showy martial arts exhibition, though more to ensure that the machine was still in top condition.

The two Gundams faced each other down, then a bell rang (again, provided by the broadcasters) and they charged each other and began grappling!

"Get 'em, Kasshu! Squash the creep flat!" Kei screamed, jumping up and down.

Suddenly, Shining Gundam broke off the grapple and did a backflip, and Neros Gundam fired its vulcans. As it landed, Neo-Italy's Gundam followed up with a pair of shoulder cannons, knocking Neo-Japan's Gundam, which was guarding with its arms, back and into some rubble.

"Come on, Kasshu! You're our man…fight!" Benkei roared. Janus found himself intimidated by the amount of boisterousness these two let out.

Neros Gundam then got down on one knee, and opened up some weapons from its legs. The turrets began firing dark grey energy bolts from those turrets, which flew off in every direction.

"Man, now that guy is just a sadist!" Kei cried. "He's not even trying to hit him, just cause random destruction!"

Suddenly, Shining Gundam appeared and quickly put itself in the line of fire, shielding something with its enormous hand. After a few moments, the mouth portion, just under its eyes, opened up, revealing a red interior. The hand it was using to shield the unknown near-casualty began to shine gold, and it began to push back the beam. The loudspeaker could make out two words being roared in the most hot-blooded way possible:

"SHIIIINING FINGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!"

Shining Gundam grabbed Neros' head and slowly began to squeeze it, as if trying to crush the head section.

"…Yeah! Yeah! Crush it, Kasshu!" Kei screamed, now completely beside herself with excitement.

But just as Neros Gundam's head began to give way, the signal gave out, a sudden influx of Getter Rays completely ruining the image. An alarm started blaring out as well.

"OH COME ON!" Kei screamed, throwing the bowl of popcorn down. "OF ALL THE TIMES TO…" But suddenly, an image started to appear on the television…it was connected to the monitors of the Tower, and something horrible was being shown.

The earth itself seemed to moan and groan with pain as something pushed its way out. Eventually, something did: a massive monstrosity, with a number of energy towers embedded in its back, huge red and blue pipes that looked eerily like thick blood vessels snaked along its arms and from its torso into the very ground; its face was similar to Shin Getter's, but with more horns and tainted by evil.

"Is that…" Kei gasped.

"…Shin Dragon!" Benkei said. Shin Dragon turned to face Tower, and let out an unearthly roar. Just then, a small pillar of stone rose out from in front of it. The camera attached to the Tower began to zoom. A man with wild grey hair and a tattered white lab coat stood there, his back to the group. As this was happening, Gai came in.

The man began to speak, turning his head to look over his shoulder.

"…Long time no see…gentlemen."

The voice was unmistakable to Janus, who had heard it before.

"Dr. Saotome!" Janus and Benkei said at the same time.

Everyone except Janus looked at Benkei.

"I do not die so easily!" the mad doctor declared, opening his arms out dramatically. "No…not until I witness the destruction of mankind and the last day of the world!"

Suddenly, someone on the Tower's outer platform apparently picked up a bazooka and fired it straight at Saotome. But an invisible barrier stopped the shot, and it exploded as if it had struck something solid. Saotome let out a laugh.

"Let's avoid a meaningless fight, shall we?" he said, chastising everyone as if the unknown shooter could have been any of them. "I only came to see my child."

Benkei gasped again, and Janus started to wonder what was going on. Everyone within the Tower was dead silent. Seeing that he had everyone's attention, Saotome opened his arms yet again.

"Now, come to me…"

"Don't!" Benkei yelled.

"…My dearest child, Genki…no, KEI!"

Kei looked shocked for a second, but acted like it was nothing.

Gai looked at Kei with a mixture of horror and sympathy. "Kei…you're…no, no way!"

"I'm Saotome's child?" Kei said with a shrug. "Why would he say something so stupid? Right, Dad?"

Benkei looked away in guilt and shame. Kei's confidence faltered a little at this.

"It's a lie, right, Dad? Hey, tell me it's not true!"

Benkei couldn't bring himself to look at his daughter in the eye, but his face and posture said it all.

Kei was starting to get extremely anxious. "Please! Please tell me the truth! Dad!"

And suddenly, Benkei, his eyes still closed, began to explain everything.

"Dr. Saotome had named his baby girl Genki. It is the word for 'bright' or 'happy'. Regardless, that is exactly the way she grew up."

Janus looked up at Kei, who was sweating, still trying to shut out the now obvious truth.

"However, Genki had lost her mind. The shock of the incident shattered her fragile sense of self, and she lost her memories."

_Memories… _Janus said to himself.

"When people realized that the child of the mad scientist who ruined the world was living in the shelter with them, they tried to take Genki away from me. Then…I had an idea. I deceived them by calling her my daughter…named Kei. The fact that Saotome raised Genki as a boy ended up working to my advantage. They believed me."

Kei was staring wide-eyed and slack-jawed at her adopted father, stunned by this rather startling revelation.

"…No way! You must be making up! Am I right, Dad?" Kei cried, now almost hysterical with both rage and sorrow. Benkei looked away again, ashamed for deceiving Kei for all these years.

"It's a lie! It's a lie! It's a lie! It's a lie!"

Saotome let out a long, loud laugh, apparently having heard this sad tale, though his twisted mind only found it amusing.

"The truth is always bitter and sad, isn't it?" he said. "But now, come to me. Come to me, Genki! Why don't we, as father and child, witness Armageddon together?"

A slight breeze pushed away one of his long bangs, revealing three tiny eyes and legs: sure signs of Invader possession. This sight suddenly caused Kei to remember something: a young woman, lying as if peacefully asleep, but her torso torn open, her internal organs turned into now-dead Invaders.

"I am Saotome…" Kei gasped. "Genki Saotome…"

"Kei…" Gai said, about to console her.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Kei suddenly roared, now hating the scientist all the more. "I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!" She rushed toward the door as Benkei called out to her. She opened it, only to see Schwartz there. He had a pistol in his hand, and put the barrel against her forehead.

"No…you will be the one to die first!" Schwartz growled. Benkei and Janus rushed toward the door, but Schwartz pushed the gun harder against Kei's forehead.

"You idiots, anyone related to Saotome must die! I'll start with his brat!"

"Stop!" Janus yelled as he rushed forward. But suddenly, as he had changed his mind, Schwartz's gun aimed up, and he blasted a hole in the TV, which still showed Saotome's evil and hideous face. He lowered the weapon.

"Why…why do you look like such a normal human being?" the man growled in anger and frustration. Kei ran out, towards one of the decks outside. There, a double-barreled gun platform sat waiting. Kei jumped into the seat and quickly locked on to the scientist.

"Diiiiiiiiiieee!"

She pulled the trigger, firing rapidly. The bullets flew towards Saotome, and one landed on its mark, blowing his head off. But being possessed by Invaders, he simply regenerated with ease.

"What? No! DIE-DIE-DIE-DIE!"

Kei began firing like mad, blowing off Saotome's right arm, left leg, and part of his torso. These too regenerated in a gruesome fashion, right up to regenerating his white coat.

"…Damn you, monster!"

Kei got up from the platform and began running toward the hangar, where the Getter Machines were waiting. Janus, who saw her run by, took off after her.

* * *

The two arrived at the runway for the Shin Getter Machines, and Kei made a run for Shin Jaguar. Go, who was hanging out there as usual, suddenly went up to her and grabbed her shoulder as she climbed up the ladder. She stopped, and turned to him.

"You must not go," he said in his usual monotone. Even so, there was the faintest hint of concern for Kei.

"Hey, let me go," Kei replied, shaking him off.

"You must not go," Go said again.

"Who do you think you are? Why do you keep bothering me?" she said, annoyed at Go for keeping her from the self-imposed task of destroying her insane father. At this point, Gai, Judau, Yoko, Christina and Janus had arrived on the scene.

"I will protect you," Go said.

"Don't make me laugh. This is none of your business."

"Kei!" Yoko called out. "You might want to take him a little more seriously. But if you won't let him protect you, at least let us protect you!"

Christina nodded. "I may not have known you for very long, but I know one thing for sure. You, Go, and Gai…you're the Getter Team. You need each other."

Janus stepped forward. "If you go out there alone, you'll just get killed, and then no one will be able to stop Shin Dragon and the Invaders! This world will be truly destroyed!"

Kei paused and looked at Go. He smiled a little. Kei somehow felt comforted by that smile, and relented.

"…Fine. You can all come along. But Saotome is mine!"

With that, she dove into Shin Jaguar as everyone else boarded their mechs, and took off.

"Alright, ladies and gents, let's go turn that freak into black paste!" Janus yelled as he spurred Granlif forward, with Shin Getter 1 at its heels. Yoko and the two Gundam pilots followed close behind, firing their beam rifles to try and damage the behemoth.

Responding to their presence, Shin Dragon turned to face them. It roared, and suddenly, pieces began breaking off of it, and each piece turned into one of the three forms of Getter Robo G: Getter Dragon, Getter Liger and Getter Poseidon, all capable of flight.

"Dragon! Liger! Poseidon! Crush them!" Saotome cackled.

"Go, let's switch to Getter 2!" Kei called out.

"Right," Go replied. OPEN GET!"

Shin Getter 1 broke into its component machines: Shin Eagle, Shin Jaguar, and Shin Bear, and rose into the sky.

"CHAAAAAAAANGE GETTEEEEER TWOOO!"

Instead of Go in the lead, now Kei's machine was on top, and the three fused together to form Shin Getter 2.

"Hey, sweet! That thing's got a drill just like Gurren Lagann!" Janus said with some excitement as he watched Shin Getter 2 drill holes in several Getter Ligers.

"Janus, focus on the battle!" Yoko scolded him as she fired a few rounds into an incoming Getter Poseidon.

"Right...GRAAAN CLAYMORE!"

Granlif conjured up the golden two-handed sword and dashed straight into the approaching mass of Getter Robos. As a pair of Getter Dragons rushed in with tomahawks keened to strike, Janus quickly preempted their attack by slicing them in two with his mighty blade.

Meanwhile, Judau and Christina were nearing Shin Dragon. The two Gundam pilots were scanning Shin Dragon for any weak areas, and firing off beam rifle shots to ward off attacking Getter Robos.

"This thing is solid...I can't find any weak points!" Christina growled. "Hey, Judau, you having any luck?"

"Yeah, but they're all on the inside. Its outer body is thick, but I think we can at least stagger it by getting it in the face! That works on pretty much anything! Christina, cover me!"

Judau spurred the ZZ Gundam back around, and began charging its ultimate weapon: the Hi-Mega Cannon mounted on its forehead. As it reached the front of the beast, the weapon began to pulse, its charge waiting to be released.

"Eat this! HI-MEGA CANNON!"

A massive energy blast shot out of ZZ Gundam's forehead, sending it rocketing back towards Tower. The attack struck Shin Dragon square in the face, and just as Judau had anticipated, it was stunned by the attack.

"…Now's your chance, Getter Team!" Judau called out.

"Kei, use Drill Hurricane to burrow into Shin Dragon's body," Go said. "We can stop it from within."

"If you say so...DRILL HURRICAAAANE!"

Shin Getter 2's drill began to spin rapidly as it rushed underneath Shin Dragon. It jumped up and managed to pierce the monster's thick hide, and began drilling deeper and deeper into its body.

* * *

Deep within Shin Dragon, Go began to mentally connect with Shin Dragon as if he had always known how, entering a trance.

"…Stop this. Now is not your time," he said to the gigantic creature telepathically. "I will come back soon enough, and when that time comes, you will be free to fulfill our true purpose. Please, sleep."

* * *

Shin Getter 2 burst out the other side rather explosively, leaving a massive, gaping hole in Shin Dragon's back.

The monstrosity let out a terrible roar of pain, and its head suddenly began to change. It contracted in on itself, and soon became a featureless cone shape. The massive wound closed, but it was obvious that Shin Dragon would not be any trouble for a little while.

"Impossible! Shin Dragon is…" Saotome growled. "No, you have only delayed the inevitable; Farewell, fools!" With that, Saotome disappeared into the rocky pillar.

"Well, Saotome got away," Christina sighed, "but at least Shin Dragon will be quiet for a while."

"Go, what in the world did you do?" Kei exclaimed. The mental connection Go had was brief, but it was enough to get the message across.

"Shin Dragon is asleep now," the enigmatic young man replied. "When it wakes again, it will be a savior."

"…A savior?" Gai exclaimed. "Go, you really ARE weird."

* * *

_When ten million apes gather to watch the end of all conflicts, the moon will become Hell's messenger and destroy the world._

Those words, uttered as Lordgenome's last, had bothered Simon for the longest time. Worst of all, he didn't know what that first part meant. The second part was clear enough, especially after Rossiu's investigation of the moon with his lunar probes: the moon was not a natural satellite. Something was underneath it, but the lunar crust was too thick for even Gurren Lagann to penetrate easily.

But now it was becoming clear, as he stared up at the girl he loved, now floating high up, and her body covered with red, wire-like markings. The beautiful light in her eyes had gone dim; even as the city burned from an attack by countless otherworldly beings, they seemed to reflect no light. As Nia spoke, she sounded like she was a computer…it was obvious something was controlling her. Of course, only the people of Kamina City could see or hear this message. The colonies in space and the other colony-sponsored cities on Earth would be blind and deaf to it.

"Attention, humans of Earth. Hear me now," the woman said. "We, the Anti-Spiral races of the universe, have determined that humans have achieved Level 2 on our danger scale, and have been deemed a threat to the integrity of the universe. To prevent catastrophe, we hereby activate our Humanity Extermination System. In six months time, the moon will descend upon the land where a final conflict will take place and bring humanity to an end."

Simon, watching from the cockpit of Gurren Lagann, growled in frustration as the winged beings gathered behind her.

"…Nia!" Simon called out. He rushed to grab her with Gurren Lagann, but she dissolved into a mess of varying polyhedrons, leaving only the winged beings, which quickly moved to surround him.

"Damn it! DAMN IIIIIIIT!" Simon roared. Consumed by rage and anger at this Anti-Spiral enemy, he only had these tiny grunts to take it out on.

"Eat this!" Simon roared. Gurren Lagann opened up in numerous places, revealing drill tipped missiles. They launched out in all directions. Anticipating this, the winged soldiers all warped away. The missiles, with no targets to aim for, went for the next closest ones: the very buildings of Kamina City, the city Simon loved and fought so hard to protect. Explosions rocked the city, laying waste to numerous buildings and setting it all even more ablaze. The young man, for the first time since Kamina's death, was overwhelmed with despair and anguish.

"What? No…I…I didn't mean it…I…"

* * *

_Whoops_. _Looks like Simon is now in the same boat as Janus was. Anyway, it's time for the "next time" blurbs!_

_In Tara's route, the crew of the _Nadesico _relaxes on the super-colony Macross; but even this neutral city cannot avoid war, as the Vega Empire shows off its might by attacking City 7! With the _Nadesico _out of commission, how will its crew be able to defend their hosts? And just what do the Vega want with Earth? And what is Lelouch up to back on Earth? Find out in ** Chapter 4 (Tara): Vega Attacks! Macross Under Siege! (Part 1)**_

_In Janus' route, Yoko gets word of the Anti-Spiral threat as well as Simon and Viral's inevitable execution! But as they rush back to help him, trouble brews in the Lunar Kingdom as conspirators prepare to overthrow their good queen and unseal two weapons that could destroy civilization...who can hope to foil their plans? Find out in **Chapter 4 (Janus): Lunar Escape! Turn A Turn! (Part 1)**_

_See you next chapter, everyone, and keep those reviews coming!  
_


	8. Chapter 4 Tara

_And now, Chapter 4 of Tara's mission. The joining of the two routes is drawing ever closer. Those chapters are going to be significantly longer than these ones, I hope._**  
**

* * *

**Chapter 4 (Tara): Vega Attacks! Macross Under Siege! (Part 1)**

The crew of the _Nadesico _wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth: the super-colony Macross, a powerful neutral colony, had given them sanctuary and a chance to recuperate, relax and properly mourn Gai after their harrowing battle to make it into space. Yurika, as captain, had to conduct his funeral, since there were no priests around to give him the proper rites. It was quiet and solemn, yet dignified, as Gai had died a warrior's death.

Once the funeral was finished, everyone did their best to get settled in and move on from their comrade's untimely death, difficult as it was.

"…Akito? If you're there, please answer me!" Yurika asked as she knocked on the door to Akito's room. The answer came in the form of a few sobs.

"May I come in?" she asked politely, hoping to get a little one-on-one time with her love.

"No…leave me alone…" Akito groaned.

"Just let me give you a hug! It'll make you feel better!" the battleship captain replied. She honestly did hate to see Akito so distraught like this, and wanted nothing more than to let him know she was there for him.

"Go away…" Akito sobbed again.

"…Pleeeease?" Yurika said.

"No…"

"Okay, now I'm ordering you to let me in so I can comfort you! I am your captain, so you have to obey my orders!" Yurika said, huffing a bit. Akito was silent, but then the lock on the door opened, and Yurika was able to enter. She gasped when she saw how distraught Akito was.

He was wrapped in bed sheets and lying on his bed, his eyes were puffy and his cheeks streaked with black from the many tears he had shed. The last _Gekiganger _tape he had played was on a loop…it was the tape depicting the death of Joe, one of the titular mecha's pilots. As soon as Akito saw Yurika, he turned away. Lovingly, she approached him and sat down at his side.

"Akito…I…I'm sorry…"

He only curled up into a fetal position, trying his best to ignore Yurika.

"I know that you and Gai were close, but…"

"No…you don't understand. You could never understand…how much Gai meant to me…"

"Akito…."

The young man suddenly rose up, and Yurika saw even more of how much of a toll Gai's death had taken on him. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair was completely disheveled, which made his response, growled through closed teeth, all the more intimidating.

"…YURIKA. GO. AWAY."

Without another word, Yurika got up and left the room, not wanting to ruin her chances with Akito any more.

* * *

The others besides the _Nadesico_'s original crew had not known Gai long enough to truly grieve his death, and had chosen to move on with their lives. Sayaka dragged Koji along to shop at the clothing stores, while Tara and Kallen decided to check out the open-air market. Here, goods from both Earth and the PLANTs could be obtained. Tara paused at a vendor hawking music discs. Itching for some new tunes, she decided to check it out.

One cover caught her interest: it was an album by Lacus Clyne, whom she had never heard of.

"Hey, is this album any good?" she asked the vendor, a stout man with a thick mustache and striped shirt.

"Are you kidding? Lacus Clyne is only the hottest singing sensation in the PLANTs! The only reason she isn't selling albums on Earth is that no Earthling would touch any music sung by a Coordinator. Shame, she's got the voice of an angel. Why, she was apparently here just last night, singing a duet with Basara Nekki..."

Tara's eyes lit up when she heard the rock idol's name.

"Really? Omigod where is he, where is heeeeee?" Tara yammered excitedly.

"Tara, calm down. I doubt this guy knows," Kallen said with some embarrassment. "Come on." But no sooner did she take one step back the other way did she collide into a young man with thick, almost flowing neck-length brown hair carrying a bag of groceries. He wore a yellow shirt, brown vest, blue jeans and work boots. Both landed on their behinds, and the bag of groceries spilled out onto the street. It was filled with fresh fruits, vegetables and breads.

"Oh, I'm so, so, sorry!" Kallen apologized as she scrambled to gather the fallen goods. The crowd briefly paused to see the fall, but kept moving afterward.

"Don't worry. Accidents happen," the young man replied as he helped her gather the goods, picking up an orange. "Thankfully, nothing is damaged. I must say that everything the PLANTs produce is amazing. There's not a bruise on this fruit!"

"Hey, buddy…do YOU know where Basara Nekki lives?" Tara asked eagerly, still in rabid fangirl mode. "Tell me tell me tell meeeeee!"

"Well, if that's the way you're going to act around him," the young man replied, "I doubt he'd even give you the time of day."

"Do you know him?" Kallen asked.

"We were introduced by a mutual acquaintance. If your hyperactive friend here is willing to compose herself, I might introduce you to him. I was bringing these groceries to him."

"Oh, what's your name, by the way?" Kallen asked.

"Daisuke Umon."

"Kallen Kozuki. Ms Crazed Fangirl over there is Tara Zifell."

"Hey, I can't help it if Basara is a complete sex machine!"

* * *

Tara and Kallen followed Daisuke through City 7, taking in all of the sights they could on the city's speedy trams. They were leaving the central area and heading toward the area where the mayor's office was. Here, more wealthy individuals lived (although poverty was virtually unknown), and, based on rumors, it was where the peaceful aliens who ended the war well over a decade ago had sequestered themselves, taking few guests.

The tram they were on stopped in a surprisingly unusual area: while most of it was towering skyline (though a massive natural park covered a significant section of the city), the area here was more like a meadow than within a high-tech space colony. Tara and Kallen could smell the dirt, flowers and trees. Even the holographic image of the sky seemed more real here. In the midst of this scenery was a large, intricately carved stone building, like something out of an ancient history book.

"Um…nice house," Tara quipped as they approached.

As they drew closer, someone came out of the doorway: a hunched over old man with green skin, carrying a cane made from a plant that couldn't possibly be found on Earth, and a robe made of fine cloth of equally otherworldly make.

"Oh, Du…I mean, Daisuke," the old man said. "I see you brought me the mayor's guests. I do enjoy company." Tara and Kallen stood stock still as it quickly became clear who this was: an alien from another world.

"Wait…you've been expecting us?" Kallen exclaimed.

"Yes. It was I who asked the mayor to grant the _Nadesico _and her crew sanctuary here on Macross. My name is Soriz Gildar. I was once of the Zentradi, a race of people who stood many times larger than you humans."

Tara and Kallen simply nodded, fascinated by this story.

"But my people are warlike and powerful. We even managed to drive back the nigh-unstoppable Vega Empire, but at grave cost. Our generals insisted that we finish the job, but I and some others were opposed, instead suggesting we work to restore our world. Great arguments arose, and in-fighting arose. The negative emotions caused by the war and the infighting afterward lured the accursed Protodevlin out of the dark corners of reality, and those who did not escape became their servants. I, and several others escaped, taking the secret of wielding Spiritia with us."

"And now both Protodevlin and Vega Empire, in pursuit of the secret, wait like hungry wolves at humanity's doorstep," Daisuke said grimly. "Yet people outside of this fortress have completely forgotten what Soriz and the other Zentradi taught them about being peaceful."

"That's all well and good, but why did you want the _Nadesico _on here in the first place, and how did you know it was here?" Kallen then asked.

"I can see many things. Come in, and I will show you," Soriz replied with a chuckle. "Daisuke, don't you have someone to meet up with?"

"Yes, I'll be back in a little. Ms. Zifell, Ms. Kozuki, it was good meeting you," the young man replied.

* * *

Koji felt like his arms were going to drop out of their sockets as he carried twenty heavy bags full of clothing, the fruits of another shopping spree by Sayaka. The scientist's daughter has a credit line a mile long, but even this was pushing it. As they walked down toward the building, Sayaka noticed Daisuke waiting for them.

"Daisuke, what are you doing here?" Sayaka exclaimed.

"I live here, Sayaka," Daisuke replied. "Anyway, is Koji with you?"

"Hi, Daisuke…mind helping me with this?" Koji grunted, his knees buckling. No sooner had he said that than did he finally lose his balance, and the boxes of clothes fell on top of him. His head poked out of the pile after digging himself out a bit.

"Thanks a whoooole bunch, Daisuke," Koji said sarcastically as he pulled himself out. Sayaka giggled a bit, but Daisuke got right to business.

"I understand you and Sayaka here traveled with the _Nadesico_," the young man said as Sayaka unlocked the door to their room. "Are the plans for Great Mazinger safe?"

"Yep," Koji replied confidently as he started carrying the boxes in, one by one this time. "There's no way anyone can get at them!"

"That's reassuring," Daisuke replied as he lent a hand in moving Sayaka's new clothes as well. "If those plans were to fall into the wrong hands, the peace that so many died for would disappear in the blink of an eye."

"Everyone's out for them, though…the Alliance…Britannia…ZAFT…Dr. Hell as well," Koji added. "They all want that power…as if they didn't have enough already." Koji set the boxes down and hopped onto the bed to relax.

_Dr. Hell…would he be so desperate as to…? _Daisuke thought, realizing what could happen very soon…

* * *

Quintilis Two, a city devoted to the study of chemistry, was also used by the various PLANTs as a meeting ground for talks between individual colonies. But today it would be a host to a very different kind of talk: a talk between the ruler of an alien empire, and a mad scientist that desired to be a ruler himself, with Patrick Zala, the leader of ZAFT, playing mediator. Sitting nearby was his son, Athrun.

Emperor Vega was an imposing figure. He was tall, had sunken blood-red eyes, a spiked purple beard, deep wrinkles and long ears. He wore a crown like a serpent's head, but with three short decorative antennae coming out, and his blood-red cloak was clipped together with a skull medallion. Even Dr. Hell could not help but feel respect for this figure.

"Emperor Vega, Dr. Hell," Patrick began. "It is monumental that this meeting is occurring. Never before have humans, Coordinator or otherwise, even engaged in formal negotiations with beings from another world. I want to see to it that an agreement that is fair to both parties is reached by day's end."

"I do not see why we cannot do it sooner, Dr. Hell," Emperor Vega replied. "I am most interested in you, and I am prepared to give you not one, but two gifts in exchange for your complete cooperation and TOTAL obedience."

Dr. Hell frowned. Being subservient was not something he enjoyed doing at all. But he was no fool. He knew that if he did NOT cooperate, even his Mechabeast Army could not survive the onslaught of Vega's UFO Robos, Boazan's Beast Fighters, and Campbell's Slave Monsters all at once. Emperor Vega had control of this negotiation from the start, and everyone in the room knew it.

"Tell me of these gifts you would give me, Emperor Vega," Dr. Hell replied cordially. The alien ruler smirked evilly.

"…Gladly! As we speak, my attack forces are preparing to lay siege to the super-colony Macross. From there they shall capture a machine you most desire…Mazinger Z! I will give it to you as a token of my esteem, and you are free to do whatever you wish with it, so long as it does not go against our goals."

That would have been enough for Dr. Hell, but he simply nodded and let Vega continue. He wasn't about to settle for just one gift. He was going to milk this deal for all it was worth.

"My other gift is that I will make you one of my generals. You shall be held in the same regard as my other immediate subordinates: Blaki and Zuril of Vega, Heinel of Boazan and Garuda of Campbell. You will be able to command and utilize any of their forces, but you must be prepared to sacrifice your Mechabeasts for their campaigns."

"I do not see why I cannot live with that. But what if you cannot obtain Mazinger Z? He has powerful allies, and the Variable Fighters of the Macross are numerous and piloted by skilled individuals."

"You obviously do not fully grasp the might of my forces, Dr. Hell," the emperor said with gruff disappointment. "Perhaps you need to see for yourself just how powerful they are!"

"Councilman Zala," Dr. Hell said to the leader of ZAFT, "Has Emperor Vega any evidence of his might beyond mere hearsay? As a man of science, I cannot accept things entirely on blind faith. I must be able to observe his forces in action."

"Vega, you should have Dr. Hell accompany one of your other generals when they attack the Macross," Patrick suggested calmly.

Athrun watched the negotiation go back and forth, and his stomach turned more and more with each passing minute. His father was gone beyond just turning a blind eye to the machinations of these aliens, but now he was giving them a chance to ally with a Natural, the sworn enemy of Coordinators! In all likelihood, they would just attack the PLANTs once they were finished mopping up the Earth Alliance. Of course, he couldn't bring himself to speak out…not against his father.

The only thing he could do was leave. He silently and calmly rose from his seat and walked out. Emperor Vega noticed this and eyed the boy with suspicion, but said nothing of it.

Athrun would find a way to make his father see how destroying the Naturals would not be worth bowing before an alien ruler. He had his mission to get those new mobile suits, after all…

* * *

Daisuke stood at the city's space docks, gazing down toward the Earth, as if watching for someone. Soon enough, someone did come: a Getter Robo. But it wasn't the original Getter team; it was Getter Q, a variant of Saotome's original Getter 1 design. Its body, more feminine in shape, was maroon and silver, and its horns were slightly shorter and wider as well, and its eyes were sky blue.

The machine landed safely at the docks, and out came its pilot: Michiru Saotome.

"Ah, I'm glad to see you again in one piece, Michiru. It must have been difficult escaping Britannia's forces."

"Yes. They would stop at nothing to silence me. Thankfully, the masked man called Zero came and helped me escape. He said to find some ship called _Nadesico._ He said that Koji, Sayaka and Tara were aboard the vessel, as well as his subordinate Kallen. I hope they're all right."

"As a matter of fact, all three of them are here, safe and sound," Daisuke reassured her. "Tara and Kallen are socializing with a friend of mine, and Koji and Sayaka should be finishing dinner about now. I haven't gotten to meet the rest of the _Nadesico_'s crew, sadly. I'm sure Koji and Sayaka would be more than happy to do so."

"Yes, that would be great. Zero said that as long as the _Nadesico _is around, there is hope for this world."

Suddenly, a city-wide alarm began to sound: the Macross was under attack.

* * *

"Come in, base, this is Kizaki! A massive force of unknowns is approaching! Requesting backup!" Gamlin Kizaki, inside the cockpit of his VF-17 Nightmare, yelled.

It was a massive attack indeed: it was Emperor Vega's attack force, a mix of Vega's UFO Robos, and Saucer Beasts, Boazan's Beast Fighters and Campbell's Slave Monsters, totaling 150 individual units. The mechanical monstrosities were each more than capable of outlasting an entire division of Earth Alliance ground troops or a squad of Britannian Knightmare Frames. As skilled as Gamlin was, he knew he was outmatched.

Help came soon enough: several squadrons of additional VF-17 Nightmares swooped around to provide support, followed by the Aestivalis, still in their Zero-Gravity Frames.

"Man, it's just one attack after another!" Ryoko groaned. "First we get attacked by Britannia…"

"That was Yurika's fault actually," Hikaru replied rather non-chalantly. "I'm not their biggest fan, but…"

"And then the Earth Alliance…"

"I wonder how they'll want to eat us alive," Izumi chimed in. "I'm sure our livers go well with fava beans and a nice chianti…"

"Shut up, you two! Where's Tenkawa?" Ryoko snapped.

"Cut him some slack, he just lost his best friend," Hikaru said. "Besides, once Tara and the others get out here, those goons surrounding us are dead meat!"

"I couldn't have said it better myself!" Koji's voice came over the communicator as Mazinger Z swooped into position. "Huh…they don't look like any enemy I've seen before. Well, if they're anything like Dr. Hell's Mechabeasts, they're no match for Mazinger Z!"

"Koji, I think these are troops from the Vega Empire, just like Daisuke said," Sayaka replied as she flew toward the group with Aphrodite A. "We should be careful."

"You must be the civilian pilots of the _Nadesico_," Gamlin addressed them. "I hope you have plenty of battle experience, otherwise you'll just be in the way."

"We've fought our share of battles. We do everything but get in your way!" Koji said confidently. "But I wonder where Tara and Kallen are, though…they'll miss all the fun!"

"Civilians…" Gamlin grumbled.

"Men…" Sayaka groaned.

Ten UFO Robos began charging, and opened fire with missiles and lasers, causing the defending mechs and planes to scatter. Four Boazanian Beast Fighters, humanoid horned warriors with long blades, rushed forward to join the melee, as did a pair of Campbellian Slave Monsters, giant buzzsaw-carrying monstrosities covered in pink slime.

Ryoko quickly noticed that the six monstrous soldiers were going after Koji exclusively for some reason, even as her Aestivalis danced around the UFO Robos' attacks. Did they know that Mazinger Z was their heaviest hitter?

But before she could ponder that much, another kind of Beast Fighter, a crab-like behemoth with green horns and over-sized claws, managed to get behind her, and raised its claw to snip the mech in half. But before it could, a familiar blue portal opened, and a white blur slashed the monster in two.

"Hey guys; how's that for a magic trick?" Tara quipped as Lifthrasir slowed to a stop and rejoined the group. To their surprise, Guren zipped out of the portal just behind her before it closed. Apparently Tara was picking up on how to utilize their portals more and more effectively.

"You can't afford to be a show-off right now, Tara," Kallen chided her. "We need to defend the Macross long enough for them to get the rest of their troops out. The more you goof around, the more likely you'll slip up and screw us all over!"

"Ms. Kozuki is right," Gamlin replied as he and the other Variable Fighter pilots started forwards. "Stay focused, keep your eye on the ball…oh, the sports metaphors practically write themselves."

But even as the Variable Fighters prepared to mount a defense, something that they should have expected to happen did happen…every last soldier in the Vega attack force began to charge. They were going to overwhelm the Macross with a mass attack.

"Well, they didn't waste any time," Ryoko sighed. "They must be really smart. Usually they're stupid and send in their troops a few at a time."

"That just makes them easier to get with one blast!" Koji laughed as he charged up a Breast Fire.

But before he could let it fly, several Boazanian Beast Fighters rushed out of the crowd, followed closely by a pair of Vega's Saucer Beasts, reptilian, bipedal robots, and grabbed hold of Mazinger Z. The rest of the alien army commenced to lay a pounding on the others. Even the agile Guren and Lifthrasir couldn't avoid the massive attack; such was its overwhelming ferocity and strength.

"…Koji!" Sayaka cried out as the Boazanian soldiers dragged the struggling Mazinger Z back to their fortress. As they withdrew, a sinister laugh sounded over their communicators. It was General Blaki, the head of planet Vega's forces.

"…Foolish Earthlings; we are the Vega Empire, unchallenged throughout the galaxy! Even your mighty machines cannot hope to defeat the combined forces of three planetary armies! We will take Mazinger Z, who is but a mere copy of our greatest UFO Robo, and give him to a certain scientist you may know… "

"Get back here, you alien freaks! I won't let you take my friend to Dr. Hell!" Tara cried as she spurred Lifthrasir forward. "Xemmey, does this thing have any tricks for dealing with multiple big targets?"

"There…are none in my systems." Xemmey said after some hesitation. Tara realized that she had leaped before she had looked again, as another pair of reptilian Saucer Beasts descended upon her. But they didn't hold her long, as Gamlin and the other Variable Fighter pilots were close at hand.

"All units, let's show them what Variable Fighters do best!" he bellowed. The planes suddenly shifted into robot form, and various plates opened up all over their bodies, revealing dozens upon dozens of missiles.

"Firing a crapload of missiles!" boomed the voice of Lt. Kinryu, Gamlin's squad captain. The numerous Variable Fighters each unleashed a volley of several dozen missiles, more than enough to blast the Sauce Beasts to space dust. Tara felt the impact of a few, but she managed to escape and returned to the group.

Koji was not so lucky. Mazinger Z was pummeled by the missiles just as much as his would-be kidnappers were. Even a metal as strong as Super Z Alloy couldn't hold up long against dozens of missiles, and it took significant damage. Koji managed to disconnect Hover Pilder from Mazinger.

"Well, at least I can escape. I'll have to figure out how to get Mazinger back later…" he said to himself. But as he tried to get Pilder to move, he realized something: Hover Pilder couldn't fly in space, since it needed air to move forward.

"Secure the Pilder!" Blaki ordered, and several UFO Robos moved to grab the helpless Pilder. Koji realized that he had to bail out. Pressing a button on his helmet, he changed his outfit into a short-duration space suit, and forced the bubble dome open with an emergency switch. All the air rushed off the tiny cockpit, and Koji took a daring leap towards the Macross. He estimated would have just enough air to make it back before blacking out. Suddenly, not one, but TWO battle cries resonated through space:

"SPACE THUNDER!"

"GETTER BEAM!"

A bolt of cosmic energy and a blast of Getter Rays struck the UFO Robos, annihilating them in one blast.

_That sounded like Daisuke_ _and Michiru,_ Koji thought as he floated through the void toward the super-colony.

Indeed, it was Getter Q that came on the scene, but more importantly, it was the arch-enemy of the Vega Empire and the inspiration for Super Robots everywhere…the UFO Robo Grendizer!

"Ha-ha!" Blaki laughed. "We set a trap for a fox, and get the lion as a bonus! But now is not the time...hurry and bring the Pilder and Mazinger Z to my ship! The rest of you, cover our withdrawal! We have what we came for! "The Boazanian Beast Fighters and Saucer Beasts managed to grab the Pilder and still maintain their grip on the damaged Mazinger Z. But the others were more concerned for Koji's welfare than Mazinger Z, and breathed a sigh of relief as Getter Q gently caught Koji.

"Hello, Tara," Michiru said over the communicator to Tara. "It's good to see you again."

"You can save the small talk for later, you two," Daisuke replied. "We should return to the Macross to regroup. They only came for Mazinger Z. Look."

Indeed, the Vega attack force was withdrawing, their goal achieved. But Daisuke…or as he was truly named, Duke Fleed, the sole survivor of the royal family of Fleed…knew that this was but a tiny part of the Vega Empire's military might. If they had truly wanted to destroy Macross, they would have deployed the hateful weapons that ruined his beautiful home world.

* * *

"So...you're the last of a royal family of aliens?" Tara said, surprised. "You look exactly like a human being, though. The part about Grendizer being alien tech makes sense, though."

"Yes, I have pondered the similarity of Fleedians and Earthlings from time to time..." Daisuke replied, "But I would not deceive you on this matter. I swear upon the good names of BOTH my families."

"Hey, don't sweat it," Hikaru reassured him. "We're just glad you're on our side at all. Grendizer sure is something!"

"Speaking of that...what's Koji going to do now that Mazinger Z is in enemy hands?" Sayaka asked. "I'm sure he doesn't want to be a burden."

"Well, there is the matter of Double Spazer. Drill Spazer is already being piloted by my friend Hikaru Makiba, who lives on one of the PLANTs. Koji, perhaps you could be the pilot of Double Spazer. It's like Mazinger's Scrander, but it can fight well enough on its own."

"Fine...but just until we get Mazinger Z back," Koji replied, sulking a bit. "I refuse to spend the rest of my days being second banana to anyone!"

"All well that's going ashore then," Izumi chimed in.

"Now is not the time to be getting too comfortable," Daisuke replied seriously. "We must prepare for the Vega Empire's next attack. Koji, come with me. I need to show you Double Spazer."

"Yeah, yeah, coming, oh, dashing Duke Fleed!" Koji said sarcastically. "It's going to be sooooo wonderful being your SIDEKICK!" The two left as everyone else watched, both surprised and saddened by the harshness of Koji's reaction.

Even so, they had to prepare…

* * *

Baron Ashura watched as Dr. Hell's ship took off once again to space, where he would continue to work with Emperor Vega as one of his generals. Meanwhile, he/she was entrusted with overseeing the continued functioning of Hell Island. And now, Mazinger Z and Pilder were here, and no pesky Koji Kabuto to bother him/her.

As the two-faced being paced back and forth, both male and female eyes looking at both Pilder and Mazinger, he/she pondered what to do now that the island was his/hers.

"Hmm...the Pilder." Ashura's male half pondered out loud."You know, when that annoying Koji Kabuto isn't in it, it's kind of cute." He/she began to feel it all over, almost sexually excited to touch the aircraft in this context.

"And it has some nice lines, too," Ashura's female half added, stroking the side of the machine.

"Oh, what would I do to get a good look at its insides!" Ashura's male half said with almost impish glee.

"But...it is the property of Dr. Hell now," both halves said in unison.

"But, as long as he is gone and WE are in charge..." the male half said.

"Just for a little bit..."

Ashura managed to get the Pilder's entrance hatch open, and sat down in the pilot's seat.

"Hmmm...let's see...how do we start this thing?" the male half said. The female half spied

the ignition lever, still unlocked.

"Ah! Let's try this!"

Ashura yanked the level, and the aircraft started up. Both halves smiled with almost childish joy.

"Wonderful! Now, fly, Pilder!" both halves cried simultaneously. He/she pushed the controls forward, causing the fans to work in unison and lift the Pilder off the ground.

A few Iron Masks came in and watched in wonder as Baron Ashura worked on mastering the controls of the Pilder, laughing with glee every second.

"How thrilling!" Ashura's female half giggled.

"Yes, it makes sense now!" Ashura's male half replied with a laugh.

It was only a matter of minutes before the two-faced Baron was controlling the Pilder rather well. His/her gaze turned back to Mazinger.

"Shall we try THAT out?"

"Yes, I've always wanted to try it once!"

"Are we in position?"

"I think so."

"Here goes something..."

"PILLDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER OOOOOOOOOOON!"

Baron Ashura thrust the controls down, and the Pilder's wings folded up as it descended straight into Mazinger Z's head.

There was a great THUNK sound on impact, and a few clicks and whirs, and suddenly Mazinger, even in its damaged state, came to life.

Baron Ashura realized what he/she had just accomplished, and began to laugh maniacally, as ideas for what to do with the machine rushed through his/her mind...

* * *

_Whoops, so much for covering Code Geass plot. Well, I'll cover that in Part 2. I just couldn't resist Baron Ashura's Pilder Fun Time!_


	9. Chapter 4 Janus

_And now, for a slight chance of direction...a chapter that doesn't prominently feature our original protagonist! Instead, let's see what the Turn A Gundam cast is up to. I realize that even with the series with a lot of plot prominence, I'm taking a fair amount of creative liberty. I hope you guys don't mind._

* * *

**Chapter 4 (Janus) - Lunar Escape! Turn A Turn! (Part 1)  
**

The Lunar Kingdom: a strong, prosperous and independent colony that remained outside of the affairs of the Earth Federation. Located on the dark side of the moon as a single great city, the colony had been ruled since its settlement ten generations ago by a single royal family, the Soreils, but the ascent of Dianna Soreil to the throne marked the first time a woman ever ruled the Lunar Kingdom. Even so, the people of the Lunar Kingdom cared nothing for her gender, and accepted her as their sovereign. As long as peace and order was maintained, they cared not who was maintaining it.

But the arrival of a single man set the stage for an upheaval in the way things were done even before Dianna's ascent to the throne.

A scientist for the Earth Federation, but with aspirations of his own, came one day to the court of her predecessor, carrying a suitcase containing papers covered with notes and a sample of something he claimed would allow the Lunar Kingdom to spread its influence across the universe. Intrigued, the king allowed the scientist to join his own scientific team.

The new scientist quickly took over as head of the team through manipulation and duplicity, and soon his next diabolical project was underway.

That scientist's name was Masaki Kihara of Neo-Japan.

In five short years, he and the other lunar scientists had developed two ultimate weapons, rivaling Saotome's Shin Getter Robo in power: the Turn A and Turn X Gundams. Unlike the Gundams used by the Federation, these were uniquely designed by Kihara's own twisted mind, and thus looked nothing like the Gundams most knew about.

Their weapons were numerous and terrible, but Masaki's most horrifying addition, which was also his pride and joy, were the nanomachines he had developed. He modified them to serve as weapons...they would destroy any metal-based technology completely and utterly that it touched, save for the Gundams themselves. The machines always arranged themselves into a rainbow-colored formation resembling butterfly wings whenever they were unleashed. He dubbed this weapon the "Moonlight Butterfly".

The first test of the Turn X wiped out a quarter of the 20 million Lunar Kingdom citizens, including the king himself. However, the pilot of the Turn A was able to disable the Turn X and prevent any further loss of life. To the horror of everyone, Masaki could only laugh and marvel at the destruction his creation had caused.

Her father's death forced Dianna onto the throne before most believed she was fully ready. But she knew exactly what her first act would be: to get Masaki Kihara off the moon. He banished him and destroyed his notes so that the Turn A and Turn X would never be built again. The Turn X was sealed deep within the palace, while the Turn A was hidden somewhere in the main city. The people were warned to never allow such a tragedy to repeat.

Dianna Soreil has been reigning for five years since then. But even in the face of such horrible tragedy, there are always those who would desire such power for themselves...

* * *

Loran Cehack, a feminine-looking young man with neck-length silver hair, tan skin, and sea green eyes. He beamed with pride at his pressed uniform as he admired his reflection, though it was more out of pride for reaching this point than pure vanity; today was his first day as a full-fledged member of Queen Dianna's personal guard. He had known Dianna somewhat in his training days, and they had become friends. After Dianna's ascension to the throne, she guaranteed him a spot on her guard once his training was complete.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and in strode another man, also with silver hair, but it was cut in almost a bowl shape, and he wore a black coat with puffy short sleeves and a red symbol sewn onto it, a white undershirt with splayed cuffs, white trousers and black boots, basically a more decorative version of Loran's outfit. But his most defining accessory were his large, pinkish-red shades with a nose bridge so thin it was practically invisible, though it was as strong as anything. It was Harry Ord, the leader of the Queen's guard and her most loyal servant.

"Lieutenant Ord!" Loran exclaimed, standing to attention. "…G-g-good morning!"

"Cehack, stop wasting time; Dianna is waiting for us," the shades-sporting soldier snapped authoritatively before turning around and heading down the hall.

"Yes, sir…" Loran replied as he followed, making some last-second adjustments to his uniform's collar before following behind him.

"As you know, today marks five years since the Turn X Incident. In order to ensure that something like that never happens again, Dianna is going to announce her plan for peace."

"…Her plan?" Loran asked. "What plan?"

"She plans to drastically reduce the size of our military. As a nation that had maintained its neutrality for ten generations, the Lunar Kingdom has never needed to take up arms against others who have not attacked first. All that shall remain are royal guards like us and the Lunar Defense Legion. That should be sufficient to defend this kingdom."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Loran replied cheerfully. "I always thought that needed to happen, even if it meant my training was useless. But, what about the soldiers that aren't part of the LDL or the royal guards? What will they do?"

"You DARE question Dianna's will, Cehack?" Harry said coldly.

"…N-no, of course not! It's just that…"

"Dianna may be young for a monarch, but she is NOT foolish. She WILL have a solution."

"Yes. I have faith in her," Loran replied. "

* * *

Of course, there were others who knew of Dianna's impending announcement. In particular were the Lunar Army's generals. They profited from war, and dreaded what they would do after their jobs ceased to exist. Most angry of all, though, was General Gym Ghingnham. He was a powerfully built man with a scarred chest, a fiery gaze and a long, curly mass of blue hair, and always carried a katana at his hip. He fumed and cursed underneath his breath.

_How dare she…how dare she reduce our military! We have the two most powerful weapons ever built in our possession, and yet she chooses to embrace stagnation rather than the conquest that we rightly deserve? I…I…I will not accept that!_

He slammed his fist against the thick plaster wall of the palace, breaking a hole in it. Anyone else would have feared for their lives after such an act, but Gym did not fear death. He continued down the hall towards the grand plaza, where Dianna would be making the announcement as part of her memorial speech.

But suddenly, his warrior's sense suddenly gave him pause. Someone was following him, and it wasn't one of the palace employees. He drew the blade and turned around.

No one was there.

But Gym was not one to put more trust in his eyes than he did his warrior's sense. His ears perked, his eyes quickly looked about the room, and he tuned himself to the vibrations one's footsteps makes, all things he had learned in pursuit of his goal of becoming the ultimate warrior.

None of his other senses indicated the presence of anyone, yet Gym knew someone, without a doubt, was following him.

"Come out, whoever you are! I know you're here!" he bellowed.

Indeed, someone did come out, melting through the wall. It was a winged being, but instead of being made of granite or marble, he appeared to be forged of bright steel. He was distinctly humanoid in shape and had the same bladed wings as the others, but he lacked a face of any sort. Still, Gym could feel the being peering into his soul.

"Yes," the being said, speaking to Gym telepathically. "You should not have to accept it. Humans are warriors at heart, and that is the way it must be. To allow peace to take hold is to invite ruin. War is when humanity is at its best."

_This being...it's as if he knows my very thoughts... _Gym thought. The being then extended his hand, which held a key with the Lunar Kingdom's crest on it.

"This key will open the door to a glorious new age for your kingdom. Open it, and unseal the Turn X, the machine that will bring the Lunar Kingdom glory."

"Just who are you?" Gym said as he took the key from the being's hand. "How did you get this? No one has ever been able to get through the defenses on it!"

"I am Kushiel. That is all I will tell you. Farewell, Gym Ghingnham." With that, Kushiel sunk into the floor and was gone. Gym looked down at the key in his hand, and began to grin fiendishly. He slipped the key into his pocket, and started off toward the barracks. Even with the key, he would need manpower to get into the Turn X's chamber.

* * *

"...And that is why, as of this moment, I am abolishing every portion of our military except the Royal Guards and the Lunar Defense Legion. We have no need to engage in meaningless conquest when we have been able to provide for ourselves without outside resources!"

Dianna had spent the last seven minutes discussing the tragedy and the various reasons the military had to be drastically down-sized. The announcement was met with cheers and applause…the people didn't mind: they had no enemies, and the Lunar Kingdom's technology was far beyond the Federation's in terms of ability to provide for its people. Still, many soldiers who were not privy to the plan began to murmur amongst themselves. No one dared protest, though.

"However, do not think I hold any ill feelings for the hundreds of soldiers who do not fall into the two categories I have named. As your queen, I promise I will do whatever I can to ensure that your lives do not suffer from this change. The Lunar Kingdom shall become a shining example of how humanity can live in harmony! Please...help me, and your fellow Moonrace, realize this vision for our home!"

With that, she stepped off the podium, her speech finally ended. Harry Ord and Loran were standing behind her.

"That was a wonderful speech, my queen," Harry said, saluting her. "You're as gifted an orator as your father was."

"Thank you, Harry," Dianna replied kindly. "Loran, Harry, please come with me. I must speak with you in private."

* * *

"…A military coup?" Loran exclaimed when Dianna told him about Gym's plan, in which her chancellor, Agrippa Maintainer, was in league with. "Then we must arrest Gym Ghingnham! Allow me the honor!"

"No, Harry. If we move against him now, the people will think I will do that to any soldier, and they will rally to his cause. Besides, even if I hadn't decided to downsize the military, they would have moved against me anyway."

"Then what can you do? If you stay here, they'll kill you!" Loran protested. "Harry, we have to do something!"

"Please, Loran...I have a plan," the young queen replied, before bending her head in shame. "It is cowardly and shameful, but I have no other choice given the circumstances." Dianna removed a pendant from her neck, shaped vaguely like an upside-down A, and passed to Loran. "This pendant is the key to breaking the Turn A's seal."

"Dianna! Please forgive my insolence, but have you lost your mind?" Harry cried in genuine shock.

"Harry, please trust Loran. I merely wish for him to take it far away from here. If Gym only gets his hands on the Turn X, at least someone will be able to challenge it. But if he were to get his hands on both machines, then our kingdom and the rest of humankind are doomed."

Harry saw the wisdom in Dianna's choice. Loran was kind and caring, and thought little of himself over his fellow men...qualities that make for a good person, but weren't the best qualities of a soldier. But only a person such as him could use the Turn A to protect people rather than to destroy. Harry wasn't above admitting that his fierce loyalty to Dianna, if paired with one of the Turn Gundams, could turn out disastrous.

"…Very well. I will prepare a shuttle for you. I assume we are heading for Earth?" Harry said, bowing respectfully.

"Yes. I have longed to see it," the queen replied with a nod. "Even in spite of the Getter Ray Armageddon that father spoke of. There must still be beautiful places there..."

* * *

"…Fire! Fire! Kill them…for the glory of the Lunar Empire!" Gym roared as a division of Lunar Kingdom soldiers he had swayed into following him opened fire on some royal guards protecting a massive door. The royal guards were more skilled, but Gym's men were more numerous. The royal guards didn't stand a chance, and were soon lying in pools of blood on the ground.

"Excellent! Now, to unseal the weapon that will bring us glory!" the general said, barely able to contain his excitement as he approached the sealed door. He extracted the key and raised it skyward before dramatically plunging it into the lock and turning it. The click of the lock being undone resounded through the halls of the palace. The doors swung inward, revealing the machine: a silvery, almost alien-looking machine, humanoid only in the most basic terms. The limbs, body and head seemed to be barely connected, as if they could easily come apart at any time; yet Gym could feel the power it possessed…anyone nearby could.

"Turn X! We meet at last!" Gym said as he approached. "…Now, show me your warrior's spirit!"

* * *

Loran never thought the Turn A would be where he finally found it. It was sitting not in some dark corner of the castle, but right in the middle of the square…or beneath the statue of Dianna's father that stood in the middle of the square.

The square was empty, as the palace grounds contained just enough room for every last man, woman and child to move around comfortably. Loran approached the statue with Dianna's pendant. He quickly noticed an indentation where the pendant would fit. He pushed it into the statue, and it moved, revealing a small stairwell carved out of the moon's rocks that led into deep darkness. A single rail extended from the wall to ensure that anyone climbing it would not slip and fall.

Loran swallowed nervously, withdrew the pendant from the slot and began the descent to wherever these stairs led. The statue, which ran on a timer that started upon the pendant's removal, slid back to its original position, sealing off what little light was available. The young guard maintained a tight grip on the rail as soon as the light disappeared.

An apparent eternity of climbing later, Loran reached the bottom of the stairs, and he reached a room that, even in the inky blackness, felt vast. He felt around the wall for some sort of light switch, and managed to grab a small lever, which he pulled down. The lights flickered, but soon came on, and the entire room seemed to hum. Across the room was what could only be the other Turn Gundam: the Turn A. Loran immediately noticed that this machine was different from other Gundams: it had no horns, but instead had a sort of long, curved mustache along its mouth, a blue chest plate and a gold neckplate, as well as the cockpit being positioned in its groin area. A symbol vaguely resembling an upside down A was inscribed on its forehead, and a shield was affixed to one of its arms. It dominated the chamber, which was otherwise empty save for a ladder that was just high enough to reach the cockpit.

Loran approached the ladder and climbed up it. He found another slot to place Dianna's pendant, and did so. Sure enough, the Turn A's cockpit hatch opened up, though he had to move back a bit, as it swung open rather quickly, enough to break his jaw.

_So this is the Turn A…_ Loran thought as he stepped inside and sat in the pilot's seat. As if it knew its time to awaken had come, the Turn A hummed to life, and a screen displaying some sort of instructions started up: it was the pilot's manual.

_Hmm…let's see…here we go…ignition._

He flipped several switches and grasped the two control sticks, and prepared for launch.

* * *

The shuttle containing Dianna flew high over the domed kingdom, and the young queen looked down over it, and flying near it was a golden SUMO, the signature mech of the Royal Guards, and the golden one was always exclusively for its leader. The group was being pursued by numerous Moonrace mobile suits, including Mahiroos, Bandits and Muttowoooos. But the SUMO's pilot, Harry Ord, was more skilled than any of the others, and expertly held off their pursuers.

"My queen, I've received word from Loran. He's successfully launched in the Turn A," Harry said. "But we cannot tarry much longer. We must go now!"

"Harry, please wait for him!" Dianna pleaded.

"If we wait, your vessel could be damaged and all will be lost!"

Dianna sighed, and swallowed. Abandoning Loran, even though he now possessed one of the Lunar Kingdom's two strongest weapons, was the last thing she wanted to do. She abandoned her kingdom already…she did not want to abandon Loran.

She liked him far too much to leave him behind. Still, she was going to return to her people. They just needed to hate Ghingnham enough.

"Pilot, get us going as fast as you can. Set a course for Earth, I do not care where we land!"

* * *

Loran, had he not found the pilot's manual, would have crashed the Turn A long ago. But its advanced autopilot system and the guidance of the manual allowed him to keep it flying. He could get a signal from Dianna's shuttle and Harry's golden SUMO on his radar…but they were being chased by a lot of mobile suits.

Suddenly, the mobile suits stopped, and saw the Turn A Gundam flying toward them. Amazingly, they did not remember the machine, and decided to gang up on it. As they opened fire, Loran raised the shield and his mind began to race for ideas.

He had a lot of armaments to use, but he had none that would be effective against this many targets and could be pulled out at such a high speed…except one.

The Moonlight Butterfly…

It was the weapon that had laid waste to the Lunar Kingdom a mere five years ago, and it was the only thing he could use right now.

The pilot's manual, sensing his thoughts, went to a page detailing how to use the dreaded weapon. Loran, his heart racing in dread of the sin he was about to commit, quickly scanned the instructions. He input the commands, and pressed the triggers on his controls.

Even in the void of space, Loran could hear it: the sound of metal violently scraping against metal to the point of creating sparks, as the Turn A's awe-inspiring weapon was unleashed: two rainbow-colored, butterfly wing-shaped masses of hyper-energized nanonmachines extended out of the Turn A's back. He zipped by Ghingnham's troops. The nanomachines went to work, eating away at their mobile suits and destroying them. He looked back and saw the most horrific thing he could comprehend: the pilots, lacking spacesuits of any kind, exposed to the vacuum of space. The lack of any pressure in space caused them to get a violent, painful case of the bends as their blood boiled inside them and exploded their circulatory systems from the inside.

Loran's stomach felt as if it had just done fifty somersaults in that moment. Tears flowed down his face, and reached for a bag, and vomited violently into it.

_No…never again…not even in defense of Dianna…I'll never use the Moonlight Butterfly again… _he said to himself as he gasped for breath.

* * *

Yoko was standing out on the deck of the Tower, looking up at the clear blue sky. Ever since Shin Dragon went dormant, the levels of Getter Rays around the planet had drastically decreased. It was certainly something to celebrate, even if Saotome had gotten away.

But her quiet contemplation was interrupted when she heard something flying overhead. Pulling out her scope to get a better look, she immediately recognized the source of the sound: it was a yellow Gunman, shaped like a spiky banana with a big grin on its face...one that belonged to someone she knew very well.

"What's Kittan doing here?" Yoko thought out loud. "I better inform Hayato that he's not an enemy before he shoots that idiot down..."

* * *

"Wait...wait...run that by me again? I'm not sure what you're saying makes sense." Yoko exclaimed, still trying to fully grasp the dire news Kittan had brought. The blond young man groaned.

"Okay, just the short version...Nia suddenly became the messenger for some creeps called Anti Spirals, said something about the moon falling during some final battle, then leaving. Simon tried to defend the city from these winged creeps, but now almost half the city got wrecked when they disappeared just as he was about to finish them off with an awesome attack! People are looking for someone to blame, and now Rossiu's thrown Simon and Viral in jail and is going to execute them for the sake of his stupid 'order'!"

Janus, who was listening in, could understand how Simon must be feeling. To know that you've taken the lives of the very people you were trying to save is the most horrible feeling in the world.

Hayato, however, was not so sympathetic.

"Regardless of intention, the fact of the matter is that these two friends of yours killed hundreds, if not thousands of people with their own hands. Simon couldn't keep his emotions from clouding his judgment, and people lost their lives because of it. The blame lies entirely on his shoulders, if you ask me. Viral was an unwilling accomplice."

"You...you're just like that jerkwad Rossiu!" Kittan roared, getting right in Hayato's face. "You know, I bet Rossiu was jealous of how much people loved him, and when this happened, he decided to make him into the bad guy. It's those Anti Spirals and those winged creeps who are the REAL bad guys here! THEY'RE GOING TO DROP THE MOON ON US, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!"

"Calm down, Kittan," Yoko said, pulling Kittan away. "Getting angry isn't going to get Simon out of jail."

"And you expect me to help you with your operation?" Hayato replied with a laugh.

"Yeah! You live on this planet, too, right?" Yoko answered. "We won't stop it without Gurren Lagann and Simon! Besides, Shin Dragon isn't going anywhere...and Janus and I helped you beat that thing! You owe us big time!"

"Normally, I'd still say no," the Tower's captain replied coldly, but then smirked. "But Ryoma, crazy as that man was, always had his heart in the right place. He'd help you out even it meant dragging me along by the hair. Besides, you're right. If the moon falls, Shin Dragon won't matter anyway."

"Hayato, you're the best!" Janus said as he did a small joyful hop.

* * *

Simon rubbed the towel on his head after he had finished showering. It had been a week since the day Nia left him, and still the emotional wounds the event and its immediate aftermath left still refused to even begin healing. He reminisced about the last time he spent a while talking with Nia.

_"Simon, what did Rossiu sentence that boy Janus to?"_

_"He's letting him off easy, actually. Instead of cooping him up in prison for life, he's letting him find that man who attacked Kamina City and bring him to justice."_

_"Oh, I suppose that's good. He must feel awful, though, knowing that he killed all those people." _

_"Yeah. I hope he does find that Saotome guy and give 'em the old one-two! It's that creep who ought to pay!"_

_Nia looked away momentarily._

_"Simon?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"If...I were to accidentally hurt a lot of people when I'm trying to defend those I care about, would you be able to forgive me, even if I had hurt someone you liked a lot? Like Yoko, or Kittan, or Rossiu? To be honest, I still feel bad about my father's troops killing your big brother Kamina."_

_"Nia, of course I would forgive you. I'm sure they'd all do the same. But...don't say things like that! I honestly doubt you could hurt a fly, let alone so many people. You're too kind, warm and gentle to do that."_

_Nia blushed and smiled._

_"I guess I could forgive you too if you ended up doing that. But...let's promise to make sure never happens, okay?"_

_"Sure."_

"Damn it...how could I break a promise like that to Nia?" Simon said under his breath. "Bro, I'm such an idiot..."

* * *

_Don't worry, ladies and germs. Simon won't be emo like this for very long. That's Shinji Ikari's job. But no "next episode" blurb for today, since these episodes will be two chapters long!_


	10. Chapter 5 Tara

_Eh, didn't have my heart much in this one. It's the second of two parts, so I hope you don't mind. The routes will be joining very, very soon...  
_

* * *

**Chapter 5 (Tara) – Vega Attacks! Macross Under Siege! (Part 2)**

The Macross was on high alert after the initial attack. Citizens were evacuated into massive escape pods that could be jettisoned at a moment's notice, and all eighteen squadrons of Variable Fighters were to be scrambled…even Milia Jenius, the mayor of Macross was out there waiting for the Vega Empire's next attack.

Mylene Jenius, the youngest daughter of Milia and Max Jenius and bassist for Fire Bomber, was off on her own, looking to do her part to help in the defense of her home, as well as to impress Basara. Wandering the hangar, she happened upon Tara, who was working on finishing adjustments to Lifthrasir alongside several Variable Fighters and their pilots, who were also working on their machines, Gamlin being among them.

As soon as Mylene spotted the ace pilot, she called out to him.

"…Gamlin!"

Both Tara and Gamlin looked up to see her. Tara recognized her from Fire Bomber music videos, and immediately frowned.

_Great…here comes the one thing standing between me and Basara._

The enmity she had for Mylene was common among the more rabid female Fire Bomber fans, something that was only exceeded by their insane love for Basara himself. Not wanting to even listen to how annoying her voice was, she stepped into the blue portal, and dropped into Lifthrasir's cockpit. Xemmey started up in response.

"My sensors indicate that you may be experiencing some rather strong negative feelings. Care to share them with me?"

"You're a computer, not a psychologist. You can't help me," Tara said dismissively.

"If you were more psychologically complex, perhaps you would have to see an actual mental health clinician. However, I must sadly admit, you are easier to read than a simple math problem," Xemmey replied. "You harbor a great deal of ill will to Mylene."

"She's an annoying little twerp who doesn't deserve to share the stage with Basara Nekki. That's all."

"My point exactly…you are shallower than a puddle on a sunny day," the computer replied. "Your standards for men can only be met by Basara Nekki himself."

"Hey, who's the boss around here?" Tara snapped.

"I am merely stating the facts."

"Shut up! Who do you think you are, my mother?"

"No, but…"

"Another word about this out of you, and I'll upload Boss' favorite video game into your hard drive!" Tara said with a leer and a rather unnerving smirk. Xemmey hesitated.

"…Very well. I'll say no more of this."

"Good. Let's recalibrate the beam tonfas."

* * *

The Cyber Beast Force, the four pilots of the Super Beast Machine God Dancougar, awaited the arrival of Zero not far from the Kururugi Shrine near Mt. Fuji, where they were told he would be by Zero's associates in the Black Knights.

Sure enough, they saw Zero's custom Burai coming over the hill. He had just come from a conversation with Taizo Kirahara, the man in charge of the shrine, and leader of the Kyoto House; he was now only the third person to know his true identity.

The Dancougar towered over the Burai, but Zero stepped out of it with the utmost confidence. Shinobu Fujiwara, the leader of the Force, was the first to approach Zero, but the masked man was the first to greet him.

"Shinobu Fujiwara, I presume," he said.

"It's about time you showed up, Zero," Shinobu said harshly.

One of Shinobu's co-pilots, Ryou Shiba, laughed. "Yeah, any longer and Shinobu would have beaten you over the head with the Dan Kuu Ken!"

Zero was silent for a moment as he looked up at Dancougar.

"I do appreciate you agreeing to meet with me. Dancougar is a very valuable Britannian weapon, one that could easily turn the tide of battle. Do you wish for a liberated Japan, as I do?"

"If we get to pound that jerkass Shapiro Keats into the dirt, it's fine with me!" Shinobu replied. The red-headed female of the group, Sara Yuuki, nodded in agreement.

"That's it? No demands, no questioning of my motives? You're just going to go along with my plans? I have no particular quarrel with Shapiro, mind you." Zero replied, surprised at how quickly Shinobu had decided to go along.

"Shapiro is practically the darling of the Empire," Sara said, disgusted by that very notion. "He cares for no one but himself, but he pretends to be loyal to the Emperor, and says exactly what they want to hear.

_Alan wasn't kidding when he said they were eager,_ Zero thought, remembering his conversation with Alan Igor. Well, he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He would know their true nature for this upcoming mission. Would they be able to stain their hands with innocent blood if it came to that? It was something he was all too familiar with already.

* * *

It wasn't a moment too soon that the Macross' defenders finished their preparations than did another alarm sound: The Vega Empire was massing its forces for their real attack, and there were far more forces this time: at least two hundred and forty in total, a mix of Saucer Beasts, Slave Monsters, Beast Fighters and UFO Robos. The Variable Fighters were about sixty in total. They were outnumbered 4-to-1 at best.

Gamlin watched as Daisuke and Koji, in Grendizer (within its UFO-shaped Spazer) and Double Spazer respectively, swooped into position. It already seemed like Koji was getting the hand of piloting the fighter that served as Grendizer's wings.

"Glad to see you finally found a pilot for the Double Spazer," Gamlin radioed Daisuke. "It's too bad we couldn't save Mazinger Z."

"Ah, save it. We'll get it back!" Koji declared. "But wow...there's way more than last time!"

"Attention all units," the voice of Milia, mayor of the Macross, said over the communicator. "Our mission is to keep the enemy from entering the city long enough to mount our counteroffensive: the _Battle 7_ and _Nadesico _will move in and attack the command vessel with their main armaments."

"The _Nadesico_'s back in action? Nice!" Ryoko cheered. "Okay, ladies and germs, you heard the lady...keep these bozos busy!"

"Koji, prepare for Combination Cross!" Daisuke said. "Chute In!"

"Right, sure," Koji said with less than wild enthusiasm.

"What about Akito?" Kallen said, looking back at Macross. "Is he still holed up in there? I know it's hard losing your best friend...but it's been three days now. I'm worried about him."

"Worry about him later, Kallen," Tara replied. "Xemmey, let's rock!"

* * *

Akito sat quietly in the darkness, with the _Gekiganger 3 _episode featuring Joe's death running on continuous loop to provide light. Of course, Akito was practically in a trance now, having gone for three straight days without food or sleep. But suddenly a tremor from a stray missile that struck Macross jolted him out of his torpor.

"Huh? What's going on?" he thought out loud, rubbing his eyes as he got up for the first time in days. "How long have I been..."

Akito felt his stomach growl and moan, desperate for any sort of sustenance. He stepped out of his quarters and noticed that there was literally no one around. When he looked up at the great dome above the city, he caught a glimpse Ryoko's Aestivalis swooping by.

"Oh no, this place is under attack? I...I...gotta go help!"

His stomach churned again, but Akito knew that he had to fight.

Basara stamped his foot in frustration as he looked out at the battle. It wasn't fair that he was sitting on the sidelines while everyone else, even Mylene's mother, was out fighting. Basara abhorred fighting, but he wasn't one to just sit back and do nothing. Gamlin of all people knew that the Sound Force could be helpful beyond just fighting Protodevlin, yet refused to admit it.

Suddenly, he heard someone running by right towards one of the hangars. Was there someone else who wasn't willing to go to the shelters?

It was Akito, though he was in too much of a hurry to notice the rock idol just twenty feet from him, and Basara certainly didn't recognize him. Seeing this made him decide: he would go out there, Milia's orders be damned.

"Hey, wait up!" Basara yelled to Akito as he rushed after him. The young man skidded to a stop when he recognized Basara's voice. To the rock idol's pleasant surprise, Akito seemed rather unexcited to meet him.

"Oh? Aren't you Basara Nekki?" Akito exclaimed, wiping the black tear streaks off his eyes with his sleeve. "Why aren't you in the shelters with the other citizens? I bet your fellow band members are too."

"I'm not gonna sit around while our guys try to defend themselves from this senseless attack! Where are you going?"

"I...I...I'm going out to fight. I'm...I'm not scared! I might die, but I'm not scared! Listen, we can talk more later."

Basara could tell that this kid was putting on an act, and decided to give this kid some real courage. Nothing a little hot-blooded rock-and-roll couldn't fix...

* * *

"Yurika, we're receiving a request for permission to launch," Jun exclaimed as the group was making their preparations for the _Nadesico_'s launch.. "It's...Tenkawa!"

"Akito! I knew he'd come back to us!" Yurika cheered. "Akitooooo!"

"Hi, Yurika; everyone...I'm sorry if I worried you."

"Just as long as you're not sitting around being useless," Megumi quipped as she readied Akito's 0G Aestivalis for launch.

"Yeah! This kid'll show you just what he can REALLY do!" Basara said over the communicator.

"Akito, you do realize that's rock idol Basara Nekki talking, don't you?" Ruri said in her usual blunt tone. "The citizens of the Macross will never forgive us if he dies out there."

"Hey, cool it, kiddo, so I can show you the power of my song!"

"Okay, Basara, you are cleared for launch," Megumi said. "Akito, keep him out of trouble, okay?"

"Sure, I guess. Let's go, Basara!"

* * *

The battle was not going very well. While the Aestivalis, Lifthrasir, Grendizer, Guren and Aphrodite A were avoiding the worst of it, the Macross had already lost some good men to Vega's powerful horde, and they were struggling just to maintain their position.

"…Sayaka!" Tara cried when she saw Aphrodite A take a nasty hit from one of the Beast Fighters. She wheeled Lifthrasir around and rushed at the monster, beam tonfas primed to kill. She opened up a portal in front of her, set its exit point to behind the monster, and zoomed inside, popping out right on target, and beheaded it with one shot.

"Tara, I'll be okay…" Sayaka grunted. "Thank you for saving me, though."

But suddenly, Tara's ears perked up, as a familiar sound filled her ears. Even for all the crazy stuff that she had just been through, she couldn't believe it.

A red Variable Fighter was zooming in, along with Akito's maroon Aestivalis, but the more amazing sight was Basara Nekki; his Variable Fighter, a customized VF-19 Valkyrie, was being controlled via a guitar. The rock idol, furthermore, was belting out one of Fire Bomber's many hits…

"…POWAH TO THE DREAM!"

_Omigod it's him! It's Basara Nekki! _Tara thought as her heart raced with excitement. _He's singing live…he's even better than in music videos…_

Even those who were not huge fans of his immediately felt invigorated by his music, their energy renewed and their souls aflame with passion. In reality, Basara was infusing all of them with the power of Spiritia.

Even the currently bummed out Koji felt himself fired up by the rock idol's music.

"Daisuke, let's show them what we can do!" he yelled excitedly. "We'll hit 'em full force with our combined strength!"

"Indeed! Let's go!" Daisuke replied eagerly. "Minions of Vega, prepare yourself! SPACE THUNDER!"

"CYCLONE BEEEAAAM!" Koji bellowed.

The two attacks, sweeping through the horde, managed to off quite a few Beast Fighters and UFO Robos. Meanwhile, the Variable Fighters, their morale regained, moved in and began unleashing a veritable blizzard of missiles at the enemy, taking out thirty more.

Tara, meanwhile, decided to try something new: she created a portal near her, then set its exit point right in the middle of the swarm of monsters. She then pulled both rifles and charged them.

"LIFTHRA DIVIDER!" she yelled out.

The lasers landed in the portal as two straight beams, but came out as numerous beams, shooting down another five. Her attention turned elsewhere as she fired another pair of shots at an incoming Saucer Beasts, blasting its head off. The two portals began to close automatically as the fabric of space-time started to right itself.

The tide was beginning to turn in favor of the Macross' defenders.

* * *

General Blaki was beside himself with rage and confusion. Just moments ago, he was on the verge of victory. But the arrival of that single red Variable Fighter had somehow reversed the tide of battle completely. And that song…even he could hear it, and it drove him crazy.

Then it hit him.

A human…a low-life human…had become the Anima Spiritia. Not a Vegan, nor a Boazanian, a Fleedian, not even a Zentradi, who had kept the secret of Spiritia in the first…but a miserable human; Blaki couldn't stand it.

His intense rage made him ignore something increasingly obvious: two battleships, one of them transformed into a super-massive robot, coming from around the colony, both charging weapons.

The Vega general couldn't scream the order to retreat any louder when he finally saw them.

His ship just barely managed to evade the _Nadesico_'s Gravity Blast and the Battle 7's main cannon, though 90% of his force was wiped out in the process…which was far more than anticipated by the planners of this strategy.

When the two blasts met, they interacted with something, creating a full-blown rip in spacetime, pulling in the nearby forces like a black hole. When Tara realized what was happening (and somehow, she knew), she furiously hammered the blue button to keep anyone else from getting devoured by the portal, even as she was being drawn to it. By the time it was over, only Blaki's ship and a few Saucer Beasts remained, while all of the Macross' defenders that remained avoided the unusual vortex.

"These Earthlings…could they have mastered portal weaponry already? I must report to Emperor Vega!"

Blaki's ship and the remaining troops turned tail and ran, leaving the Macross' defenders stunned but victorious.

Ruri, as if compelled to understand what had happened, played the footage from the battle back again and again. She could have sworn that something was drawing in all those troops from the Vega Empire, but it was there and gone in less than the blink of an eye.

"Omoikane, slow the footage down as much as you can. Pump up the frame rate as well while you're at it.

The ship's computer did so, and began playing the footage back at a whopping 6,000,000,000 frames per second, the absolute limit that it could go. Suddenly, a mere five frames revealed the truth: Tara's portal had not yet completely closed, and the combination of the Gravity Blast and the main cannon of the Battle 7 over-energized it, turning it white…just like the ones those winged soldiers used, only far less stable.

_Lifthrasir…just what is it truly capable of? _Ruri wondered. _And could it be related to those winged beings? _

She would have put those answers on hold. The _Nadesico _still wasn't fully prepped for traveling to Mars, and there was still much to be done.

Out of nowhere, the portal that had swallowed the Vega forces began to shake, and the fabric of spacetime distorted, as if something else was coming through...

* * *

_Next time...the routes join!_


	11. Chapter 5 Janus

****_Not much to say, but onward!_

* * *

**Chapter 5 (Janus): Lunar Escape! Turn A Turn! (Part 2)**

Tower's destination had changed: it was now heading back to Kamina City, or rather, the prison about twenty miles from it, where Kittan said Simon and Viral were being held. With the threat of the moon's impact looming in the foreseeable future, time was of the essence.

Kei and Christina were out on the deck chatting when they spotted something descending from the atmosphere: it looked like some sort of transport ship, accompanied by a golden mobile suit. The pair watched as the descending ship and mobile suit drew closer and closer...and it looked like they would land right near them.

"I'll warn Hayato," Kei said. "Christina, can you stay and keep an eye on them?"

"Sure," Christina replied. Kei ran off to find Hayato, while the Gundam pilot watched them descend. She then noticed another object descending close behind: a white mobile suit...some sort of Gundam, she couldn't tell.

* * *

The shuttle and gold mobile suit suddenly broke out of their dive and swooped by the Tower, apparently trying to get their bearings, and she watched them land on a distant cliff. Christina recognized the insignia: these were from the Lunar Kingdom.

"Your Highness, are you alright?" Harry said as she helped Dianna out of the shuttle. She looked visibly uneasy after the bumpy ride. Harry immediately noticed how different Earth's gravity was to the Moon's, even compared to the artificial gravity used within the Kingdom, but the soldier's well-toned muscles were quickly able to adjust to the sudden change in his own weight. Dianna was not so lucky. She immediately stumbled and fell, her body not used to holding up so much weight. Harry had to hold on to her, and even that proved to be somewhat difficult.

"My, what strong gravity the Earth has...I didn't anticipate it to be this much," she replied, struggling a little to breathe.

"Please, don't strain yourself until your body is used to your new weight," Harry replied. "Earth's gravity is fifty percent stronger than the artificial gravity of the Kingdom, and six times that of the moon itself!"

The Turn A came into view and circled around before landing. Loran landed, and uneasily stepped out of the Turn A. While he was well trained as a soldier, he found it difficult to walk in Earth's gravity.

"Take it easy, Loran," Harry said. "The Earth's gravity is much stronger than the moon's."

"Yeah...I feel like I'm carrying a full load from our hikes..." Loran grunted.

Suddenly, they looked up and saw a Federation mobile suit, the Gundam Alex, approaching, armed as if ready to engage.

"Halt. This is Lt. Christina Mackenzie of the Earth Federation. You have been identified as a potential enemy to the transport vessel I'm accompanying. Identify yourselves or we will be forced to take action."

"We are of the Lunar Kingdom, but do not come as invaders," Dianna said weakly. "Please, allow us on to your ship so that we may better explain ourselves."

"Did you get all that Hayato?" Christina communicated back to Tower.

"Yep. If they're willing to let us inspect their shuttle and mobile suits, as well as test them for Invader infection, then they can come on."

"The captain of Tower has agreed to hear you out. Come with me, if you would."

* * *

"…A military coup?" Benkei exclaimed. "Well, that certainly explains why you would come to Earth. But what about that white machine?"

"It looks a lot like a Getter Dragon," Gai quipped. It must be the mustache."

"That...is the Turn A Gundam," Dianna replied. "It is a machine of terrible power. If we had left it on the moon…I shudder to imagine what would have happened."

"There is another machine…the Turn X Gundam. In all likelihood, it has fallen into the hands of the rebels," Harry lamented. "But as long as we have the Turn A, there is a chance to stop it."

"…Gundams? I thought only the Federation was capable of producing them?" Christina said. "How could the Lunar Kingdom get their hands on the plans for a Gundam?"

"…Kihara." Hayato said.

"…Who's that?" Kei asked.

"Dr. Masaki Kihara," Hayato replied. "He worked with Dr. Saotome on the Ultimate Gundam project; that was before Saotome became a madman. When the Ultimate Gundam was stolen, Kihara was exiled from Neo-Japan as well as any other Earth Federation colony. In all likelihood, he went to the Lunar Kingdom."

"Yes…he came to my kingdom in my father's time," Dianna replied, still somewhat weak from having to deal with the increased gravity. "He brought some nanomachines and claimed he could build a powerful defensive weapon for the Lunar Kingdom. The Turn A and Turn X are the results of his mad project. My father perished as a result of the Turn X going haywire…" Dianna sobbed a bit as the memory of that day resurfaced.

"I've heard enough," Hayato replied. "You're obviously not out to kill us. Though I am concerned about anyone pursuing you…"

As if Hayato had just summoned the devil himself with those words, an alarm started going off.

"Captain, we're picking up energy signatures corresponding to Lunar Kingdom mobile suits…" one of the bridge crew said. "But there's one with an energy reading that's on the level of Shin Dragon!

"Gym Ghingnham…he followed us all the way here," Loran said grimly. "I'm sorry, everyone…"

"Don't sweat it; we've done our share of fighting!" Kei said dismissively. "Gai, find Go! We're going to deploy!"

* * *

"Lord Ghingnham," one of the soldiers of the coup, piloting one of several Mahiroos said to Gym as they approached the Tower. "You were right! We're getting readings from the Turn A and the gold SUMO!"

"…Ha-ha-ha-ha! Now do you believe in the warrior's sense?" Gym laughed. "Turn A! It's time for you to meet your big brother! Onward, Turn X!"

Gym grinned maliciously when he saw the gold SUMO and the Turn A Gundam deploy out of Tower. But his joy increased further as ZZ Gundam, Gundam Alex, Shin Getter 1, Yoko M-Tank, King Kittan, Stilva and Granlif all joined in the battle. Gym was eager to test the Turn X against such unique machines, but they weren't worth using the Moonlight Butterfly on…he stilled wanted the Turn A as well.

"Turn A! Your big brother is here!" Gym laughed as he continued his charge. "Now, child of the moon, show me your warrior's spirit!"

"Don't engage the Turn X!" Loran yelled. "It's the Turn A he wants!" Everyone scattered as Gym landed.

"They obviously haven't tussled with Shin Getter Robo," Gai said. "Let me handle him…CHANGE GETTER THREE!" The three Getter machines flew up, with Gai in the lead. They combined in mid-air to form the bulky Shin Getter 3. Loran managed to dodge Gym's wild charge, and he crashed into the ground, creating a massive shockwave the caused Tower to quake and wobble.

"Heh, are you afraid, White Doll? Come, and face me!" Gym bellowed. Suddenly, the Turn X was caught by two long, snaking arms, belonging to Shin Getter 3, and then yanked close to him. Gym scowled as his mech was lifted up.

"Gai, use Musashi's special technique!" Kei yelled.

"…Yeah! I've been itching to try it out! DAISETSUZAN OROSHIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"

The arms began to stretch out again, darting to and fro at lightning speed, until its immediate vicinity seemed to be filled with the tangle of its arms, even as it spun around like a whirlwind. It suddenly stopped and tossed the Turn X into the air.

"Go, this is all you! OPEN GET!"

The three machines disengaged, and assumed Shin Getter 1 formation as they zipped past the soaring Turn X.

"CHAAAAANGE GETTEEEEER ONE!"

The mech stopped in mid-air and charged up a Getter Beam. But Gym was already good at piloting the Turn X, and managed to right himself, and charged energy into the machine's left hand.

"You want to play, huh, changing machine? Fine! Have a look at my SHIIIINING FINGER!"

The mech rocketed upward, its arm extended.

"GETTER BEAAAAAAAM!"

Shin Getter fired out its pink beam, but the Turn X's weapon pushed it back with ease, and Gym was able to grab the Super Robot.

"…Ha-ha-ha! Yes! This is amazing! The Turn X truly IS the Turn A's big brother!" Gym laughed as he zapped Shin Getter. All three Getter pilots grunted as they tried to withstand the power of the Turn X's weapon.

"…Gym Ghingnham! Get away from them!" Loran yelled as he flew up, a pair of beam sabers ready to strike. "It's me you want!" The Turn X tossed Shin Getter away and managed to block the Turn A's attack in time. Shin Getter righted itself and beat a hasty retreat to deal with the easier mobile suits used by Ghingnham's minions.

"Man, these guys are amateurs!" Kittan said as he shot down another Mahiroo with his Gunmen's blaster. "Let's get them done pronto so we can help Loran out!"

"Yes, but keep in mind that these are fellow humans we're fighting, Kittan, not Beastmen," Yoko reminded him. "Besides, they won't be able to flee back to the moon if we take out their mobile suits!" Yoko took aim at an incoming Bandit, aiming away from the pelvic area. With a quick four shots, it was reduced to a helpless torso. The pilot ejected from the falling mobile suit as it exploded. Meanwhile, Harry Ord, after finishing off a pair of Walking Dumpling mobile armors, saw that Loran was fighting a losing battle, and decided to put an end to Ghingnham while he had the chance.

"…Gym Ghingnham! I will put a stop to your madness right now!" he roared. "I-FIELDO BARRIEEEEER!" The gold SUMO fired a yellow beam from a wrist-mounted cannon, striking the Turn X from behind. This allowed Loran to get in a few quick slashes with its beam sabers, and then hit it point blank with its bazooka, sending it spiraling down. Both Harry and Loran quickly had to confront another pair of Bandits, so they couldn't get to Gym at the moment.

"I got it!" Christina said as she rushed to give the Turn X a good smackdown while it was stunned. As the Turn X bounced, she opened up a wrist-mounted gatling cannon and fired it at the Turn X's joints, dealing significant damage, but not before the Turn X got up and grabbed the Alex by the head.

Janus used a few Gran Claymore swings to dispose of a trio of Mahiroos, then turned and saw Gym ready another Shining Finger attack.

"Little insect…I'll show you what happens to those who make a fool out of Gym Ghingnham!" he roared with rage. Christina screamed as the energy from the Shining Finger coursed through the prototype Gundam.

"No!" Janus cried out. Suddenly, something awoke in him. As if he had known it all along, he began gesturing with his hands, activating a hidden ability with Granlif. Suddenly, a red portal opened up in front of him, and he set the coordinates to just behind Gym. He dashed into the portal, Gran Claymore drawn, and exited out the other side, dealing a heavy blow to Gym and knocking the Alex out of his grip. The Turn X got up and scowled at Janus.

"…You! How dare you! I will make you suffer! KNOW DESPAIR…IN THE FACE OF THE MOONLIGHT BUTTERFLY!"

The two valves on the Turn X opened up, releasing the dreaded weapon. Undeterred, Janus rushed forward. Loran and Harry tried to call out to him, but then they noticed something, as did Gym: the nanomachines weren't eating away at Granlif. The massive amount of energy given off was affecting the machine, but Janus seemed to shrug off any pain he would otherwise feel, as if this awakened part of him was immune to it. Janus channeled the energy from Gran Fire into the Gran Claymore.

"GYM GHINGNHAM! I WILL TEACH YOU WHAT IT MEANS TO REALLY BE A WARRIOR! SAINT INFERNOOOOOO!"

With a massive swing, Janus managed to deal a crushing blow to the Turn A, even as it emanated the deadly nanomachines. The godly machine fell backward, and the machine automatically shut off the Moonlight Butterfly to conserve energy.

"Impossible…how can anything be immune to the Moonlight Butterfly? Damn you!" But before Janus could follow up, the Turn X teleported away, and the remaining mobile suits beat a hasty retreat as well. Janus returned to his usual self and looked around at the ensuing mayhem that had occurred. But suddenly, alarms went off all over his mech.

"Warning…spacetime anomaly?" he said. "What's that supposed to mean?"

His answer soon came: the energy from the nanomachines, combined with his exit portal, began to create a rip in the fabric of reality. It immediately began to draw in everything except Tower, which was too far away at this point. Granlif, being closest, was the first to be drawn in. Christina's Alex Gundam was also pulled in.

"…What the hell? WHAT DID JANUS JUST DO?" Kittan screamed as his Gunman was pulled into the anomaly.

"…Dad!" Kei cried out.

"…Boss!" Gai screamed. Soon Shin Getter was drawn into the vortex as well. Go only grunted a bit.

"Damn it…Simon, I'm sorry…" Yoko grunted as her own Gunman was pulled into the portal.

"Aw, crap, stupid aduuuuuults!" Judau cried as he futilely struggled to get ZZ Gundam away, only to be pulled in as well.

"Loran! Protect Dianna!" Harry yelled as his SUMO was sucked into the vortex.

"I'd love to, but I can't…NOOOOOO!" Loran screamed as he also struggled to escape the vortex. As soon as the Turn A went through, the anomaly disappeared, leaving only Schwartz and Tower.

"Come in! Kei! Go! Gai! Judau! Christina! Janus! Anyone!" Hayato yelled. There was no response. Benkei could only stare in shock. Kei, the girl he had raised so lovingly was now dead for all he knew. He collapsed and sobbed.

* * *

The anomaly spat everyone out in the void of space, right where Tara's portal had caused the Vega Empire troops to be sucked in. Janus was the first to come around, though everyone else woke up from their weird journey. They looked down at the Earth and gaped in awe: it was beautiful, green and blue. It was enough to momentarily make them forget their situation: they had just been pulled into a vortex and spat out in space.

But then Judau noticed something: the stars were slightly different, and the space colonies orbiting the Earth looked nothing like the Neo colonies.

"Guys," Judau said. "Call it a wild hunch, but…I don't think this is our Earth."

* * *

_And finally, the routes have joined. Let's see what fun we can have. Anyway, next time!_

_-Janus and the others find themselves in Tara's dimension, and immediately find themselves recruited by the Nadesico to help them on their mission to Mars. Perhaps a way back home lies on the Red Planet. But how will the residents of the Ruined World mesh with those of the Flourishing World? And what of the Jovian Lizards, who have been quiet as of late? And will the Cyber Beast Force be able to fit in to the Order of the Black Knights? Find out the answers to these questions (or not) on the next chapter: **Chapter 6: Mission to Mars! You Can't Always Go Home Again!**  
_


	12. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Mission To Mars! You Can't Always Go Home Again!**

The newly arrived dimensional travelers were quickly gathered up and brought into the gigantic space colony named Macross for questioning, and their mechs confiscated and subject to thorough inspection.

Milia, the mayor of Macross, was in charge of the questioning, and spent a long time grilling them about where they had come from, who they were affiliated with, and how they got here. Of course, the truth was simply way too hard to believe; at least until the inspection results came back.

Many of the machines were completely unknown, particularly the Earth Federation Gundams and the Gunmen of Kamina City. The only machine who was recognized by anyone was Shin Getter...and it was only because it was the test model that destroyed the Saotome Institute when it exploded...

* * *

After several hours of questioning and cross-examination by Milia, the dimensional travelers were allowed to go free, as they obviously had no intentions of conquest or anything, especially when Soriz came and vouched for the feasibility of their tale. Apparently the Zentradi were working on experiments, and had successfully achieved it for small objects, and such experiments were being done on Mars at this very moment. Who is to say that they had not been the unfortunate victims of such a large scale experiment?

Janus was happy to get out of the stuffy interrogation chambers and get back to Granlif in the hangars. As he walked, he pondered how exactly such an anomaly had occurred. Maybe something in this dimension could offer an answer.

As he was looking up at the different robots, he didn't see the purple-haired girl walking right towards him, and neither did she. They collided and fell backwards.

"Ow...shoot, I'm sorry," Janus grunted as he got to his feet.

"No, it's okay. I wasn't watching where I was going either," Tar

Finally, their eyes met and they stared at each other, baffled.

"I'm sorry, have we met?" Tara asked. "I know I've seen you somewhere before."

"It's funny...I feel like I've met you too...but I just can't remember," Janus replied awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "I guess you don't either, huh?"

"Well, I guess we can just start over, then?" Tara replied. Somehow, she was completely at ease being around this young man, even though she had absolutely no memory of him. She courteously bowed, as was Japan's way. "Tara Zifell."

"Janus Olendra," Janus replied, bowing back, feeling a bit awkward doing it. "I know this sounds crazy, and I don't know why I'm even telling you, but...let's just say this Earth isn't the Earth I'm from."

Tara giggled. "At this point, anything's possible in my mind. But I suppose you want to find a way home, don't you?" Janus nodded as they continued walking.

"Well, I guess you and your fellow dimension hoppers can stick with me and the _Nadesico _for a while. We're on our way to Mars. Maybe you can find a way home there. Don't worry, I'll explain everything to the captain."

* * *

"Gamlin, you really don't have to come with us," Yurika said. "We have plenty of personnel as it is, what with those new arrivals that Tara said wanted to join us. "Besides, you need to protect Macross!" Gamlin had offered to go with the _Nadesico _on its mission to Mars.

"The mayor insists," Gamlin replied. "She's received intelligence of increased Jovian Lizard activity there...and there are also some matters regarding the Protodevlin that I was requested to research while there."

"Well..all right. But the _Nadesico _is getting very short on sleeping quarters," Yurika replied.

"We'll need extra fuel, food and other supplies," Ruri added. "It will be a very long trip...about 2-3 Earth weeks."

"Yes. Milia already took care of that," the Variable Fighter pilot replied.

"Welcome aboard then," Ruri said. _It's going to be nice to have someone who's not a total idiot on board for a change._

* * *

With repairs completed, additional supplies loaded up and all of the remaining robots on board, the _Nadesico _could finally start on the next leg of its long journey to Mars. Yurika, figuring that it would be best to get everyone acquainted early in order to avoid awkwardness, called for all hands to gather in the lunch hall several Earth hours after the ship has launched. The remainder of the crew had been notified of the nature of their new allies, and all seemed to accept it easily.

The group arrived to find a wide variety of dishes arranged on the tables, which had all been moved together by Akito and the rest of the bridge crew. Akito had prepared every last dish on the table, and each of them was a feast for the senses. The group (except for those who prepared this banquet) began to murmur amongst themselves as Yurika stepped forward. She cleared her throat, which also served to get the group's attention.

"Good afternoon, everyone!" she began cheerfully. "I thought I'd start our little trip off with a nice party, so we could all get to know each other a bit. If there's one thing that I'm sure any culture uses to break the ice, it's a nice meal…probably the universe's first cross-dimensional meal!"

"Mmmm, everything smells delicious, Captain!" Gai said, salivating a little.

"Thank you!" Akito said with a grin. "I hope this food isn't terribly different from where you come from."

"Are you kidding?" Kittan exclaimed, licking his chops. "I can't see anything here that we wouldn't devour in a second! And you MADE all this, kid?"

"His name is Akito, and yes, he did!" Yurika said, almost offended that anyone doubted Akito's cooking ability. "Okay, everyone sit down at your assigned seats and dig in!"

"Just a warning," Ruri chimed in. "This is three days worth of food. Don't waste it."

Everyone nodded and sat down in the chairs. They were interspersed so that everyone was sitting near someone from the opposite world.

* * *

Thankfully, the food was indeed a great ice breaker, and the two groups quickly got acquainted.

"So, Michiru…" Kei said, surprised that she was being so casual with someone who was dead in her world. "Do you really pilot a Getter Robo?"

"Um, yes, I do. But unlike the original, it cannot transform, and it does not perform quite as well in combat. What about Shin Getter? Was it truly completed in your world?"

"…Yeah, before Dr. Saotome went stir-crazy," Gai quipped, unaware of who Michiru was. He didn't realize that Go was glaring daggers at him, as if he was also offended by the idea.

* * *

"Wait, so let me get this straight," Tara said. "This Simon guy has a mecha that spawns drills out of thin air, has sunglasses on its chest that it can throw like a boomerang, and runs entirely on fighting spirit?"

"Yep, that's Simon alright," Kittan said with a grin.

"Where is he now, and can I have his babies?" Tara said with a surprisingly composed tone of voice.

"I rather not answer your first question now…but no," Yoko replied. "Simon's already spoken for." Tara pouted a bit and sighed.

"Don't worry," Kittan reassured her. "You'll find that special someone." He glanced over at Janus for a moment, who seemed shocked at the idea.

* * *

"…Oh, that is so romantic!" Yurika swooned. "Dianna must be so happy to have a wonderful knight like you, Lieutenant Ord!"

"Um…she and I are nothing like that, Captain Misumaru," Harry replied, discomforted at how direct Yurika was being. "I am merely her servant, and she is my queen."

"Oh, Akito, won't you be my knight?" Yurika squealed, grabbing Akito's arm, who groaned as he tried to break free.

"Yes, and she'll be princess Yurika Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca Misumaru…the Third!" Izumi quipped.

"Is she always this weird?" Loran whispered to Ryoko.

"Don't mind her. We can't understand the meaning of half of what she says," Ryoko replied. "She's not all there, I think..."

* * *

"And bam-smack-POW-ZOOOM! Gekiganger completely kicks Prince Akara's butt!" Hikaru cheered as she made punching motions, recounting one of her favorite episodes of _Gekiganger 3 _to Janus, Christina and Judau.

"This show sounds so stupid. Do they really expect people to take it seriously?" Christina said cynically.

"Yeah…only little kids would like it," Judau replied with a huff. "You're practically an adult now!"

"And Gekiganger sounds like they stole the idea for Getter Robo and just changed the name," Janus said in slight disbelief. "Why hasn't the Saotome Institute sued them for copyright infringement?"

"Hey! At least watch it before you pass judgment!" Koji protested. "Yeah, you gotta take at face value most of the time, but it's really fun to watch!"

"Yeah…I was skeptical at first, but as long as you turn your brain off, it's pretty good. You know, we probably have enough time to watch the entire series. Tara happens to have every episode."

"Woo yeah, three weeks of non-stop PASSION!" Hikaru cheered. Suddenly, Hikaru and Koji began to belt out the theme song:

_A dream is calling for tomorrow, a Cry of the souls __  
__LET'S GO PASSION __  
__Some day we will get back peace with our bare hands __  
__LET'S GO GEKIGANGER 3!_

_Do you know? You are Earth's treasure __  
__We want to protect your Freedom and Light __  
__Sky, Sea and Land are everybody's power __  
__One for all __  
__Show your courage, C'mon rise up! __  
__(LET'S GEKIGA-IN!)_

_Let's hold tight the Dream, just look towards the future __  
__LET'S GO PASSION __  
__Bring down the King of Dark Space Demons! __  
__LET'S GO GEKIGANGER 3!_

_A tears' S.O.S can arrive from everywhere __  
__Burn! Power of Rage and Justice __  
__Run through Galaxy plain's Runaway __  
__All for one __  
__Love and Hope are the Warrior's Emblem __  
__(JET, MARINE, TANK, ARE GO!)_

_A dream is calling for tomorrow, a Cry of the souls __  
__LET'S GO PASSION __  
__Some day we will get back peace with our bare hands __  
__LET'S GO GEKIGANGER 3_

_Sky, Sea and Land are everybody's power __  
__One for all __  
__Show your courage, C'mon rise up! __  
__(LET'S GEKIGA-IN!)_

_Let's hold tight the Dream, just look towards the future __  
__LET'S GO PASSION __  
__Bring down the King of Dark Space Demons! __  
__LET'S GO GEKIGANGER 3!_

_Idiots, all of them… _Gamlin and Ruri thought simultaneously.

* * *

With Omoikane handling the running of the ship, the crew and passengers on the _Nadesico _were left to their own devices.

The first full Earth day into the trip, the _Nadesico _passed by numerous PLANTs, and both Judau and Christina gazed out the window at them.

Daisuke, who happened to be passing by, happened to recognize a particular PLANT: Junius Seven, a colony devoted to the study of agriculture and bioscience…and it was also where Hikaru Makiba lived.

"Does the Earth have space colonies in your universe?" the Fleedian asked, still amazed that he could say something so casually.

"Yes, but they're sort of different. They're more like floating islands or cylinders than hourglasses, really," Judau replied.

"What about Newtypes?" Christina asked. "Are there humans that have…well…special abilities?"

"Yes. Most of the inhabitants, if my friend's accounts are correct, are Coordinators. They possess abilities greater than most normal humans. I know nothing of their exact nature, though."

"Let me guess…there's a war going on between them," Judau suddenly said cynically, crossing his arms and turning away. "Just like the stupid war between Zeon and the Earth in our universe! I bet somewhere there's a kid like me who has to fight."

"Ah…of course. You pilot the Double Zeta," Daisuke said. "But the way you put it makes it sound like this is a common occurrence in your world."

"You don't know the half of it," Christina sighed. As a recent member of Londo Bell, she knew many ace pilots who were children: Elpeo Puru, Judau, Kamille Bidan…and even the greatest Federation ace, Amuro Ray, got his start in their mid teens.

War was a horrible thing. It set perfectly good people whose only difference was where they lived to fight to the death. Even Christina knew the Principality of Zeon had some decent people.

She wondered if this would happen here too…

* * *

About three days into the journey, a slight rumble could be felt throughout the ship. Tara and Janus were playing video games with Ruri when it occurred. The young girl was slaughtering the other two with ease, having won every round since they started playing. Thankfully, both players were good sports, even in spite of losing ten times in a row, and kept their fury to themselves. After all, Ruri didn't rub her victories in their faces.

"Huh? What was that?" Tara exclaimed, as she looked around.

"Oh, just some Jovian Lizards," Ruri replied without the slightest hint of concern. "They're attacking us."

"Shouldn't we scramble?" Tara asked, somewhat alarmed by Ruri's apathy to the situation.

"No need. The Jovian Lizards only send AI-controlled units. Their AI is pathetic compared to Omoikane, and the Distortion Field will repel anything they can throw at us."

"Um...if you say so," Tara said uneasily as she picked up her controller again.

"You talk about that AI like it's a friend of yours," Janus said.

"I'm the same way with Xemmey, but only because it can communicate verbally," Tara replied. "Omoikane has never made any attempts to communicate directly."

"Xemmey?" Janus asked.

"Oh, that's the name I gave to the AI that helps me pilot my machine, Lifthrasir," the purple-haired girl replied. Ruri suddenly closed her eyes and nodded a bit, as if listening to a message only she could hear.

"Omoikane says your machine, Granlif, is very aggressive and antagonistic, Janus," Ruri said as she put down her own controller, interested in the way the conversation was going. "It likes Xemmey more, though. She's level-headed and prefers to think before acting…the opposite of you, really."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Tara complained. "If it means anything to you, I happen to be ranked eleventh in terms of grades at Ashford Academy of the ENTIRE student body!"

"I guess there must only be nine other students!" Janus laughed. Tara fumed and threw the controller at Janus, hitting him hard in the head before stomping out of the room.

"Hey, you insulted her first," the young man whined to Ruri, rubbing the bump on his head.

"Intelligence and rashness are completely unrelated," Ruri replied nonchalantly. "Besides, I was merely stating the facts. The ability to act quickly and based purely on instinct can also be viewed as a good thing; you were the one who assumed I was insulting her intelligence."

Janus was about to retort, but then realized that she had a point, and got up.

"I…think I'll go apologize. Thanks for letting me play though, it was fun."

"You weren't bad for a first timer, Janus," Ruri replied as she turned off the game and switched in another disc.

* * *

"GOOD! FINAL FUSION…APPROVED!" a burly man with thick eyebrows, wild blond hair and wearing a black coat declared in an extremely hot-blooded manner, pointing dramatically at a young woman with red hair, part of which stood up like antennae.

"Understood!" the young woman said as she typed in commands; "Final Fusion…"

She raised a clenched fist into the air.

"PROGRAM…DRIVE!" she yelled as she slammed her fist into a glowing red glass panel, breaking it, causing it to turn green-blue.

GGG: The Gutsy Geoid Guard. They worked outside of the control of any government or corporation; they existed solely to combat a single threat to the blue world: the Zonder. And in spite of being Japanese, they helped anyone affected by a Zonder attack, even Britannians.

Of course, every influential group on the planet attempted to get GGG on their side through promises of money and power at one point or another, but all failed. The organization's head, Taiga Koutaro, was an idealistic man who would never cast aside his beliefs for any reason, one of which was that everyone deserved equal protection from the Zonder.

The young woman assisting him was Mikoto Utsugi, who lost her parents to a Zonder, and joined GGG to help prevent any more from suffering as she did.

Just outside the city limits, EI-04, a glowing red steam train had transformed into a monstrous shape thanks to the power of the Zonder faced down a giant robot that was a lion, Galeon, that changed into a humanoid shape when it fused with its pilot: GaiGar. But now, it was ready to transform again.

"FINAL…FUUUUUUUUUSIOOOOOOOON!" the pilot, a cyborg named Guy Shishioh, screamed at the top of his lungs, every fiber of his being filled with courage.

Immediately, a green energy tornado formed around GaiGar. The train-Zonder rushed at it, but the whirling energy kept it from stopping the transformation process occurring inside.

Three vehicles: a two-drilled tank, a bullet train, and a stealth bomber flew into the tornado. They, the GaoMachines, managed to incorporate themselves into its form through intricate connections and wiring. The bullet train formed the shoulders, the drill tank formed bigger legs, and the stealth bomber formed the arms, back and helmet.

"GAO...GAI...GAAAAAAAAAAR!"

And thus the King of Braves GaoGaiGar was ready for battle. The train Zonder quickly took this opportunity to launch its assault: a barrage of flaming rocks.

"PROTECTO SHAAAAADE!" Guy yelled. GaoGaiGar held up its right palm, creating a barrier in front of it. Unfortunately, whoever sent the Zonder was counting on this, as the rocks bounced off the barrier, and damaged the very city he was trying to protect.

"No!" Guy cringed, realizing that he was doing more harm to the citizens than good at the moment, and was forced to let his guard down. The Zonder kept up its assault, and GaoGaiGar was pounded rapidly and repeatedly by the torrent of flaming boulders.

But GGG always had tricks for moments like these.

Guy suddenly leaped into the air as what appeared to be a gigantic mechanical screwdriver flew overhead: it was its newest weapon...the Dividing Driver. The cyborg carefully guided GaoGaiGar into position, and connected with the gigantic tool.

"DIVIDING DRIVEEEEEER!"

GaoGaiGar smashed the ground with the Dividing Driver at full force. It began to form a massive crack in the earth, literally splitting the city down the middle and knocking the Zonder into it, while a force field came into existence, surrounding the two machines and ensuring further collateral damage was minimized.

Now that the city was safely out of harm's way, Guy knew he could go all-out. EI-04 tried its barrage of rocks once more, but once again, Protect Shade blocked it, merely causing a cloud of dust.

"BROKEN MAGNUM!"

From out of the dust cloud came a hot-pink glowing, spinning rocket punch, which smashed the Zonder in the face. Guy spurred his mech forward, and delivered a series of powerful punches to his foe, dazing it.

Now he could defeat the monster...but he needed to do it carefully, as an innocent person was trapped inside. Luckily, he had just the thing. GaoGaiGar opened its arms up, and energy began to pulse into each arm.

"HELL...AND...HEAVEN!"

The right arm was charged hot-pink, and the other glowed a brilliant gold.

"Gee gin gan go ga go..." Guy grunted as he strained to clasp the two hands, which repelled each other like magnets of the same polarity would. As the two hands drew closer, energy crackled between them.

But he succeeded, and the resulting collision created a massive burst of energy, forming a green energy vortex surrounding the scene, and the Zonder robot was paralyzed on the spot by a burst of pure power coming from the King of Braves.

Guy spurred GaoGaiGar into a full-on charge, the hands still clasped together. With deafening force, the robot's hands buried themselves in the Zonder's chest. Guy pulled hard, and ripped out a pulsing pink orb. The orb split, revealing what appeared to be a creature made of purple metal that flowed like hot latex.

"MAMORU! HURRY!" Guy called out. Suddenly, a young boy that glowed green and possessed six wings almost like a dragonfly zipped into the air, slipping through the force field with ease. He chanted some arcane words as power flowed into the tip of his finger, and then pointed it at the writhing creature. The creature, sure enough, slowly changed back into a chubby middle-aged man with thick spectacles, who was crying with joy at being released from his horrible prison.

"Wonderful; we've saved another innocent life. We couldn't do it without you, Mamoru." Guy said. The winged boy, Mamoru, smiled, always glad to help.

* * *

Nearly two and a half weeks after the _Nadesico _has left Macross, they finally came in sight of the red planet, Mars. But it was nothing like it used to be: Nergal had managed to give it an atmosphere and usable soil thanks to its nano-machines, making it suitable for limited human habitation.

Of course, with the Jovian Lizards around, it wasn't what it used to be. Indeed, the whole reason the _Nadesico _made this trip was to check for survivors from the Jovian Lizard attacks. But suddenly, the alarm to sortie went off: apparently there was a significant threat now.

"Man, I've been dying to get out there!" Janus said excitedly to Christina, who he was having a lunch chat with along with Daisuke.

"Listen, kid, war isn't..." Christina began.

"Relax, the Jovian Lizards have only been using AI-controlled units," Daisuke replied, "And they're hardly sentient, unlike, say, Omoikane or that Shin Getter, assuming Go and Ruri are correct. Besides, are we not on a mission to protect our fellow human beings?"

"Yes...you're right. I suppose this will be like training," the Gundam pilot replied.

The whole group was out now: the four Aestivalis, the two Gunmen (now outfitted for space combat), the two Gundams, Shin Getter, Grendizer, Double Spazer, Aphrodite A, Granlif and Lifthrasir all deployed from the _Nadesico_, ready to take on the enemy.

"Incoming Lizards at eleven, twelve and one o'clock!" Jun called out. "Get ready, guys!"

"There are also AI controlled battleships, one in each group," Ruri said. "Take them out before they do any major damage."

"Understood," Gamlin replied. "All units, move out!" His Variable Fighter zoomed towards the enemy.

"Man, who died and left him in charge?" Koji groaned. "Whatever. I'm right behind you, Daisuke!"

"SCRAMBLE TIME! COMBINATION CROSS!"

Grendizer docked with Double Spazer and soared off into battle.

The others followed in due course, blasting Battas to bits as they charged towards the enemy battleships. Janus and Tara quickly found themselves nearly touching the backs of each other's mechs as they swooped about, smacking the small mechs around. Their ability to maintain such close distance baffled them...as if their AIs had synced up.

Janus and Tara suddenly got the same idea simultaneously. If they could sync up this much...then maybe...

"Janus, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I dunno. Are you thinking about how awesome it would be if our robots did a team-up attack of sorts? If what your pal Koji guesses is correct, then both of our mechs have this ability to generate portals that allow us to go in one and come out the other instantly, even if they're really far apart."

Tara pondered for a moment about how creepy it was that he knew EXACTLY what she was thinking, but shook the thought off as she saw the battleship, a Kantabo, drew near.

"Ready?" Janus said with excitement. "Mind if I lead?"

"Sure, why not?" Tara replied. Granlif started forward, and Lifthrasir followed close behind.

At that moment, both were overcome by that sensation of heightened awareness that came over them the first time they used their super finishing attacks. Lifthrasir pulled out its twin rifles and began firing them repeatedly, then started forward again. The bullets zipped just a few feet from Granlif's head, pushing through the Kanatobo's Distortion Field.

"…FLY, GRAN BITS!" Janus called out. Ten Gran Bits flew out and sped towards the target.

"PORTAAAAL…OPEN!" both bellowed simultaneously for no apparent reason as they set their entrance and exit portals. Both drew their respective melee weapons and rushed full speed into the portals.

The portals reopened inside the Distortion Field, and both simultaneously slashed the battleship, creating another portal as they zipped by. They both moved faster and faster, until for the briefest of moments, multiple versions of each mech existed at the same time. Then the two mechs whirled around as they aimed at the underside of the ship: Lifthrasir drew its rifles and Granlif readied its Gran Fire.

"This is the end!" Janus declared.

"Ragnarok…!" Tara cried as she charged the twin rifles up for a big blast.

"REQUIEM!" both cried at the same time. The two blast attacks struck with devastating forces, ripping the battleship to shreds. As they

"Ragnarok Requiem…I like how that rolls off the tongue!" Janus said with a grin. But suddenly, Granlif was struck by an energy bolt.

"Hey! Can't a guy have a nice chat with his partner after doing an awesome attack?" Granlif's pilot cried, but then he noticed what had shot him: a spaceship with seven eyeballs on stalks with a brain dome in the center.

"Kyahahahahaha!" the voice of the spaceship's pilot, a humanoid with the head of a hawk cackled. "I knew it was worth pursuing you idiots! Now you face the might of Garuda, Great General of Campbell, and one of Lord Vega's greatest military minds!" As he spoke, several Mini UFOS, the rank-and-file of the Vega Empire's troops, swooped by, peppering the duo with laser fire.

"What the…" Christina exclaimed as several more buzzed around her. "…Flying saucers?"

"Leave them to us!" Daisuke called out as he rushed Grendizer over. "Koji, let's divide up for now!"

"…Right!" Koji replied.

"…SPAZER OFF!"

Double Spazer and Grendizer split off, and went to work taking care of the UFOs.

"I must admit, you aren't completely stupid, Garuda," Blaki said with a chuckle. "And your persistence has paid off. Who would guess these apes wouldn't see us even as we followed them for this long?"

"What?" Megumi exclaimed. "How did these guys sneak up on us? IN SPACE?"

"They probably stayed just outside the maximum range of our scanners," Ruri sighed. "That, and Omoikane was concentrating entirely on defending against Jovian Lizards. I actually didn't count on them actually chasing us…"

"I AM A GENIUS! GO, SLAVE MONSTERS! DESTROY THEM!" Garuda screeched. Numerous pink bipedal monstrosities with spiky metal shells dropped out of the hawk alien's spaceship.

"What the hell are those things? Are these Invaders?" Kei exclaimed.

"If you mean they are invading the Earth, then yes," Daisuke replied. "They are Slave Monsters from the planet Campbell…and the one piloting that eyeball ship must be Garuda, its main general; they are vassal to the Vega Empire, who seeks to conquer the universe!"

"Either way, lets kick their tails all the way back into deep space!" Judau bellowed as he drew his beam saber to strike down an incoming Mini UFO and Batta.

* * *

"My emperor, it appears that some new robots that appeared are not made from any technology we know of!" Blaki said with great embarrassment. "The Gundams are similar to those being manufactured in the PLANTs, and the red machine indeed matches our spies' description of Shin Getter Robo…"

"…What? You told me Shin Getter Robo was destroyed!" Emperor Vega roared. "I'll have your head for this, Blaki!"

"Please, Your Majesty, I would not deceive you! Shin Getter Robo was sabotaged by my elite spy team, which I personally headed, so it would destroy itself and the Saotome Institute during testing! I saw that robot go up in an explosion that rivals our Vegatron Bombs in force! There were no survivors!"

Suddenly, Getter Q came up on Blaki's view screen.

"…You! I knew it!" Michiru screamed, finally getting close to Blaki. "You took away my family and my dearest friends!"

"Ah, the Getter Q…a pale facsimile," Blaki laughed. "You are a fool to come this close! Perish!" Suddenly, a trio of Saucer Beasts, Gil Gils, turtle-like robots rushed in and grabbed hold of Getter Q. Blaki pressed a button on his console that opened up several missile ports.

* * *

Go, sensing Michiru's distress, suddenly broke off its fight with one of Garuda's Slave Monsters to save her. But something else got there first.

"…BATTLE CHAINSAWS!"

Suddenly, two over-large tank treads armed with spikes zipped by Blaki's view, sawing one of the Saucer Beasts in two. Michiru was able to wriggle Getter Q out of the hold of the others and fire a quick Getter Beam before taking off. Shin Getter arrived

Garuda's eyes went bloodshot with rage when he saw who had fired the overlarge chainsaws: a robot that stood almost twenty stories tall, had a vaguely triangular head, boxy limbs and a barrel chest, and seemed to be composed of different vehicles.

"…Hyoma…Chizuru…Juzo…Daisuku…and Kosuke!" Michiru exclaimed joyfully and with surprise. "What are you doing in the area of Mars?"

"The scientists at the Nanbara Connection were concerned how our facilities on Mars were doing, so we were sent here a few months ago," Juzo replied. "Unfortunately, we've been busy trying to hold off the Jovian Lizard attacks."

"…Hey Koji, where is Mazinger Z?" Daisuku said. "Why are you flying that dinky little plane?"

"These jerks stole it from me! They probably handed it over to Dr. Hell!" Koji said back, hating to be reminded about how he didn't have a giant robot anymore."

"COMBATTLER V!" Garuda screeched, turning his attention to the newcomer, turning his ship away from the others. "HYOMA AOI, HOW DARE YOU SHOW YOUR FACE HERE!"

"Nice to see you too, Garuda," Hyoma said sarcastically. "Guys, leave old birdbrain to Combattler!"

"Go, my Slave Monsters! Destroy Combattler V and bring me the heads of its pilots!" Garuda ordered. The numerous beasts broke off from combat to engage Combattler.

"Garuda, what are you doing? We must target these idiots firs…GAAAAH!" A bullet struck Blaki's Motherburn ship.

"There, you happy now, Janus?" Yoko said as her Gunman replaced the ammo clip on its head.

"Gah! Die, die, Combattler V!" the hawk alien cawed, his mind consumed with obsession at destroying his obvious arch-nemesis. King Kittan swooped in and jammed his lance into one of the eyeballs on Garuda's ship.

"Ha, ha! Got your eye!" Kittan laughed as he dodged an energy bolt.

"You…perish, banana starfish thing!" Garuda roared.

"CHOUDENJI TATSUMAKIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"

Suddenly, a great whirlwind of magenta energy whizzed through space, striking the battleship and sending it whirling away. Several Battas and a Katonbo also got caught in the tornado.

"King Kittan is not a banana, OR a starfish, ya yutz!" Kittan yelled.

"CHOUDENJI SPIIIIIN!"

Combattler raised its arms straight over its head, and its hands fused together, and it started to spin around like a drill. It rocketed through space after Garuda's ship, and drilled a hole through the brain dome. The ship exploded, consuming the other hapless Jovian Lizards caught in the blast. The Slave Monsters immediately stopped moving.

"Wow, go new big guy!" Hikaru cheered as she pulled her knife out of a Batta in time to watch the spectacle.

"Stupid Garuda!" Blaki raged, stamping his feet in frustration…again, not noticing Getter Q, Shin Getter, and Grendizer surrounding the Motherburn in a triangle formation.

"Hey, you wanted to fight Shin Getter, huh?" Kei said. "Go, Michiru, Daisuke, Koji, let's make him wish he'd never messed with us!"

"…Right. GETTER BEEEEAAAAM!" Go called out.

"…GETTER BEEEEEAM!" Michiru cried.

"…CYCLONE BEEEEAAAM!" Koji yelled.

"…SPACE THUNDAAAAH!" Daisuke bellowed. "This ends here, Blaki…GREAT DYNAMIC BLASTER!"

"…CURSE YOOOOUUUU!" Blaki roared as his ship was heavily damaged. "GET US OUT OF HERE!" The ship managed to get away.

"Hey, aren't we gonna go after them?" Kei exclaimed.

"We've wasted too much energy," Christina replied. "Let's get back to the _Nadesico _to prepare to enter Mars' atmosphere."

"As much I want to pursue them, I agree. That, and the force that attacked the Macross, was but a tiny fraction of their army. We shouldn't throw away our lives to finish off such a small force," Daisuke added.

"I have to say, that was a very impressive name you came up with for that last attack, Daisuke," Gai quipped. "I don't think I could have thought of it."

"Oh, if only you had seen me when he, Tetsuya, Ryoma and I would combine our attacks!"

"Yes…Ryoma…" Michiru said, saddened by Koji's comment.

"Ryoma would be proud, Michiru," Go reassured her. The young Getter pilot smiled. Somehow, it did comfort her.

* * *

_Wow...now that was more of the chapter length I wanted! Anyway, "Next time blurb" time!_

_-Back on Earth, the Black Knights, now with Dancougar added to their force, prepare for their next mission. Will they succeed? If so, at what cost? And what of NERV, the organization devoted to fighting the enigmatic Angels, that seem to be from beyond space and time? Find out next time on **Chapter 7: Attack At Sea! Enter EVA!**  
_


	13. Chapter 7

_And now, let us take a moment to look more into the events happening on Earth. What role does NERV play in this world? How is Lelouch's revolution going? Find out that and more!  
_

* * *

**Chapter 7 _- _Attack At Sea! Enter EVA!**

…A dark chamber, seemingly limitless in size. In the middle of it sat fifteen black marble monoliths, surrounding a central white one. Carved into them are the words "SEELE Member" their number, running from "01" to "15", and then the words "Sound Only"; the white monolith only had "00" inscribed upon it.

Such was the secrecy of this organization; even their own members did not know the exact identities of more than four or five fellow members. They would address each other in these official meetings by their member numbers. What is known is this: every last one of these men was one of the ultimate power players in the Earth Sphere. They were esteemed businessmen, heads of state, Earth Alliance officials, and even members of ZAFT. They each sat safely in their places of residence or work, usually in a secret chamber.

"Members of Seele," 01 began. "It has been quite some time since we met."

"Indeed, 01," 05 said. "Things have certainly gotten interesting as of late. While the plan is progressing, there appear to be a few unforeseen stumbling blocks."

"Unforeseen?" 13 replied with surprise. "Did not the texts speak of the metallic giants and the four flying ships that could thwart our efforts? The giants are the many robots that can thwart their efforts."

"But the _Nadesico _is but one of the ships," 04 replied. "As long as it does not meet the others, our plan is still guaranteed to succeed, no matter what they do! I can assure of it. Indeed, with my plan, we won't even need the Angels or the EVAs! If you would only..."

"Your hubris is astounding, 04," an unearthly booming voice suddenly echoed from the central white pillar.

"00!" 04 exclaimed. "You...we did not expect that you speak to us again, especially with the plan only this far along."

"Do not underestimate the power of individual wills, especially those on the four ships," 00 said sternly.

"Yes, 04, you obviously lack an understanding of human will, as we do," 07 said.

"All the same, 04's pursuit of an alternate path to our goal is prudent. Who knows...the four ships might even win over the pilots of your so-called Evangelion Units. If that occurs, failure is guaranteed."

"We understand and shall take your wisdom to heart, 00," 01 replied. "Members of SEELE, we have heard 00, who is one with God. His words have yet to fail us."

The meeting soon moved to other things...

* * *

_So, she's reached Mars, _Lelouch thought, as he waited in a warehouse, his head covered by a towel. He had received word from Kallen that the _Nadesico _had successfully reached Mars. Even Britannia wouldn't try to chase them that far. But soon they'd have other problems on their hands.

Diethard Ried, an officer from the Britannian forces, approached him a day before he went to Kyoto House. He had information on Princess Cornelia's next move: she would deploy the Royal Marines against a freighter containing vats of liquid sakuradite being carried by the Japan Liberation Front, another resistance group dedicated to the freedom of Japan. General Katase, one of its most important generals, was on that ship. Of course, the Black Knights had a new ace up their sleeve: the titanic Super Robot Dancougar.

Formerly "Honorary Britannians", they worked as a one-mech army against any and all resistance. But when they learned that their commanding officer, Shapiro Keats, had betrayed Japan in exchange for power in Britannia when he had told them he had begged and pleaded for their safety, they departed, taking the Cyber Beasts that made up Dancougar with them.

Lelouch was surprised that even knowing what they would have to do, Shinobu was still all for it. He wondered just exactly what kind of man Shapiro Keats was to make them hurry down the path of blood.

Suddenly, the door in the warehouse opened up.

"…Who's there?!" Lelouch exclaimed, afraid that someone would see his face. It was Sara, one of Dancougar's pilots, whose silhouette somewhat resembled Kallen's at first glance.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry," she stammered, turning away. "I'll go." He could tell from that brief glance that she may not have had the resolve to do this, and that she didn't get a look at his face.

"Second thoughts?" he asked. She closed her eyes and thought.

"I thought the goal was justice. All this time I've fought just because I thought it was the right thing to do. I could live with blood on my hands. Everyone on the Cyber Beast Force does."

_Good…she isn't totally soft_, Lelouch thought.

"But is what we're doing really going to matter? Will it really change the world for the better?" Sara continued in a rather fervent tone.

Lelouch's answer was immediate.

"It will; or rather, it MUST change the world."

"But…"

"But will there be sacrifices? Not only just soldiers, but the innocent as well."

Sara started to scowl at him, but she could vaguely tell that he had no joy in saying this, and her expression softened.

"But that is why we must continue on, no matter the cost. We must prevail. Even if they consider us cowards, we HAVE to prevail. If it means more bloodshed then so be it. The Black Knights have spilled so much to get here…it will all be in vain if we fail. Still, I won't force you. You can turn back now."

Sara stopped and thought. Was this really worth it, just to get a chance to get revenge on Shapiro? She thought of all she had done for Shapiro, and what he had done to her…the shame…the humiliation…the pain…

"No. I'll follow you, for as long as it takes. Until Japan is free again and Shapiro is dead at Dancougar's feet, I will follow you!"

Lelouch smiled.

"Thank you. I'l do my best to live up to your expectations."

* * *

The operation was on. Several aquatic Knightmare Frames known as Portmans sped along toward the massive ship carrying the liquid sakuradite. The squadron Suzaku was a part of was to provide supporting fire. He stood at the docks, aiming his gun at the freighter.

_This isn't war…this is a wholesale slaughter_, he grunted. But he swallowed his pride and kept firing, watching his fellow Japanese drop like flies. Each kill etched another slash on his soul, but he kept firing. He had to.

* * *

Lelouch stood at the docks within the cockpit of his custom Burai, clutching a remote detonator device, his thumb poised over it. He had told his men to wait. Dancougar was disassembled into its components so that it could hide more easily behind the warehouse.

Of course, helping the Japanese Liberation Front wasn't his plan. His mission was to destroy Britannia, and he would start with Cornelia.

"The Knightmares are boarding the ship!" one of his subordinates radio'd him.

"I see. That leaves only one way out. They need to be careful around that precious sakuradite…"

"Zero, if we don't hurry…"

"Very well then…" Lelouch said as he pressed the button on the remote detonator. Beneath the waves, a highly explosive depth charge detonated right as the JLF freighter passed over it. The explosion ignited the volatile sakuradite, exploding every last canister at once. The entire ship was consumed in a massive, blinding explosion.

Now the fun would start…in more ways than one.

* * *

"Just what you'd expect the JLF to do…take the Britannians out with them!" Zero's voice sounded on Shinobu's communicator. "We're going to rush Cornelia's position! Forget everything else…what matters now is achieving our goal! If you want to avenge the JLF, capture Cornelia and show them our strength and determination!"

"Suicide?!" Masato exclaimed. "That's not what I'd expect, especially considering…"

"We can discuss this later!" Shinobu yelled. "It's time to fight! YAAAAATE YARUZE!"

A keyboard opened up on Shinobu's controls and he punched in a code. "…KEY WORD! D-A-N-C-O-U-G-A! LOCK OFF!"

The four machines – an elephant, an eagle, and two large cats, began to glow as the four pilots synced their very souls with their mechs, even as they rushed toward the enemy.

The eagle, piloted by Shinobu, formed into the mech's head: the elephant formed the arms and body, and the cats formed the legs and feet. Dancougar was ready for battle.

* * *

Things were going well already. Lelouch and his forces managed to catch Cornelia's troops completely by surprise. Although he didn't have the speed of the Guren mk II, knowing that they had Dancougar, far more powerful than even an entire division of Knightmare Frames, on their side was assurance enough. He spotted Cornelia's custom Gloucester in a warehouse, and she was just climbing in. He spurred his horned Burai forward, and rammed headlong into it, bursting through the wall.

"Damn it…you think you can best me in a battle of Knightmares?!" Cornelia cried as she launched her wire-guided slash harken. The weapon struck Zero's Burai, knocking its left arm off. She raised her gun to destroy Zero's frame…

Suddenly, she felt the ground suddenly quake beneath her. She scowled in frustration when she recognized the looming shadow before her: Dancougar.

"No…you…how dare you…" she scowled. She forced her Knightmare back onto its feet slowly, even as Zero took aim.

"Sorry, Cornelia, but this ends here," Lelouch said. Suddenly, his scanners picked up someone moving behind the freight crates. He paused, his thumb just off the trigger when he recognized the person.

"Shirley…"

Suddenly, he looked up and saw the accursed Lancelot again. The white frame had bounded high in the air and was coming down to smash Lelouch in the face. But Dancougar stepped in, and stopped the attack with its arm. Suzaku grunted when he recognized the Super Robot.

"What?! But that's…" he gasped.

"You will not touch Zero!" Sara yelled at him through an open channel.

"What?! What are you doing?!" Suzaku exclaimed as he landed and once again went into full reverse as Dancougar gave chase. "Why are you fighting with him? His methods are wrong! They won't change anything!"

"Shut up, traitor! DAN KUUUUU KEN!" Shinobu shouted as Dancougar popped the sword out of its shoulder.

He's too focused on goals…he can't understand the pain of others!" Suzaku yelled back. "Why would you, of all people, side with HIM? He's nothing but a murderer!"

"And you're any better? You slaughter your brethren like cattle!" Shinobu said with disgust.

"All you're doing is advancing the agenda of madmen like Shapiro Keats!" Ryo added grimly.

"He'll use you until you're worthless," Sara finished, consumed completely with fury, "And then toss you away like a…a…used rubber!"

With this, Dancougar swung the Dan Kuu Ken downward. Lancelot was able to dodge, and zip beneath Dancougar's legs, back toward Cornelia, who was locked in combat with Zero. He moved as fast as he could, but the lowly Burai managed to deal heavy damage to the Gloucester in the single minute he had been escaping the massive Super Robot.

"Because of you…" Suzaku growled at Lelouch. "RRRRRAGH!"

The Lancelot hit Lelouch's Burai full force with two swings of his sakuradite sword, cutting off all four limbs off in one shot and sending it spiraling away.

"Damn it!" Masato yelled. "Shinobu, we have to save Zero!"

Cornelia's Knightmare Frame got up as Suzaku's Lancelot came over and helped it up.

"Kururugi…thank you," the warrior princess panted. "For a moment, I thought I was going to lose to a maniac like him."

"We have bigger problems right now, Your Highness," the Lancelot's pilot said as he watched Dancougar round the corner.

But suddenly, something shook the entire docks…something much bigger than Dancougar…so much bigger that even the Super Robot halted its charge. Suzaku's scanners went wild.

"What in the world…Your Highness, are your scanners going like mine are?"

"Kururugi, we need to clear out, now!" Cornelia ordered. "An Angel is in the area!"

* * *

The Angels: Mysterious beings from a world unknown to all others. Their individual forms were completely different from one another, yet they all shared two common trait: they were massive, larger than even the largest of the known Super Robots, and they possessed powerful barriers called AT Fields, which few weapons could pierce.

The war between Naturals and Coordinators that ended fifteen years ago did not simply cease due to the coming of the peaceful aliens…it was a nearly cataclysmic event, known later as the Second Impact, occurred in Antarctica. The aliens used the power of Spiritia to contain the effects of the event, which were forecasted to affect the entire world.

But several battleships just off the coast were being accompanied by such a weapon: one of NERV's Evangelion units…three hundred foot tall monstrosities that seemed to be more organic than machine. This one was Unit 02 was red and seemed to be wearing a sort of gas mask with multiple lenses. Two large fins extended from its shoulders. Within its cockpit was Asuka Langley, a half-Japanese, half-German teen. Sitting behind her was fellow EVA pilot Shinji Ikari, who was forced to wear one of her red plugsuits rather than one of his suits. Both were students at Ashford Academy and Honorary Britannians. However, their place at NERV made them free from even Britannia's strict laws, as NERV answered to no one except themselves.

"Ugh, you're thinking in Japanese! If you must think, do it in German!" Asuka groaned, scaring the boy. "Your thought noise is making it difficult for me to sync with Unit 02!"

"Um…sorry, I'll try," Shinji apologized meekly. "Um, strudel, bratwurst…"

"Ugh, dumbkopf…" Asuka sighed. "Never mind, we'll start over! Switch language to Japanese."

The EVA whirred a bit, and then fully started up.

Suddenly, the EVA, which was hidden under a massive tarp on one of the battleships while it was lying down on its back, rose up. Its head poked through the cloth, giving it a cool-looking, if rather makeshift cloak. It towered over the battleships.

"We need to get closer to the power supply…let's play a little HOPSCOTCH, then!" Asuka said with a rather determined grunt as she spurred Unit 02 forward.

The EVA leapt high into the air, pushing the battleship it landed on down as it pushed off. The crews of the other battleships ran in terror to avoid being squashed by the colossus as it landed. It leapt from battleship to battleship, smashing each boat up a bit on impact, like a bullfrog leaping on lily pads made of thin ice. It was heading for an aircraft carrier that had what appeared to be a massive extension cord on a reel.

"EVA Unit 02, incoming!" Asuka yelled. Shinji merely groaned, dizzied by the EVA's furious leaping.

The EVA landed on the battleship, and it swayed wildly back and forth, dropping Earth Alliance Moebius and fighter jets into the ocean.

As soon as the boat stabilized, Shinji noticed something big moving around in the water.

"Angel, incoming at nine o'clock!" he said loudly.

"Right," the red-haired pilot sighed "Let's switch to external poweeeeeerrrrr….there!"

The EVA picked up the plug and stuck it into its back. This provided it with an external power source, as its internal battery only lasted one minute. Rather inefficient, but the power it possessed was well worth it.

"Um, Asuka..we don't have any guns."

"Ah, who needs 'em? The Progressive Knife will do just fine!"

One of the shoulder fins opened up, and the EVA drew a handle of something, which extended a blade that resembled that of a tempered kitchen knife.

"Heeeere fishy, fishy, fishyyyyyyy…." Asuka said with a small giggle, as the target moved in.

* * *

Shirley watched the Britannian Knightmares flee, and then saw Zero hanging limply out of the body of his overturned Burai, unconscious. She looked at him, then saw a pistol lying at her feet. She picked up and looked at him again, her hand shaking.

This was Zero, the man who was responsible for her father's death at Narita. He was at her mercy. She held the gun up with two hands, both now quivering violently.

_Then with this…I'll make you pay…for my father's…_

But then Zero's mask slipped off. Shirley gasped when she saw part of the face of the man in the mask…his mouth was covered by part of his jumpsuit, and his eye was closed, but the hair and face looked like it was enough to confirm her darkest fears.

But before she could do anything else, Dancougar came down, and Shirley quickly hid the gun in her uniform pocket.

"What the hell are you doing here? This place is a war zone!" Shinobu warned. "Clear out now, if you wanna see tomorrow!" Shirley nervously nodded and ran back to where she came from: Ashford Academy, the same school she, Lelouch, Shinji, Asuka, Suzaku, Tara, Koji and Sayaka all attended.

"Damn it, Zero's out cold," the Cyber Beast Force's leader sighed. "And then there's that weird thing out there…damn it, I can't stand anymore of this! That Angel or whatever it's called is going to rue the day it became the straw that broke Shinobu Fujiwara's back!"

"But Shinobu, the Angels have AT Fields," Masato said. "Only NERV's Evangelions can penetrate them."

"AT FIELD, SHMAY-T-FIELD! IT'S TOAST! YAAAAAAATE YARUZE!"

Dancougar stepped away from Lelouch and took off, not noticing at all that Zero's mask had fallen off…they would have recognized who he was.

* * *

Asuka wasn't quite fully ready to face an Angel quite as big as this one, codenamed Gaghiel…it was like a monstrous, eyeless eel with crocodile-like jaws and several small fins just behind its huge head. It was almost a thousand feet long and probably weighed as many tons. It lurched up and lunged at Unit 02, slamming it into the deck of the aircraft carrier.

"Damn it, I won't be beaten by sushi!" Asuka roared as she struggled to push Gaghiel off Unit 02. She managed to force it up into the air, and it landed in the water back first. Unit 02 got up and leaped at the eel Angel, but it quickly dove into the water, and Asuka, without any sort of equipment for fighting underwater, landed with it, creating a monstrous wave that nearly capsized the boat.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice came over her radio: Shinobu's.

"Hey! Whoever you are, hang on! The Cyber Beast Force is coming to help!"

"No! I'll be fine! You'll just get in the way!" Asuka roared as Unit 02 dodged a charging attack by Gaghiel.

"What?! You're nothing more than a little kid?! What are doing piloting something like that?!" Ryo exclaimed. "Shinobu, we're going to have to take a dive. Whatever Angel she's fighting is obviously at an advantage."

"We can use the new Aqua Module that Zero gave us!" Masato said. "We won't have as much trouble fighting underwater that way!"

"Alright then...time to take a dip! YAAAATE YARUZE!"

With that, Dancougar dove into the water. Masato activated the Aqua Module, an engine with a screw propulsion system meant for movement in aquatic environments. The black mecha drew the Dan Kuu Ken and quickly looked around. Unit 02 was struggling to get around in the underwater environment, and barely managed to avoid the massive sea monster's charging attacks.

Asuka groaned, and went over closer to Dancougar. The Evangelion unit towered over Dancougar three times over. Even Shinobu was slightly intimidated by the sheer size difference.

"Listen, you dumbkopf, I've got the situation under control!" Asuka said angrily.

"Says the brat who can barely move down here while its opponent is right at home!" Shinobu shot back angrily.

"Um...maybe he could be of some use, Asuka?" Shinji meekly suggested.

"Fine! But if they get walloped by the Angel, it'll be YOUR fault, Ikari!"

"Cut the chatting, here it comes again!" Sara said as Gaghiel came into view. Unit 02 drew its knife, and Dancougar readied its sword. The eel Angel rushed headlong into them, and the two mecha lunged with their weapons simultaneously. The Angel instinctively extended a barrier that seemed to made of multiple elongated hexagons, nested in each other. The barrier pushed back against their weapons. The beast let out a terrifying roar, revealing its toothy mouth and a red sphere partway down its throat. Asuka growled with anger, the force of her emotion making Unit 02's power grow, causing the AT Field emitted by the Angel to yield a little.

"Everyone, let's give this everything we've got!" Shinobu yelled. All four pilots began to concentrate and yell a bit in unison as they focused their spirits into Dancougar's blade.

The struggle continued for several minutes, the two robots' weapons inching closer and closer to the Angel's body, but neither side relented. It was truly an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.

But the Angel's resolve faltered before the robot pilots' did, and the AT Field gave way, and it recoiled. Both Asuka and Shinobu quickly took advantage of this momentary opening. They quickly got on top of the monster and jammed their weapons into its flesh. While Asuka simply kept stabbing and stabbing at the monster's head, the Cyber Beast Force concentrated harder. The Dan Kuu Ken began to glow as energy poured out of the blade, lengthening it in a way.

"YAAAATE YARUZE!" Shinobu bellowed as he spurred Dancougar forward as fast as the Aqua Module would take it. The extended energy blade ran straight through the Angel, gutting it like a fish.

Asuka and Shinji noticed this and winced…

But nothing except what Shinobu expected occurred. The fish, overwhelmed from the battle, as well as its guts and blood streaming out, went belly up and slowly began to float to the surface.

"Huh? Don't the Angels usually blow up?" Shinji asked, confused that he wasn't dead.

"I guess they missed the S2 engine," Asuka answered, lying back in her seat before getting Unit 02 to swim up to the surface. Dancougar, in spite of being only 1/3 its size, grabbed one of its hands with both of its own and pulled the massive mecha along.

"I must admit I'm impressed," said Misato Katsurugi, a tactical commander for NERV's Evangelion Units in her late twenties, said to Shinobu when Dancougar had landed to the deck of the aircraft carrier with Unit 02. "We didn't think it was possible for anything other than an EVA's weaponry to pierce the Angels' AT Fields. We could use someone like you at NERV."

"You know, our current boss isn't exactly the most upright fellow…" Masato chimed in. "Maybe we should go with…"

"No, we're staying with him!" Sara shouted at him, causing the young man to recoil meekly.

"I dunno, maybe we could do a little work with them on the side. It's not like our current boss needs us all the time," Ryo said thoughtfully.

"Who IS your boss, anyway?" Misato asked.

"Eh, no one you'd care about," Shinobu said somewhat awkwardly. He was terrible at hiding his intentions. Luckily, Misato didn't seem like one to press into such matters.

"I see. Still, we'd be happy to have your assistance in our battles. And if you ever change your mind, just pop in at the nearest Earth Alliance embassy and ask for Misato Katsurugi. They'll put us in touch."

"Hey! What's your name anyway, punk?" Asuka quipped.

"Shinobu Fujiwara. That's Sara Yuuki, Masato Shikibu, and Ryo Shiba. We are…THE CYBER BEAST FORCE!"

"Overdoing it, much?" Shinji muttered under his breath.

"Well, Cyber Beast Force, it's been a pleasure. I'm sure you're bushed, though. You should get back to wherever you call home. Shinji, Asuka, give Shinobu thanks for the help today."

"Hey! We are NOT little kids!" the fiery-haired young lady snapped. "I could have beaten it by myself!"

"…Without B-type equipment? I don't think so!" Shinji quipped.

"Ugh…dumbkopfs…" Asuka grumbled.

* * *

The _Nadesico _safely arrived on the Martian surface after the hard battle, with the Combattler team joining them as well. The travelers learned from their new allies that things were as grim as they had feared: the Jovian Lizards had wiped all but one or two settlements on Mars, but Hyoma believed that the survivors were hiding somewhere.

"We've been search for a good month up and down this entire planet," Hyoma said as she stood on the bridge with Yurika and the rest of the bridge crew. "But we can't give up. I won't…no…I CAN'T rest until I know for sure whether there are any survivors. And if there are, we can use Combattler V to drive those computerized freaks away for good!"

Right at that moment, the entire ship rattled a bit as the _Nadesico_ made its landing on the red planet.

"So this is the only place you haven't looked, Mr. Aoi?" Ruri said. "Well, since we have the same goal, we can search together."

* * *

_And there you have it. Evangelion's plot has been justified. Though, I wonder how many of you will be able to guess just who certain members of SEELE are. One of them should be easy enough._

_And now: NEXT TIME ON **SUPER ROBOT WARS U**:  
_

_-The crew of the _Nadesico _begins their search for survivors on the terraformed planet Mars. But when the Jovian Lizards show up, how will they be able to survive? If there are any survivors left, is there any will to live on this ruined world? And can Janus' group find any way of getting home to their world to save Simon and stop the moon from falling? At least some of these questions will be answered next time in **Chapter 8: Struggle On The Red Planet! A Battle of Rust and Blood! **_


	14. Chapter 8

_Wow, been over a week since the last update! I hope this one makes up for it!_

* * *

**Chapter 8 - Struggle On The Red Planet! A Battle of Rust and Blood!**

The search was on for survivors in the only area that the Combattler Team had yet to look: the area around Mount Olympus, a mountain that had been named by Dr. Kabuto in his younger days, after the fictional home of the gods of the Mycenae culture.

Unlike the PLANTs, the air on Mars was created due to the presence of countless Nergal-manufactured nanomachines which spent years splitting the rust-colored soil of the red planet into its components of iron and oxygen at the atomic level. This, in addition to the production of other important gases by the nanomachines themselves, caused a more Earth-like atmosphere to form, allowing man to live on the Red Planet without requiring space suits. The iron was then melted down and used to build the buildings that made up the colonies.

But now, thanks to the marauding Jovian Lizards, the whole area was in ruins: buildings were collapsed, windows broken, monuments lying flat on the ground, and other signs of devastation. Still, there was still a chance that survivors may be hiding somewhere.

Mr. Prospector (who was with them to check on financial damages), Uribatake, Hikaru, Ryoko, Daisuke, Tara, Christina and Kallen took a small shuttle (which was amazingly intact) to the nearby Nergal research facility.

Akito, being that he was born and raised in this very area of Mars, was feeling nostalgic and decided to take a look around. To Yurika's displeasure, Megumi, one of the bridge crew, had offered to go with him.

Yurika, Ruri, Minato, Jun, Kittan, Yoko, Loran and Harry opted to remain aboard.

The other people from the alternate Earth, along with Koji, Sayaka and Izumi, decided to help the Combattler team in their search for any survivors, as well as keep an eye out for any clues about they could get home.

* * *

The Nergal laboratories, shaped rather ominously like ancient pyramids, weren't in the best of shape. There were some crates lying around in a storage facility. The group who had opted to check this part out began to poke around for anything that might still be useful.

"It doesn't look good...it must have been abandoned for months now," Christina said.

"What was Nergal doing out here in the middle of nowhere, anyway?" Ryoko asked as she lifted up the lid of a crate, which had nothing of particular interest inside.

"Why, discovering the _Nadesico_!" Mr. Prospector said with a laugh. Everyone turned towards him and each wore a slightly different look of shock or confusion on their faces.

"Well, that's not quite the best way to put it," the accountant said, rubbing his bald cranium in thought. "Rather...well, perhaps it's best to show you rather than explain. Would you like to see?"

"Yes, do show us, sir," Daisuke replied. "Let's go, everyone."

The group followed Mr. Prospector to a side door, which led to a long incline lift. The group got on and began its descent.

"So, how are you two Earth-lubbers liking your first trip to Mars?" Hikaru asked Tara and Kallen.

"It's weird," Kallen replied. "Though I guess if the _Nadesico_'s gravity generators weren't on, we would have been floating."

"Yeah, and we're tightly strapped to the seats of our mechs, so we can't exactly float around in them," Tara added. "I am getting used to piloting in zero gravity, though. Xemmey is a huge help."

"Oh, your AI friend?" Mr. Prospector interrupted. "Yes, I must say it's far beyond anything anyone else has ever programmed. And you say your MOTHER coded it?"

"Well, not exactly. Based on what Xemmey told me, she just restored some of her corrupted data sectors and filled in missing blocks of code. I think it was programmed in...G++? I think there was also some DST involved."

"G++ and DST?" Mr. Prospector said with some surprise. "But both of those languages are still in dev...oh, I've said too much already."

"It's okay, my mom is on the development team."

"Ah yes, I remember now. Haruhi Zifell is your mother. But as much of a genius programmer she is, there is no way a program that advanced could be written in a language still in its early stages."

"Maybe it came from my dimension," Christina suggested. "If I ever get back, I'll see if I can get some info from the government on my Earth."

At this point, the lift reached its destination. Before the group was a set of massive and thick metal doors. The old doors, still sensitive to movement and to Nergal employee IDs, opened up as they approached. Behind the doors was a massive, ruined structure. It seemed to resemble a piece of a massive spaceship. They got closer and saw more pieces of...something...in the vast chamber below.

"Ah yes. It's been thirty years since our research team stumbled upon this ruin. And it's taken just as long to uncover its secrets..."

* * *

Gamlin had his own mission here: to find out any and everything he could about the Protodevlin. To achieve that, he flew his Variable Fighter to the data center in the far northeast corner of the area. It had been relatively undamaged in spite of the many attacks. Perhaps the Jovian Lizards had wanted the area intact for some reason? Whatever the case was, if it wasn't there, it wouldn't be anywhere else on the planet.

The data center was a relatively small unassuming building, more like a shack than a data center. Gamlin landed his plane on the ledge near it, and checked out the unassuming structure. The inside was incredibly unassuming: a small desk with a chair, a few extremely dusty books, some old, dried up pens and a broken electronic clipboard were scattered around. A paperweight sat on the corner of the desk.

"Hmm…Max's directions are always spot-on. There must be some hidden way inside. It's only the logical reason the Jovian Lizards didn't destroy it...they must have assumed that this shack wasn't worth destroying." He tapped the dirt floor hard with his foot. Sure enough, there was a metallic clang. He had found the entrance.

Gamlin felt around all of the four walls, the floor, and even the ceiling, but he could not find any switch after a good ten Earth minutes of searching. He sat down on the chair and started to think. He glanced over at the paperweight, a small snow globe, and grabbed it, planning to turn it over and watch the flakes fall, hoping it would calm his nerves a bit.

But when he actually tried to pick up the paperweight, it refused to budge. If it were anyone else, they would have likely tried to pull it harder, but Gamlin quickly realized what he had found.

"Ah, very ingenious…hiding the entrance switch where there are no obvious wires…very cunning." Gamlin prodded and manipulated the switch until he was able to discern how to open it. With a few twists, he was able to remove the snow globe off its base like one removed a lid from a jar of pickles. Sure enough, a small red button was there, and he pressed it. The sound of pressurized air being suddenly released could be heard, and the floor opened up, dropping some of the dirt into the long passage. Gamlin spotted a series of bars welded to the walls of the passage that served as a ladder.

Gamlin began climbing down. And down. And down. And down.

As he climbed, his mind began to wander, and he began to hear, very faintly, someone singing…

_I must be going crazy_, Gamlin thought, pausing for a moment. He shook the silly idea out of his mind and continued his descent. As he did, he felt the ladder get cooler and cooler to the touch.

By the time Gamlin reached the bottom after what felt like an eternity, the ladder was ice cold, and he could see his breath. He regretted not packing some warmer clothes. He did have his piloting gloves, but they did little to warm up his hands as he put them on.

He turned around once he had put his gloves on, and saw a plain sliding metal door that was open just wide enough to slip his fingers through. On the door was written, in big yellow letters, the words: "Mount Olympus Data Center – Employee Entrance" A faint rumbling and whirring could be heard from the other side.

The pilot grabbed the edge of the door and pulled hard. Slowly, but surely, the door yielded to his effort enough for him to get inside comfortably. A short walk down a small passage led to his immediate objective:

A huge chamber, filled with rows upon rows of servers. Several access terminals were neatly scattered around the facility, each corresponding to a row of servers…it was almost like the libraries of books he had learned about in ancient history before all of the Earth's information and literature was converted to computer data in order to mitigate the need for paper to make books. He could hear the servers still humming along, their data waiting to be accessed. He walked up to one of the terminals, which started up in response to his approach, as they were programmed to do. He was amazed that it was still working after months of neglect, but nonetheless prepared to work.

"Now…what was Commander Jenius' access code again?" Gamlin said out loud, before clasping his hand over his mouth reflexively. He then remembered that he was the only one here.

He smiled when it came to him, and he typed in on the keyboard.

_Access approved. Welcome, Maximillian Jenius, _the terminal said with a calm and composed middle-aged woman's voice.

Gamlin sighed.

_Our records indicate that you took a literature file that is now 3,671 days overdue. Your late fees come to 15,286.22 Earth credits. Please pay the corresponding amount if you wish to access the data logs_. _You can use a cash card or credit card by inserting it in the slot below._

Gamlin grumbled. That was a lot of money, especially for an overdue library file...and how this system knew about Max's overdue file puzzled him as well. But finding information on the Protodevlin was the top priority. Gamlin fished out his wallet out of his pocket, and extracted a plastic card.

"I bet the bank is going to eat me alive for this…" Gamlin grumbled as he looked over the screen. "Maybe I can just purchase the file…" he said out loud.

_You wish to purchase the literature file? Please pay 5.99 Earth credits. You can use a cash card or credit card by swiping it in the slot below._

"That's better," Gamlin replied as he swiped his card in the slot. "The Alliance Express Traveler's Card…they weren't kidding when they said to never leave home without it."

_Thank you. Your payment has been received. Welcome to the Mount Olympus Data Center, Maximillian Jenius. What can I do for you today?_

"Search query: Keyword - Protodevlin."

…_Searching. Please wait._

The terminal hummed and whirred.

_No files found. Please enter another query._

"Search query: Keyword – Spiritia."

…_Searching. Please wait._

The terminal hummed and whirred more.

_No files found. Please enter another query._

Gamlin was getting annoyed. "Search query: Keywords – Zentradian History."

…_Searching. Please wait._

The terminal hummed and whirred yet again.

_No files found. Please enter another query._

He stood there, using any words relating remotely related to the Protodevlin, but each time, the computer could not find any records.

Gamlin's patience soon ran out, the cold only shortening his patience more. He decided to just try one last thing, for the heck of it and just call his search a failure. "Search query: Keywords – Oh, I don't know…Space Vampires!"

…_Searching. Please wait._

The terminal hummed and whirred.

_Two files found._

"You're kidding me…right?"

…_If you would like to browser our children's section…_

"No-no-no-no-no-no-no, just show me the data files!"

…_Retrieving files. One moment, please._

Gamlin sighed with relief asthe terminal hummed and whirred again.

_File 1 – Space Vampires Of The Grand Blood Orgy III..._

"Gah, just tell me about the other one!" Gamlin shrieked. "I'm not some sort of sicko!"

_File 2 – Vampires In Space: The Myth From Between The Stars. Subject: Astroarcheology. Author: Roger O. Smith_._ Publishing Date…_

"I guess this is the best I can do," Gamlin sighed, wondering what a database like this was doing with pornography...

* * *

The search team decided to split up so that they could cover more ground, especially since there were no Jovian Lizards to be seen at the moment. Combattler V and Shin Getter split off into its component machines and flew around.

"Come in, everyone. This is Battle Jet. Any luck?" Hyoma said into the communicator on his machine.

"Shin Bear here," Gai replied sadly. "No signs of survivors whatsoever."

"Shin Eagle," Go said emotionlessly. "No survivors found."

"I'm sorry, Shin Jaguar hasn't found anything either," Kei added.

"Double Zeta here," Judau said. "I'm not even picking up any residual thoughts."

"We can't give up! Is there anywhere we haven't looked?" Yoko said, her Gunman searching from the ground.

"Dig deep, Little Bo Peep," Izumi suddenly said.

"Huh? What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Janus asked.

"Hyoma, you forgot, didn't you?" Chizuru said. "There are underground shelters! It's likely that the survivors are taking refuge there! We've just been looking on the surface!"

"And the girl correctly answers the 64,000 credit question!" Izumi cheered. "Everyone give her a round of applause!"

"Guys...I know it's not exactly what we're looking for," Kosuke said. "But am I the only one who doesn't remember those ruins down there being there before?"

"Ruins?" Janus asked. "Hey, maybe they can help get us back to our own reality! I'm gonna go down and take a look. Anyone else care to come along?"

"Oh, how I pity archaeologists. Their careers are always...in ruins!" Izumi quipped with a giggle. Everyone present let out a long groan.

* * *

Akito and Megumi walked through the still dusty fields of the Martian landscape, and the young man found himself thinking about his upbringing on Mars...what little he remembered of it, anyway.

The two paused at a green construction machine that had a massive claw, likely for picking up and moving huge rocks, on the end of a pneumatic arm, while a bulldozer shovel on the other end. As he stared at it, a memory came back to him, and he told it to Megumi...

* * *

_"Look at me, Akito! Look! I'm a pilot!"_

_"Hey, Yurika, what are you doing?! You're not supposed to be up there!"_

_"WHEEE! FIRE ENGINES! FORWARD LAUNCH!"_

_The sound of an engine starting. Yurika cries out. Akito frantically tries to control the machine._

_SLAP._

_Yurika cries out again as Akito lies on the ground._

* * *

"Ultimately, I got blamed for starting it up," Akito said, touching the machine with his right hand. "But what really frustrated me was my inability to control it; I guess that's why I got this nano-controller." He looked at his right hand, which was tattooed with a silver symbol that was made entirely of linking nanomachines. It was how he could control his Aestivalis.

"So then why did you become a cook?" Megumi then asked, blushing a bit.

"Oh...um..." Akito said, trying to remember. He looked down in the dirt and found his answer. "It's because the food tastes weird."

He squatted down and picked up a handful of the ochre dirt, where several silvery earthworms were wriggling about.

"EWWWWWW!" Megumi screamed, recoiling in effeminate horror.

"Oh come on, they're just nanomachines," Akito groaned.

"Oh, like the ones that make the atmosphere here?" Megumi said, relaxing her guard a bit. Akito nodded.

"Yeah. They help the nanomachines in the air by breaking down some of the dirt so that they can be split more easily at the atomic level. That's why we can breath here without air tanks and spacesuits. But fixing the dirt will still take a while."

"Why? What happens to the plants?" Megumi asked.

"They get this really funny taste...I guess it's a metallic one, since the dirt here is just rust. But a very skilled cook, with the right flavors on hand, can make it taste wonderful!"

Megumi giggled. "Oh, so that's why you became a cook! That's so cute! Well, I bet you could do it now if you tried!"

"Oh, I don't think I'm THAT good," Akito replied, blushing a bit.

"You're kidding, right? You are AMAZING! That's why I..." Megumi exclaimed, getting a little closer. Both stumbled back a bit, right into a patch of ground that was weak...and it immediately gave way, causing them both to plunge into darkness...

* * *

The search team arrived at the ruins and stepped out to take a look around. Unlike the ruins at Nergal, these were much more like what one would think of as ruins, at least compared to the devastated landscape: they were buildings: ancient ones, ones that sort of looked Greek...

More specifically, Mycenaean.

Koji had read about the Mycenae Empire in his grandfather's and father's notes. He had theorized that the Mycenae were far more advanced than most historians gave them credit for. After all, they defended their home island from invaders with "giants that shot fire from their chests". How anyone could have missed these bewildered him.

"Koji, do you know what culture made these ruins?" Chizuru asked.

"Yeah, that look on your face says that you do know."

"Well, call it crazy, but they look exactly like relics made by the Mycenae. My grandfather and father studied them when I was little, as did Dr. Hell."

"The crackpots hit the jackpot!" Izumi chimed in. "Welp, I'm bored as a plank of wood now. Let's make like trees and leave."

Janus was also staring at the ruins. Somehow, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen ruins like these before. But he had never left Kamina City, and he was certainly never to Mars before, let alone in his own dimension. He didn't notice Izumi eying him suspiciously as he pondered this.

"Koji, you want to take some pictures or something?" Sayaka asked. "I'm sure the Professor would be very interested in this. We should have some evidence before the Jovian Lizards blast this area to bits." Koji nodded, his mind still grappling with the implications of this find.

* * *

Akito groaned as he slowly came around. He looked up through the hole he and Megumi had made. And then he noticed that Megumi was on top of him...

And their crotches were touching.

Frightened nearly out of his wits, he scrambled to get out from under her, which made her groan as well. Akito looked up and saw someone standing there. Their face was covered in a hood and brown cloak, but he could just make out a pair of rose-tinted sunglasses.

"Well, look who decided to...drop in," the cloaked figure, obviously a woman, probably middle-aged. "Honestly, I'm not sure whether to welcome you or throw you out...I'll compromise."

Megumi sat up and rubbed her eyes while Akito swallowed nervously.

"You get to drink some of my nasty coffee."

* * *

"Well, mission accomplished, I'd say," Akito whispered to Megumi as they surveyed the scene before them. There were at least two or three dozen people, all dressed in the same brown cloaks, looking rather pitiful, especially compared to the bright clothing the _Nadesico _crewmen wore.

"Hey, everyone! I'm so glad we've found you! I was afraid there would be no one left, but you're all really here! You can all come back to Earth now!" Akito said loudly to the crowd. To his surprise, none of them looked terribly pleased with the idea.

"We're not leaving,"the cloaked woman with the sunglasses said. "It's a long explanation."

"Um, we'll settle for the abridged version then," Megumi quipped awkwardly.

"All right. At least here we have a chance of survival," the woman said grimly. "Your ship will never make it back to Earth in one piece."

"Says you! Do you have any idea how hard we fought to get here and find you? Do you have any idea of the power the _Nadesico _has?"

"Hmph. Of course I do." The woman removed her hood and rose-tinted glasses (which were more like goggles), to reveal her face. It was a blonde, long-tressed middle aged woman with thin eyes. "I helped design and build the _Nadesico_'s phase transition engine and Distortion Field...I'm Dr. Inez Fressange. I'm surprised a Nergal employee doesn't know..."

But she was interrupted by a rumbling noise outside that shook the building up.

Outside, the _Nadesico _was coming in for a landing. Yurika, wanting to make sure Megumi wasn't stealing Akito from her, so she had the ship's crew take her to where Akito might be.

* * *

"So, in other words...'go away, we don't want to be saved?!'" Gamlin exclaimed when everyone apart from the search-party-turned-archaeologists had returned.

"Yes, that's right," Inez said coldly. "All of the remaining colonists wish to remain here on Mars. Boarding the _Nadesico, _in their opinion, would be suicide; and as this ship's designer, I completely agree with them. This ship is in no way capable of handling a full-scale Jovian Lizard attack."

"Come on!" Tara retorted angrily. "We've got more Super Robots than you can shake a stick at! There's no way we'd lose to a bunch of computerized munchkins!"

"You idiots," Inez replied sternly. "You have no idea just how advanced the Jovian Lizards are, do you? Or just how powerful they can truly be? How much do you even KNOW about them? Their goals, their reasons for being here?! From what I've seen, any encounters you've had up till now were against mere scouting parties."

"So you're just giving up?!" Akito exclaimed.

"Like I said...you're the idiots if you think you can handle a full-scale invasion force. Your teenage hormones must be clouding your judgment...not everyone can be a hero." Everyone under the age of 21 that wasn't a member of the bridge crew immediately scowled at her...and Yurika looked particularly angry at Inez.

"Cut it out...we've got company. Jovian Lizards," Ruri said stoically. "Five large battleships, thirty smaller warships, and...um..."

"What? What kind of numbers do you have for their regular troops?" Daisuke asked.

"Um...I can't really say exactly." Ruri replied, mild concern in her voice.

"Can you give us a ballpark estimate?" Tara asked.

"A lot. We're talking a full-scale attack here."

"Whatever! Charge the Gravity Blast, and make it a full-strength shot!" Yurika ordered.

"Engaging power coils," Minato said as she entered a few commands on her keyboard.

"Gravity generators charging. Estimated charge time, five seconds."

"On my mark," Yurika said.

"Charge complete," Ruri said a moment later.

"FIRE!"

The _Nadesico_'s cannon let loose a massive blast right into the fleet. Yurika cheered and whooped as the blast seemed to consume the fleet in bright light.

But when the light faded, the enemy fleet was still there...indeed, there seemed to be more than before.

"As you can see, the enemy also possesses distortion fields," Inez said rather smugly, almost as if she enjoyed being right about the _Nadesico_'s imminent doom.

"There's a chulip about forty kilometers ahead," Ruri said, "And the enemy is reinforcing their numbers with them."

Tara realized something as she gazed at the chulip...

_They're...they're using the same tech as Lifthrasir and Granlif...just who the hell ARE these Jovian Lizards? Well, whatever. We'll beat them anyway._

"You see? The chulips are dimensional portals that fold spacetime, allowing them to instantly travel from their home base to here. Who knows how many warships they really have, waiting for the order to attack...I bet there's..."

"ENOUGH!" Tara roared, suddenly frustrated with Inez's overt pessimism. "CAN IT, LADY!"

"Tara, what do you think you're..." Gamlin said.

"I DON'T CARE HOW MANY SHIPS THEY HAVE, WE'LL BUST THROUGH EACH AND EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM!"

Kittan, who had opted to stay on the ship, nodded.

"Yeah, that's right! We're not gonna sit back and let some windup dolls beat us down!" he added. "If you want to sit here and suck your thumbs like hopeless wimps, be my guest! Me? I'm not! I'm gonna get out there and give 'em hell!"

"Yes...we'll fight!" Yurika proclaimed as Tara and Kittan rushed for the hangar. "Minato, send a signal to the search party! Tell them to get back here quick! Ruri, get us airborne and power up the Distortion Field!"

"That's not possible at the moment," Ruri answered.

"It will be twenty minutes before we have sufficient power to get lift AND power the field simultaneously without compromising either," Minato said.

"Fine, then start the field down here! Full strength!" Yurika ordered.

"Wait...the rock here might be too weak!" Megumi cried out. "How do we know if it can able to withstand the pressure of the field? If that happens, it'll collapse and all of the survivors inside will die!"

"It's true. A full-strength Distortion Field possesses more than enough power to break the rock beneath us," Inez replied grimly. "But you can either charge the field and kill the survivors, or do without it, and chance getting blasted to tiny pieces. The choice is yours, captain."

Yurika gasped as her heart stopped momentarily from fear. The look of abject terror on her face was clearly visible to all. She looked to Akito for some sort of answer, but she saw none in his eyes.

"Captain, the enemy is charging their weapons," Ruri said, now showing more emotion than she ever had before. "You must decide."

Yurika couldn't hear her own voice as she gave the order to activate the field. In fact, she didn't feel like she was in her body at all for a fleeting moment. When she did regain her bearings, she felt the ship rumble as hundreds of blasts rained down on them, pummeling the _Nadesico, _though the shields managed to hold.

"Our fates were sealed when the first chulip appeared," Inez said, seeming to have fully accepted the situation. "This barrage would have annihilated the shelter entirely anyway. We knew this would happen eventually...we didn't expect anyone to save us, let alone you, Captain."

Loran and Kallen looked up at Yurika, knowing exactly what she was going through. Harry Ord merely bowed his head in quiet respect to the recently deceased. They even didn't seem too shocked when she gasped and clap her hand over her mouth. Both remembered the first time they caused needless deaths...

* * *

Yurika panted as she stood over one of the sinks in the _Nadesico_'s bathrooms. She had never felt so sick in her life. She imagined the people writhing beneath the rubble in agony as they were slowly crushed and suffocated...a death she had condemned them to save her own skin.

She heard someone walking up to her, and saw Akito behind her thanks to the reflection in the mirror.

"Why did we come here, Akito? Why did we bother? We couldn't save anyone. I couldn't save them."

Akito felt bad. He had heard the story from Janus about how Loran had the same reaction as Yurika when he first used the Turn A's ultimate weapon. He put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"Akito...this is...the first time in so long that..." Yurika said, barely able to contain her emotions, tears threatening to pour from her cheeks. "please...tell me that everything's going to be fine, just like you always did."

"Uh...everything's going to be all right..."

But he didn't finish his sentence as Yurika clung to him, bawling her head off, crying all the tears she could for the colonists whose lives she had cut short...

* * *

"UNIVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRSE!" Harry roared as he fired a blast from his SUMO's wrist-mounted I-Field Barrier cannon, destroying three Battas in one shot.

"Harry, how you holding up?" Christina said to him over her radio. "I'm getting a little low on ammo. I'm gonna return to the _Nadesico _to reload."

"Very well, I will cover you! We must hold out until the others return!"

"You mean us?" Hyoma's voice suddenly came over his radio as Combattler V zoomed into view and readied its Twin Lancers. "We couldn't find any survivors. Did you have any luck?"

"Um..." Christina replied as she approached the _Nadesico_. "You really don't want to know."

"Uh-oh...Penne-O's..." Izumi said. "They were reduced to a chunky sauce, weren't they?"

"Izumi, that was REALLY uncalled for!" Judau said angrily. "I'm sorry guys...if we had gotten here faster."

"Don't blame yourselves. The surviving colonists were probably ready to die anyway," Gamlin's voice said grimly. "Let's get out of here and save the one that did come aboard."

"Right!" Janus said as he turned Granlif around to face the enemy and charged up a Gran Fire. "Let's show these tin cans what we can really do!"

"Janus...we need to talk, just you and me. Can you switch to a private channel?" Tara asked uneasily.

"Alright, in a sec...GRAN FIRRRRRRRRRE!"

Granlif shot a Gran Fire into a squadron of Battas, blasting ten of them in one go...though hundreds still remained.

"Switch to auto-pilot...set mode to Evasive," Janus commanded to his machine. The machine switched to a surprisingly advanced auto-pilot function that he had discovered on the way to Mars, allowing him to take a breather even in intense firefights, as long as he wasn't fighting a skilled human opponent. Furthermore, the cockpit's interior was able to maintain a right-side up position even when the mech was rotating quickly. The screens gave him a sense of what things were like outside, but he seemed to be completely still inside the cockpit. Lifthrasir also had such a design.

"Tara, what's on your mind?" Janus asked.

"Look at the chulips the Jovian Lizards are coming out of."

"The whatzits?" Janus said. "I don't see any flying flowers."

"Chulips, not tulips! Look, out there in the distance...where all the ships and bugs are coming out of!"

Janus played with a few settings on his view screens, and spotted the portal where the ships were coming from.

"Whoa, I think I see what you're getting at. They're just like the ones our machines use!"

"I wonder if Lifthrasir was made by them..." Tara said, shuddering a bit.

"I can confirm that this machine was not made by the hands of Jovian Lizards, as you call them," Xemmey suddenly said. "But any data relating to my original creators is still corrupted. However, I can only devote a small amount of my processing power to fixing this broken data at this time. We should stay focused on the enemy right now, Tara."

"You're right," the purple-haired pilot said with a sigh. "Let's finish this conversation later, okay, Janus?"

"Sure," Janus replied before switching off the private channel. "Switch to manual mode! Granlif, let's blow them away!"

* * *

The battle was difficult and vicious, but slowly the _Nadesico _was able to escape the Martian atmosphere and return to space. But unfortunately, Omoikane needed to adjust its course due to the change in Mars' position relative to the sun, as well as Earth's. It would take time for them to calculate an escape. Thankfully, the Lizards ceased pursuing them once the _Nadesico_ reached the upper atmosphere. This allowed the pilots and crew to take a breather while they planned their return trip home.

But little did they know that fate had one last surprise to throw at them before they could get back to Earth...

* * *

_Next time on Super Robot Wars U..._

_After a rather unusual explanation of their current mess, the _Nadesico _encounters a strange new foe over Mars...the Spiritia-sucking monsters known as Protodevlin, leading armies of Varauta minions in their own Variable Fighters! And with the Jovian Lizards ready to strike again at any moment, how will the ship be able to escape the Red Planet? And how DID the Jovian Lizards gain access to the portal technology used by Granlif and Lifthrasir? And just what has happened on Earth since they left? Find some of this out next time on **Chapter 9 - Lizards And Space Planes And Vampires, Oh My!**_


	15. Chapter 9

****_And now, some more Nadesico plot! Also, we get to see what's going on with the UC Gundam people! Man, am I going to have fun mixing SEED with UC.  
_

* * *

**Chapter 9: Lizards and Space Planes and Vampires, Oh My!**

Barely a few hours after the _Nadesico _had reached the upper atmosphere, it received a message from someone they were not expecting to hear from at all.

Admiral Fukube, an Earth Alliance admiral who saw many, many battles, and was in charge of the area surrounding Mars. He had been fighting the Jovian Lizards even before the _Nadesico _got here, and he had lost his ship in the recent skirmish, but managed to get out in an escape pod. Taking pity on him and confirming his story, they let him on.

"Welcome aboard the _Nadesico_, Admiral Fukube!" Hyoma greeted him, along with the rest of the Combattler team. "I'm glad to see you're okay."

"Yes, it's good to see you again, Hyoma, Juzo, and the rest of you," the wizened admiral said. "Did you find any of the Nanbara scientists?"

"No…" Juzo said with a sigh. "We sadly confirm the deaths of all but one survivor of all the Martian colonists." The other Combattler team members also looked visibly upset at their failure to save anyone.

"I feared as much," Fukube replied. "I too, lost my crew. I suppose it is payment for my sin years ago…"

"…Sin, sir?" Chizuru asked.

"It's nothing, child," the admiral replied. "I would like to meet the people on this ship. After all, we will be seeing each other a lot for the next few weeks."

* * *

Axis – Neo Zeon's main base. Once an asteroid that floated among the countless others in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, now it hovered surprisingly close to Earth, just beyond the Moon's orbit, having been taken by man for his own use.

It was here that the Principality of Neo Zeon's forces made their plans to wage continual war on their hated enemy, the Earth Federation. But inside the asteroid, it seemed like any other space colony: it was filled with residents, homes, and even had a blue sky, fresh air, real trees and clean water. Compared to the hell that the Earth had become, it was a paradise floating in the heavens.

It was in this scene that Master Asia spent his mornings meditating and practicing his fighting style, which had been passed down to him from his master, which had been passed from his master's master, and so on into the mists of time. The old martial artist found a bit of inner peace even in this artificial forest, far away from Earth, and even as he plotted his own way of bringing the Earth he grew up in back to life, regardless of who he would have to kill to do it.

"There you are, old man," a woman's voice called out to him. He held his pose, standing on his tip-toes like a graceful dancer, one eye open to see who was calling him. It was a pinkish-haired young lady with wide, puffy hair and a haughty air about her, almost as if she would be able to look down on anyone. Master Asia felt the aura about her: she, like Char, and several other Neo Zeon pilots, was a Newtype.

"Haman Khan," the martial artist asked as he returned to a normal stance. "What brings you to find an old fool like me?"

"I overheard you talking with Lord Char the other day, Master Asia," Haman said with a chuckle. "You said something about wishing to restore the Earth to its former glory. Come, enlighten me about this so-called 'former glory' the Earth had before you return to that wretched mud-ball for your little Gundam Fight."

Master Asia wasn't sure whether Haman was always like this or if she was genuinely insulting him and his nostalgia for better days on Earth. Still, it was no more than water off a duck's back to him, and he thought he could sway her.

"Take a look around you, Newtype. Is this scenery not beautiful? Does it not make you feel at peace?"

"Yes, I suppose it is relaxing," Haman replied, not sure where this old coot was going with this.

"Now, close your eyes and tell me what you hear…what you smell…and what your Newtype senses feel." Master Asia said.

Figuring that this would be good for a laugh, Haman complied and did so while leaning against a tall evergreen tree. All was quiet for a minute or two.

"Well, what do you hear?" Master Asia asked, knowing full well that the Neo Zeon commander, even though she wasn't really trying, would soon understand what he was getting at.

"I hear the breeze through the trees, the babble of the brook, and a…buzzing?"

"And what you smell?"

"The scent of the pine needles, the cold pristine water and…an air of rust," Haman replied, disconcerted that she had never paid attention to these sensations.

"And tell me…that sense only you Newtypes have…what do you feel with it?"

"…Nothing. I sense absolutely nothing, other than the two of us," Haman said, now annoyed that Master Asia was playing games with her. "What's your point, old man?"

"Imagine that the buzzing was not of machines, but of insects filling the air with their sounds, and that smell of rust was instead the smell of the sweet fruits of nature's bounty, untainted by genetic modification. And imagine that Newtype sense of yours to be filled with the countless auras of life…beasts, birds, insects of every shape and color imaginable. Imagine that now, and tell me how it compares to this farce you've built yourself."

Haman did so…and suddenly felt an ache…not in her body, but in her very soul, as if she yearned for this vision to be a reality. She opened her eyes again.

"Now do you understand why I loathe the Federation, Newtype?" Master Asia asked, seeing that Haman did indeed understand that feeling of inner peace. "Tell Char that as long as Neo Zeon refuses my offer, it will never be able to overcome the Federation, for it is no different than its enemies."

* * *

"3…"

"2…"

"1…"

"KABOOOOOOOM!"

"Woooo!"

A chibi version of Yurika and Ruri, the former wearing a full on rabbit suit complete with ears, cotton tail and nose, while the latter sported a small green snow hat, orange overalls, and red sneakers leapt up on the screen in front of an orange background with red stars.

"…Hey everyone! It's time for 'The How And Why Of The Nadesico!'" Yurika said with incredible, childish excitement, just like any kid's show host. "How are you, everyone?"

"What the…" Hyoma said, staring at the screen, utterly bewildered.

"You're kidding, right?" Kei said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I'm Bunny Yurika, and this is Big Sis Ruri!" Yurika continued.

"…Hello," said "Big Sis" Ruri with her typical lack of enthusiasm. Even her stoic expression could show that she was beyond embarrassed.

"Today we're going to explain a little about the Nadesico!" "Bunny" Yurika cheered excitedly. "Take it away, Big Sis Ruri!"

"Do you all know how the Nadesico moves?" Ruri began, trying her hardest to seem enthusiastic and failing miserably.

"…Um…nope! This bunny doesn't have the slightest idea! Tell me, Big Sis Ruri!" Yurika said, still somehow not feeling the least bit humiliated.

"It's absolutely precious!" Michiru cooed. "I love Ruri's outfit!"

"Yes. It's nice." Go added.

"Well…" Ruri said with a sigh.

* * *

The Ra Calium – The flagship of the elite Londo Bell, the Earth Federation's most elite military force, devoted to defending the Federation colonies against the Principality of Neo Zeon. Its numbers were small, but a few of the most elite pilots in the Federation, veterans of the One-Year War included.

Leadership of Londo Bell was shared between two such veterans: the ship's captain, Bright Noa, and the head of its 1st Mobile Suit Squadron, Amuro Ray, pilot of the prototype military-issue Gundam, from which all others not involved in the Gundam Fight were spawned.

"Still no word from Judau OR Christina?" Amuro asked the warship captain as he entered the room. He was toying around with some plans for a new mobile suit of his own design on a computer screen.

"Yes, it's been almost a month now. I hope those Invader creatures didn't get him," Bright replied with only a slight hint of concern, rummaging through some papers that seemed to be of more importance. "I still can't believe they sent him to Earth knowing they were running around."

"You haven't even seen one of them," Amuro replied rather nonchalantly. "How can you judge them to be monsters?"

"Well, if this isn't a monster, I don't know WHAT is," Bright said, throwing the papers down on Amuro's keyboard. They were images of Invaders, taken from footage sent by Judau and Christina in their short time with Tower. Amuro recoiled a little at the sight of the abominations that the Invaders truly were.

"Well, Amuro?" Bright said smugly, something he usually didn't do. The veteran pilot wasn't about to deny it: these things, even the very images of them seemed to emit a sensation of wrongness that only the most loathsome, soulless of human beings had, and even then this was at least five times stronger…he couldn't imagine what Judau had to do to shut these monsters out of his mind when he faced them in person.

"Okay, Bright, you win. Just…get those pictures away. Besides, I'm kind of busy right now."

"Still toying around with your designs, eh?" Bright said, looking at the image on Amuro's screen. "Even though you hate war, you love building new weapons. And didn't you just get done finishing up the plans on the Nu Gundam? Don't you at least want to see it built and tested?"

"This was a project I was working on before I even came up with the Nu," the pilot replied. "Nu just took priority, what with Neo Zeon acting up as of late."

"…'Gundam ALEX B-Type…" Bright said, reading the name of the suit Amuro was designing. "You're seriously working on improving that? The Nu is superior to…"

"Yes, but the way things are going, anyone who isn't a Newtype isn't going to last long," Amur interrupted. "Christina, in spite of not being one, deserves as much of a chance as anyone in surviving this. I dragged her into this after the original ALEX project got canned; the least I can do is to acknowledge her abilities by giving her a good mobile suit."

"…Amuro? There you are, Amuro!" a woman's voice said as she poked her head into the room. It was Chan Agi, the technical officer for Londo Bell and a main supervisor on the development of the Nu Gundam, as well as Amuro's unofficial squeeze as of late. She walked over and draped her arms over the pilot's shoulders.

"Not now, Chan…I'm working on something," Amuro groaned, pushing the officer's arms off of him.

"Hmmm…that looks like the ALEX," Chan said. "What are you doing with that old thing? Isn't that Lt. Mackenzie's mobile suit? What is this, some sort of gift to her? You two-timing little...!"

"Chan, it's not like that at all. It's just that…I'll explain later. Right now, I'm trying to figure out how exactly I'm going to make funnels that non-Newtypes can use."

"You're the genius," Chan said with a huff. "You figure it out. I've been working my butt off getting construction of the Nu underway, especially with your last minute addition of a psychoframe!"

"I figured it would be best to just throw in one of those quasi-psicommus, but the problem is that Minovsky particles will just get in the way. I need to find some way to either strengthen the signal or perhaps work with some alternative method."

"Unfortunately, I don't know of any Newtype programmers," Bright replied. "Every last one of them is either on the front lines or hiding out to avoid being forced into the military."

_Yes…I suppose I should be to blame for that_, Amuro thought as he sat back and looked at his incomplete blueprint. _After all, if it wasn't for me, the Earth Federation would not have been so insistent about using them as weapons..._

* * *

"Wow…you adults are REALLY stupid!" Judau said. "Whose idea was it anyway to make up a kid's show just to explain how this ship works?!"

"I thought it was rather charming," Daisuke replied. "They certainly put a lot of effort into it."

"I must say differently," Mr. Prospector said in a rather annoyed manner as he punched some numbers into his calculator. "They wasted valuable time and energy, and time is in fact, money…"

"Yes, they could have simply passed around some notes or something," Gamlin said with a nod. "But I still was rather intrigued. Who would have thought the phase transition engine would have involved mimicking the Big Bang itself? That also explains how there can be artificial gravity for such long periods."

"Not to mention the Gravity Antennae on the Aestivalis," Kosuke said, still in awe. "The phase transition engine and distortion field are truly marvels of engineering!"

"Of course, we have yet to fully understand the principle behind them," Inez said. "After all, it was invented by whoever lived in those Martian ruins, and from what we can tell their civilization died long ago."

Koji, after seeing the ruins on Mars, wasn't so sure…

* * *

Akito sighed with relief when he returned to his room. He had lost his favorite _Gekiganger 3 _figure, and had spent a great deal of Yurika's little show looking for it. Only when he saw it during the broadcast itself did he rush to find it. Luckily, by the time he got there, it was over and Yurika happily returned it, apologizing for borrowing it without asking.

But Akito's relief turned to surprise when he saw Admiral Fukube sitting there with some iced tea. The old sea dog (or space dog, if you will) motioned for him to come and sit down. Akito did so, partially out of interest in talking with him and partially out of fear of reprisal from refusing. Akito took a sip of the tea. It wasn't half bad, but it definitely was stronger than he was used to. It calmed him a bit as well, especially with his heart still racing after hurriedly pursuing his _Gekiganger _figure.

"I hope it's not too strong...there is a little bit of non-regulation stimulant in there," the Admiral said. "Calms the nerves without making you drowsy, it does."

Akito smiled awkwardly and took another sip. He looked back at Fukube, who was still sitting there, tapping his index finger on the cooler with the iced tea.

"You know, apparently we aren't going to be heading home quite yet," Fukube said, hoping to end the awkwardness of the conversation. "There's the wreckage of another vessel, the _Crocus_, near Mars' north pole. After that tussle before, the _Nadesico _isn't in the best condition for the return trip back to Earth."

"Oh...sure..." Akito said.

Silence again.

"Your name is Akito Tenkawa, yes?" Fukube said solemnly, mentally bracing himself for what he knew would happen.

"Yes, Sir. Why do you ask?" the Aestivalis pilot asked.

"You...lived in the Utopia colony, am I correct?"

"Yes...until a chulip fell on it. The colony was utterly destroyed. As far as I know, Yurika and I are the only survivors."

Fukube calmly reached into his jacket and pulled a pistol, and then presented it to Akito.

"Then go ahead. Exact your revenge."

Akito was completely flabbergasted. What on Earth was the Admiral saying?

"I was the coward who allowed that chulip to fall," the old soldier said. "Just like Yurika did in order to save the _Nadesico_, I sentenced countless people to a grisly death so that I could live another day. Any desire you may have for revenge is perfectly understandable."

Akito's heart filled with hatred, but he didn't want to just let the Admiral off easy with a quick death. With a yell, he threw the gun aside and lashed out at the old man, belting him on the chin, knocking him straight back.

It just so happened that Gai of the Getter Team was walking and overhead this. Rightly assuming the worst, he forcibly take action. He barreled into the room just as Akito was about to start strangling Fukube. He pulled the crazed Aestivalis pilot off of him and held him down, made easy thanks to his substantial girth.

"Akito, have you completely FLIPPED!?" Gai yelled angrily as Akito struggled against his great girth.

"HE KILLED THEM!" Akito screamed. "HE KILLED MY FAMILY! HE'S A MURDERER!"

Fukube looked on, ashamed of himself.

* * *

Akito spent the rest of the trip to the Martian north pole confined in the _Nadesico_'s impromptu containment cell, tied and gagged to a chair, as those on the crew who weren't familiar with the battles on Mars got a full explanation from the Admiral, who somehow managed to escape with only a few bruises and a cracked jaw and rib. Everyone who worked at Nergal (except Akito and Yurika) already knew about this, though.

But by the time the Admiral was finished, they had reached the snowy north pole. Sure enough, the _Crocus _was there, out in the open. Fukube (he insisted, in spite of his injuries), Inez, and Akito (as punishment for attacking the Admiral) were to go inside and see if they could do anything with the wreck.

But no sooner had they left, something sinister came the _Nadesico_'s way.

Gigile, a Protodevlin in the body of a human, was hungry for some Spiritia. It was prudent of Lord Gepelnitch to ally themselves with the Vega Empire. The Earth was like a solid mass of Spiritia, perfect for their plan.

But first, they needed a ship to get to Earth. Word from their spies about an Earth warship heading toward one on Mars, where they were setting up operations, was like music to his ears. He petitioned Lord Gepelnitch for some troops, and utilized their special transporter to reach Mars.

"Alright, scumbags, listen up!" Gigil roared. "Their Spiritia will be no good to Lord Gepelnitch if they're already dead! Suck 'em dry, and THEN blast 'em out of the sky, not the other way around! Squadrons 5, 7 and 10, head for the downed ship. The rest of you are with me!"

* * *

Tara sighed as she sat down in the cockpit seat of Lifthrasir. "It's just been one battle after another," she groaned. "It's like I'm stuck in the _Gekiganger _video game and I can't turn it off!"

"…And you only have one life, and there's no save feature," Hikaru added as she made a few adjustments to her controls. "Girl, I know exactly how you feel."

"Let's stay on task, ladies and gentlemen," Gamlin said grimly. "We're going up against an unknown enemy."

"Pffft; big deal…we'll smash 'em like we always do!" Kittan replied confidently.

"Don't be overconfident, Kittan," Yoko said. "They appear to be using Variable Fighters. They're fast…even I have trouble hitting them."

"We've got visual contact," Christina quipped. "There are a lot of them…about fifty of them, in ten squads of five."

"Alright, ladies and germs, let's rock and roll!" Janus called out. "Granlif…go!"

"Lord Gigile, the Earth ship is sending out mechs."

"Heh, like burzix to the slaughter," Gigile laughed. "Everyone spread out and drain their Spiritia one by one!"

Gigile's vision darted around as he looked for a target. He could sense which pilots had the strongest Spiritia levels merely by gazing in their general direction, and his cockpit could gauge exactly how much they had.

Then he spotted Granlif and Lifthasir. He sensed that both pilots had an enormous amount of Spiritia, each of them had at least five times more than any of the others, and quite a few of them had almost three times as much as a typical human. These were exceptional opponents, without a doubt.

He had his own plans for the energy he would gather today, unbeknownst to everyone, even Lord Gepelnitch, so he figured he'd take some of it for his own use and give the rest to his liege…and none would be the wiser.

Sure enough, the smaller of the two white mechs veered away from its much larger partner and headed straight for him.

He placed his hands on the trigger for his Spiritia draining beam weapon, a hungry grin crossing his face. After a brief moment of enjoyment, he fired and waited for the Spiritia to come pouring in.

* * *

Tara, as it happened, decided to keep herself pumped up for the battle by playing one of her Fire Bomber CDs, and it just happened to be playing Basara's cover of _Gekiganger 3_'s theme song. A momentary lapse in judgment caused her to be struck by the beam.

She immediately felt like her energy and her drive was being drained out of her…but at the same time, the music she was listening to was refilling it again, at a rate slightly greater than she was being drained. She thought little of it, and moved forward.

The beam suddenly stopped, only for it to be turned on Janus.

Unlike Tara, he had no music to keep him pumped, so he rapidly felt his energy and drive being sucked out of him.

"Uh…engage…auto-pilot…mode…all-oooout…deeeeefeeeensiivvvvve…."

Janus slumped over in his mech, just in time for the auto-pilot to kick in. Immediately, Granlif broke formation and headed away from Gigile's Variable Fighter.

"…Janus?! Janus, are you okay?!" Tara called out to him, suddenly breaking off. "Why'd you leave?"

"Ugh…I just feel like lying in…bed…maybe…just stay here on Mars…"

Janus was fine moments ago. Suddenly, she remembered something old Soriz had told her and Kallen:

_Spiritia, which the Protodevlin feast upon and drain from living beings, is not just life energy. It is the energy to be passionate, to hope and to find joy in anything. Having it completely drained extinguishes any will to live within a person, and ultimately they simply die. But those who have the gift, the Anima Spiritia, can restore drained Spiritia with the power of their voice, or imbue extra Spiritia on an individual. Even a mere recording of their voice can have some effect._

Tara gasped when she realized what she was up against…Protodevlin…and that Basara somehow had the gift. Little wonder he could power up allies by just singing his heart out.

She looked around and noticed almost everyone else suffering from the same effect. The other enemy pilots were using similar weapons, but they weren't as good shots as this guy. Gamlin, Kallen, Christina and Judau were all dodging the beams with ease, but everyone else, even the usually hot-blooded Getter Team, seemed to be suffering from the effects of drained Spiritia.

"Kallen, can your Knightmare Frame send out sound through external speakers?" Tara said as the idea quickly formed in her head and she dodged a few missiles from an incoming enemy pilot.

"…Well, my claw can use sonic based energy to subdue…ugh, now is not the time to be asking that!"

"No, seriously…you have those Fire Bomber tracks I gave you, right?"

"Actually…I have my music player with me and they're on it. Why I brought it I'll…"

"Plug that sucker into your sound system, max out the volume, and start playing a Fire Bomber track!" Tara said, praying that this would work.

"…Which one?"

"I don't care, just pick one! Our lives depend on it!"

Still not sure what Tara meant, Kallen still decided to humor her, as she was obviously getting desperate. She quickly retreated to the _Nadesico_ and plugged in her music player to the speakers on her Guren, started up "Planet Dance" and then braced herself as she hit the trigger on her claw weapon.

Instead of the usual crackling energy, the melody and lyrics of Fire Bomber's "Planet Dance" burst out of her claw, filling the Martian air with its awesomeness. As Tara had hoped, the effects were almost immediate.

"Unh…is that…" Kei grunted.

"Basara Nekki?" Hikaru groaned. "Hey, who the heck's playing his music?!"

But the music had an additional effect: Gigile groaned and grunted as the music lashed out at him, damaging the very fiber of his being. The song also seemed to effect the other enemy pilots somewhat, causing them to lose a little accuracy and evasion ability.

"…Yeah! Nice tunes!" Kittan bellowed as he downed one with his Gunman's arm cannon. "I feel like I could do a Giga Drill Break right now! Too bad King Kittan doesn't have one."

"I feel like I could eat Shin Dragon alive!" Gai bellowed. "How about you, Go?"

"I feel…invigorated. GETTEEERRR BEEEEEEAAAM!"

Shin Getter let out a massive blast from its navel, incinerating the three squads that were still heading for the _Crocus_.

It was good timing too, as a whole mess of Jovian Lizard mechs and warships decided to pop in, while another chulip opened up. Barely moments after this, Akito's Aestivalis entered into view, flying toward the _Nadesico._

"…Everyone back to the ship!" Inez called out."Admiral Fukube is manning the _Crocus_, and he's…I don't know what he's up to, but you'll be safer on the ship!"

* * *

"Head INTO the chulip?" Yurika exclaimed when she heard Fukube's orders. "But Admiral, you certainly don't intend to…"

"I've made up my mind, child," the Admiral said. "I'm an old man, and you still have much to live for. Furthermore, I will be of no use to you in the world that will soon come into being, that much I know. But…if you don't enter that chulip…"

As he said that, the _Crocus _turned its weapons on the _Nadesico_.

"Hey! If you think you can just…" Akito said angrily.

"Ruri…get us into the chulip, now!"

"You don't need to tell me twice," Ruri replied, maneuvering the _Nadesico _to enter the dimensional portal.

As soon as Fukube saw the _Nadesico _slip into the portal, he braced himself for his inevitable doom. He set the _Crocus _to self-destruct, which would annihilate the chulip behind him.

_Crew of the Nadesico, and travelers from another realm…please forgive this old fool for his final act of cowardice. I longed for death to escape the pain. But if I suffer the tortures of hell for my crimes, so be it. I do not expect to be forgiven. But please, do not lose sight of the future and forget what you know is important, or else there will be no future for mankind at all… _

Fukube let out one last massive, wheezing roar as he slammed the self-destruct button.

The _Crocus _erupted into a fireball of metal and energy, ripping the chulip to shreds, and causing the portal to phase out.

* * *

The _Nadesico _reappeared after what seemed like mere moments of entering the chulip.

"Ruri...can you tell us where we are?" Yurika said, still coming out of a daze. Ruri blinked a bit to regain her bearings, and then ran a quick scan on the _Nadesico_'s computer.

"Well?" Daisuke asked.

"I have good news, not-so-good news, and bad news."

"Let's start with the good news," Koji said.

"The good news is that we're back in the Earth Sphere," Ruri began.

"We did it! We're back home!" Tara said, jumping up and down with glee. "Man, I can't wait to tell my folks about all the crazy stuff that's happened."

"The not so good news is that it is February 15th, 196 CC...more than nine months after we left."

"Man! Our summer vacation AND our fall semester completely passed us by!" Koji moaned. "I'm so gonna fail this year..." Tara sighed as well.

"And the bad news is that we're right near Junius Seven should be...except..."

At this point, Ruri brought a visual onscreen. The colony had been shattered into pieces, the wreckage floating silently in the void. Everyone was shocked and heartbroken at this grim sight, but Daisuke was paralyzed as countless emotions rushed through him simultaneously.

Junius Seven was where Hikaru Makibe, his dearest friend, lived.

"This is...beyond horrible," Gamlin finally said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Who could have done this? Junius Seven was an agricultural colony..."

Daisuke knew of only two groups that possessed this kind of destructive power: the Vega Empire, thanks to their Vegatron Bombs...and the Earth Alliance, who possessed nuclear weapons.

Kallen had told him, based on information sent to her from her commander Zero, that King Vega had a ceasefire with ZAFT and the PLANTs. While Daisuke knew that the Empire would eventually break the agreement, they would not do so until the Earth had been conquered...and clearly they had been biding their time.

Those maniacs in Blue Cosmos, fueled by their hatred and fear of Coordinators, nuked the PLANT killed Hikaru and her father along with hundreds of thousands of innocent people. But Daisuke swallowed his anger. He could not hate the Earth and its people...to condemn an entire species for the acts of a small few was against his nature...even the Vega Empire had one or two people he liked. But Blue Cosmos…they could never be forgiven.

"Let's find a place to rest," Daisuke said, trying his hardest not to break down in tears, even though it was plain to everyone just how upset he was and would have gladly shed tears with him.

"It looks like Heliopolis is nearby," Megumi said after running a quick scan. "They're a neutral colony, under Orb's jurisdiction. We should be able to rest there."

* * *

_It's that time again. NEXT TIME ON **SUPER ROBOT WARS U:**_

**-**_The _Nadesico _arrives at Heliopolis, the neutral colony run by Orb. But when ZAFT makes its move, they're in for a battle against opponents that are a cut above anything else they've faced up till now. And was Judau on to something when he groused how a boy just like him would be piloting a Gundam in a meaningless war? Find out this and more on **Chapter 10 - Collapsing Land! It's Name Is Gundam! (Part 1)**. Until next time!_


	16. Chapter 10

****_Sorry this one took so long. Here, have some Gundam SEED plot!  
_

* * *

**Chapter 10: Collapsing Land! Its Name Is Gundam! (Part 1)**

Heliopolis: A floating colony of the neutral country of Orb. Like its earthly benefactor and beneficiary, as well as the space colony Macross, it remained apart from the feud between Naturals and Coordinators, and it was a place where both kinds of humans lived in relative harmony, their dislike of war and conflict exceeding any tensions resulting from the conflict. As such, it was a haven for refugees from the war.

One of its residents was the Yamato family, consisting of a husband, wife and son. The son of that family, Kira, sat in a gazebo in the middle of one of the colony's many parks, rapidly typing away at a laptop keyboard with one hand while holding a notepad in the other, and watching the afternoon news. His typing speed, of course, was far beyond a regular person's.

Anyone who knew him even a little bit would not find this to be a surprise. Kira was a Coordinator, a human being with, among other things, better hand-eye coordination, greater physical strength, accelerated healing, and higher intelligence than a Natural his age. The difference wasn't extreme, but it was certainly noticeable.

"Birdy!"

He looked up from his computer to see a green and yellow robotic bird with red eyes perched on his screen. It moved about with jerky, sporadic motions, not unlike a real songbird.

"…Kira! There you are," a young man's voice called out to him. He looked up. It was his friends Tolle Koenig and Miraillia Haw from school.

"So this is where you're hanging out. Professor Kato was looking for you." Tolle said as the two approached him. Birdy hopped onto Kira's shoulder as he tapped on the top of the screen, causing it to automatically lower.

"…Geez, again?" Kira groaned. "I'm still working on the stuff he sent me yesterday."

"What's it about? Are you helping him with something?"

"Yeah…it's a long story. Let's go!"

As they walked, he thought back on the news. The war between Earth and the PLANTs was getting closer and closer to Heliopolis. He wondered if it really would become a battlefield.

And what was Athrun, his old friend and Birdy's creator, up to?

* * *

Morgenroete Inc. – one of the premiere weapons manufacturing companies in the Earth Sphere, other than Nergal and its business rival, the Crimson Group. Kira and his two friends, along with Sai Argyle and Kuzzey Buskirk, worked here on different projects for their teacher, Professor Kato.

Of course, the crew of the _Nadesico_ had no way of knowing this. Nergal and Morgenroete shared a cordial business relationship, so they knew that they would receive an equally cordial welcome. While Yurika and Mr. Prospector handled things with the managers of the facility, the others were invited to look around, provided they stayed away from the off-limits areas. They were encouraged to go into the city as well.

Christina wanted to go into town to shop with the other girls, so Janus was stuck with Judau. Not that he minded too much, the two had bonded a bit in spite of Janus just being another "stupid adult" to the young Gundam pilot.

They wandered around a bit, and happened upon the very room Kira was in. Judau opted to take a peek inside. He saw Tolle jokingly grab Kira and maintain a light chokehold with his right arm. Judau wasn't worried…he could tell if there was any malicious intent. But as he tried to listen in, his hand hit the door latch, which caught the keen-eared Coordinator's attention.

"Door's open!" Kira grunted as he forced Tolle off of him, assuming that it was Professor Kato. The Coordinator and his friends were surprised to see Janus and Judau enter. The older of the two noticed a blond haired person (he couldn't quite tell the gender) in a thick coat and black hat standing in a corner of the room, but didn't think much of her.

"Oh, hey…I hope we're not interrupting anything," Janus said, looking around a little awkwardly. "We're just, you know, looking around. I hope this area isn't off-limits,"

"No, it's not often we have visitors!" Sai, the young man wearing glasses said.

"I don't think I've seen your faces here in Heliopolis," Kira commented. "You wouldn't happen to be with that ship from Nergal, the _Nadesico_, would you?"

"Wow, you nailed it on the head, man!" Janus said with a laugh. "How could you tell?"

"You smell a little of rust," Kira replied. "It's really faint, but only people who have been on Mars for a sufficient period of time smell like that. After all, its soil is primarily iron oxide. And I heard the _Nadesico_, which was near Mars almost a year ago, just landed here not long ago."

It took Janus a second to figure it out, but he quickly realized Kira's nature.

"Hey…you must be one of those Coordinators I keep hearing about!" Granlif's pilot quipped.

"You have a problem with that?" Mirallia replied, leering at them.

"What? Of course not! I'm not one to judge!" Janus said, shaking his head and holding up his hands defensively, trying to avoid unnecessary conflict. "It's just that I've never met one in person before…first time to the PLANTs and all."

"Say, what are you doing in here?" Judau said as he stepped inside and looked around, particularly at what appeared to be a walking suit of armor. "Working on something fancy?"

"Sorry, that's a company secret!" Kuzzey replied. "If we said anything we'd probably lose our jobs."

"Come on it's not like we'll…" Sai began, when suddenly, a great rumbling that followed a series of loud explosions caused everything in the room to jolt and shake, and the sounds of heavy gunfire could be heard outside.

"No! You have GOT to be kidding me!" Janus roared as he picked himself off the floor.

"What's going on?" Sai exclaimed. "Is it an asteroid?"

"No…something's attacking," Judau said. "You didn't hear those explosions? I sure did!"

"Whatever it is," Kira said, "we need to evacuate."

"Hey, come back with us to the _Nadesico_!" Judau said, grabbing hold of Kira's shirt. "It's not far from here, and you'll be safe from whatever is attacking us!

"We're in Hangar B6, right?" Janus asked Judau as the group rushed outside. "Please tell me I'm right."

"Aargh, stupid adult…" Judau grumbled. "Yes, it was B6. Sub-level B, Hangar 6."

"Hey, that's pretty much three levels directly below us!" Kira said. "Follow me, I know the way!" With that, he took off about as fast as his Coordinator legs could take him. Everyone, including the girl in the brown coat, just barely managed to keep up.

As they ran, Kira suddenly noticed the person in the coat and hat dart off down another hallway, as explosions rocked the entire building.

"You guys go on ahead!" the Coordinator called out. "I'll meet you there!"

* * *

Kira followed the brown coated individual down the hallway. wonder where exactly they were going. As they turned a corner, Kira managed to grab hold of the mystery person's arm, stopping their progress.

"What are you doing? There's no point in going that way!" he said, tugging on the brown coat.

"Why are you following me?" the person yelled, in a voice that did little to reveal their gender. "You have to get out of here!" Another explosion shook the adjacent hallway, blasting air into the corridor. The gust knocked the blond-haired person's hat off...

It turned out the mystery person was a girl, not a boy as Kira first assumed. Her hair didn't quite reach her shoulders, and her golden-brown eyes, momentarily betraying vulnerability, somehow felt familiar to the Coordinator.

Suddenly, the girl's steely resolve returned.

"What? What did you think I was?"

Kira couldn't say much else before another explosion came through the same hallway as before. Going that way was obviously out of the question.

"Just go! I gotta check on something first."

"Um...where? Going back the way I came is kind of impossible now." Kira looked around. Suddenly, he remembered where they were. There were shelters close by. He grabbed the girl's coat and pulled her along.

"Hey you idi..." the girl said before starting to tear up, more out of frustration than anything. "Damn it, I didn't think I would get stuck here."

"Don't worry, I'll help you," Kira said to reassure the girl. "There should be some shelters in the factory district. They hurried along down a hallway, toward a lit doorway.

They came out on the upper level of some underground facility. Both saw what appeared to be new types of mobile suits, and a firefight between workers and what appeared to be ZAFT forces.

The girl recognized the suits for what they were, and collapsed to her knees, holding on to the railing. She was visibly more upset than before.

"I knew it. The Earth's new mobile weapons..." she said quietly before suddenly starting to yell. "Father, how could you...how could you betray us?!"

* * *

The cries caught the attention of a woman, Lieutenant Murrue Ramius, who was wearing an orange jumpsuit, involved in the firefight. She took aim with her gun and fired off a pair of shots, assuming the two people on the upper levels were enemies, but missed. Then she actually saw them.

"Children?" she thought out loud. She then looked up and saw the mobile suits start to move: The Duel, the Buster, and the Blitz, all with the General Unilateral Neuro-link Dispersive Autonomic Maneuver system, known better as G.U.N.D.A.M…they were the secret weapons of the Earth Alliance. They were now in the hands of ZAFT.

The three suits, instead of causing further mayhem, simply took off into the air, back to whatever commander sent these accursed Coordinators.

She looked over at the two remaining ones, the Strike and Aegis. She had to get into one of them and prevent this from being a total loss. She jumped up to the Strike.

"Look out!" a voice called out to her. She turned around and saw another ZAFT solider on the upper level. She fired a few shots, and the soldier dropped to the ground dead. She looked toward the voice. It was that kid from a few moments ago, the one she almost shot.

An explosion burst out of a nearby hallway, knocking the kid down. She heard the cries of her two subordinates as they were gunned down.

"Hey! Down here!" Murrue called out, hoping to keep this kid from getting himself killed. Her expression turned to shock when she saw the boy leap over the railing and land on the mobile suit, which was at least forty feet below him, without so much as a scratch, let alone a broken bone. He got to his feet.

Murrue didn't see the red-clad ZAFT soldier near her, and suddenly felt a horrible pain in her arm as a bullet struck her arm. The boy, who must have been a Coordinator, gasped in horror and leaped to her aid as she fell down, and was now in between her and her attacker. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw two other people rush in from another hallway.

The ZAFT soldier, pulling out a knife, bounded toward them to finish the job, but suddenly locked gazes with the Coordinator boy.

* * *

Janus and Judau, having safely gotten the others outside, decided to go get Kira. They looked around quickly, hoping to find the Coordinator in this mess.

Suddenly, Judau saw him just across the area as he jumped off the balcony to Murrue's aid. Without a second thought, they rushed after him. They had no idea what ZAFT wanted here, but they weren't about to let them get away with it.

* * *

Kira couldn't believe it. Standing right in front of him, pointing a knife at him and the woman…was Athrun…his old friend. What was he doing attacking Heliopolis and as a member of ZAFT?

"…Athrun?"

Athrun looked equally shocked. What was his friend Kira doing here?

"…Kira?"

Neither had time to consider this, as Judau rushed in and slammed into Athrun, knocking the knife out of his hand. The woman quickly pushed Kira into the mysterious mobile suit and dived in after him. Judau and Janus looked down at the giant robot, and both immediately froze in place as they recognized its identity.

It was a Gundam.

Somehow, completely independent of each other, both Earths developed their own Gundams and designed them to be almost exactly the same, right down to the head design. And then they remembered the story of how Amuro first obtained the original Gundam…

"Judau…are you getting that feeling of déjà vu?"

"You mean that history is repeating itself?" the Newtype said as he took a few steps back, sensing that the Gundam was about to activate at any moment. "Or that we just ran into this universe's equivalent of Amuro Ray? Or both?"

Athrun, meanwhile, got to his feet, wondering how a non-Coordinator could hit that hard, especially one so much younger than him.

_Damn it…I let that Natural get the Strike…at least the Aegis is still available._

He rushed over to the suit and hopped in. Quickly, he began to work on reprogramming the suit's OS. In under a minute, he had changed the suit's programming to fit his Coordinator abilities. With that, he fired up the suit.

The Strike was also fired up, and started to rise out of its transport, breaking the restraints that held it in place as an explosion rocked the entire area, which Janus couldn't help to find to be a neat effect that made the machine look all the more awesome.

"C'mon we gotta go, idiot!" Judau cried out. "Or do you want to get deep fried?!"

"Oh…yeah…" Janus said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Man, I could use an ice cold Spiral Cola right about now…"

* * *

"This has probably been said already, but this is REALLY getting old!" Koji groaned as he prepared to sortie once again in Double Spazer. "We leave a fight from Mars and the next thing we know we're in another, with civilians to be careful about! Our universe must like sick jokes or something! And the girls…"

"Yes, I hope they're okay as well," Daisuke replied, trying to shake the image of Heliopolis blowing up with all his friends inside it from his mind. "And where are Janus and Judau? I hope they didn't get lost in the building."

* * *

The Strike teetered and wobbled as it made its way out of the ruined hangar. It was approached by a small number of GINNs. The Aegis stood nearby, with Athrun as its pilot. A GINN with a large sword stepped forward.

"Athrun, you get out of here. I'll secure the Strike," the GINN's pilot, Miguel, said, eager to get his chance to take the prize for himself.

He rushed at the Strike. Murrue, thinking quickly, pressed a button on the console and raised the mech's arms as Miguel slashed with his sword. The Gundam, formerly colorless and without any sort of decoration, turned vivid white, with red and blue accents.

"…What the?!" Miguel exclaimed.

_Phase shift armor_, Athrun thought. "Miguel, that mech's phase-shift armor will render your saber useless. You'd better try something else."

"Yeah, yeah…just get back to Commander Creuset."

Aegis took off, as Athrun pondered this strange turn of events.

_Why would Kira…no…it couldn't have been him_…

Murrue, meanwhile, struggled as Miguel struck the Strike again and again, battering the Phase Shift armor with his sword. Even something like that couldn't handle repeated assaults. Kira looked down and saw his friends running for their lives.

_Sai…Mirallia…Tolle…Kuzzey…_

"…A Natural piloting a mobile suit? What a joke!" Miguel laughed.

As Murrue frantically tried to get the suit to move properly, Kira noticed something about the OS: it was absolutely terrible. Pieces of code were missing, entire vital functions needed writing. Going into battle with this kind of operating system was suicide.

"Well excuse me, mister best programmer ever, but the OS is incomplete! Of course it's terrible"

"Well, then let me finish it! Please, let me sit there!"

Murrue looked at the kid like he was crazy, but considering their situation, there wasn't much else she could do. She moved aside and let Kira sit in the seat. He grabbed the keyboard and began typing away as fast as his hands could, his eyes darting to and fro as he began plugging up the holes in the OS.

Miguel charged forward, when suddenly the mech fired off its head vulcans, slowing his charge. Then his GINN received a massive punch to the face, sending it stumbling backward into a building. Even as it did this, Kira kept typing away, his mind racing at a thousand miles per hour while still making hairpin turns, to make a fitting analogy.

Two and a half tense minutes of typing later, Kira stopped and slumped over the keyboard. The Gundam steadied itself, and assumed a proper fighting stance as several GINNs, mechs resembling Zeon Zakus, but with crests on their heads, flew overhead, and four others landed.

"Well, any ideas, kid?" Murrue grunted, applying pressure her still-raw and bleeding wound. "I might have a little more faith in you if it was two or three of them…but…"

"We're facing sixteen of them," Kira said, quickly running the math in his head. "Yeah, I know. I'll do the best I can. There are still a few kinks in the code, but I promise I'll fix if we get out of this alive."

One of the GINNs rushed forward, gun blazing, but the Gundam leapt out of the way and plunged the Armor Scheniders, knives built into the suit's frame, into the GINNs back. Kira, knowing that he was facing a fellow Coordinator, took care not to destroy the cockpit.

But then another pair of GINNs moved in and opened fire. Kira instinctively made the robot enter a guarding pose, and the bullets bounced off its Phase Shift Armor. But he saw that his luck had just about run out as one of them drew a larger beam gun and took aim…

But then he nearly fell backwards in the Gundam when the Double Zeta dashed in and sliced the GINN in two, his beam saber just missing the cockpit.

_What kind of mobile suit is that?! _Kira thought as he got a good look at ZZ Gundam. _It's like the Strike…but it has so much more_…

"Hey! Whoever's in there…get that Gundam to that battleship! It's just over the ridge! We'll hold off these goons!"

"…Judau!" Kira exclaimed, wondering why Judau was referring the OS and not the machine. "What are you doing piloting a mobile suit?"

"I'd ask you the same question, Kira," the Newtype said. "But we'll talk later…you aren't going to beat this many enemies with a couple of toothpicks like those!"

But before much else could be said, something big burst out of the hangar as two huge beams pierced the outer wall…another battleship.

"…The _Archangel_!" Murrue exclaimed. "Kira, make for that ship, and leave the fighting to this mobile suit!"

"But…"

"…Hey, Kira!" Janus' voice came over the Strike's communicator. Granlif landed with a thud in front of the Strike and drew the Gran Claymore.

"…Janus?! What in the world is THAT?!" Kira exclaimed. He had never seen a robot that big before.

"This? This is what you call a Super Robot! There are more of them on the way, courtesy of Nergal Corporation and the _Nadesico_!"

"More enemies are coming," Murrue noted. "I suggest we head for the _Archangel_." Kira nodded, and the Strike started forward toward the new battleship.

* * *

…_Hm? Could that be..._ Rau Le Creuset thought as he spotted Granlif and ZZ Gundam defending the Morgenroete facility, and the _Nadesico _rising out of the facility. _Yes, it's them, just as Samael said...I'll snuff them out before they grow to be more of a nuisance._

"This is Creuset to all units. Secure the last remaining G, and destroy the ones defending it."

He darted toward ZZ Gundam, his Coordinator mind making a rapid series of calculations of where to strike. Drawing his beam saber, he readied to destroy it in one blow. To his shock, the Double Zeta whirled around and blocked his attack with its own beam saber, and fired its vulcans, forcing Rau's GINN Commander-type backward.

"What power…This is the might of the mobile suits from another world?" he grunted.

"What's wrong? Scared?" Judau taunted him. "Yeah, you know you can't challenge the Double Zeta in a Zaku wannabe!" Judau's Newtype senses warned him of another on-rushing enemy, but before he could rush to strike it down, Shin Getter 1 zipped in and tried to slash it in two with its tomahawk. The Coordinator inside bounded out of the way, allowing Judau to shoot it down with its shoulder-mounted beam cannons.

"Go, Gai? What are you doing here? Don't you need Kei?" Janus said as he saw Getter land.

"Shin Jaguar is running on auto-pilot. We can fight, but we can't form Getter 2," Gai replied. "I wish we could, because these guys are quick!"

"Where's everyone else?" Judau said as he took aim at Rau, who was trying to move in again.

"The ladies have just made it back, and will be deploying shortly," Daisuke said over the communicator as Grendizer, with Double Spazer on its back, landed and readied its Double Haken. "Akito and Kittan are just over the ridge."

"…Ha-ha-ha-ha! Man, these Coordinators are anything but!" Kittan laughed as he jumped over the building. "I might as well be shooting fish in a barrel!"

At that moment, a beam rifle shot struck King Kittan and sent it spiraling down. Rau had just struck him.

"Hey! Lay off Kittan, ya jerk!" Janus bellowed and spurred Granlif onward. Several more GINNs entered the colony, all of them armed to the teeth.

"Man, what a day…" Judau sighed as he readied his weapons.

* * *

Janus flew straight at Rau, hoping to get a piece of him. He drew the Gran Claymore and raised it to strike the masked Coordinator, but his swing completely missed as the GINN dropped altitude before unleashing another beam rifle blast.

"…You stupid boy!" Rau laughed. "Do you think you can be some kind of hero and defeat me? Self-righteous people such as you will be the instruments of our own downfall!"

"Can the lecture, buddy, and hold still!" Janus roared. "GRAN BITS!" Several Gran Bits shot out and made their moves on Rau. The Coordinator was baffled for a moment, but managed to dodge the attack drones easily enough.

_Fascinating…wireless attack drones. I must ask Samael how they work and then apply it to our own machines…_

His attention momentarily faltered, allowing Granlif to get a clear shot.

"KARMA KNUCKLE!"

Granlif's two fists shot out, striking Rau's GINN hard, sending it tumbling to the ground.

Rau only had a moment to look before he saw something else approaching at high speed: the Strike, hefting a massive sword...

* * *

"_Two of the ships have met?"_

"_Yes, my lord. But we shan't fail thee again. I promise thee."_

"_I warned you not to talk that way around me, Samael. It's annoying."_

"_Yeah, lay off. We may be holy and stuff, but we don't have to be all 'thou must this' and 'if it is thy will that'...it's so cliché."_

"…_Fine. But I still promise you. I'll destroy both the Nadesico and the Archangel. I'll re-enter battle to make sure that it occurs! Besides, I have to get back at the pilot of Lifthrasir for the humiliation she put me through." _

"_Remember, both Lifthrasir and Granlif are vital components to our plan. If either of their pilots perishes, you will be stripped of your status…and perhaps your life."_

"_Very well…by your leave."_

* * *

_Welp, it's that time again. NEXT TIME ON **SUPER ROBOT WARS U...**  
_

_The_ Nadesico _and _Archangel _have joined forces, and must now defend Heliopolis from the attacks of ZAFT. But how does Rau know the mysterious Samael? Why are the winged beings so interested in Granlif and Lifthrasir? What pain will they cause to achieve their goals? Find out next time in **Chapter 11: Collapsing Land! Its Name Is Gundam! (Part 2)**. Until next time!_


	17. Chapter 11

****_Woo, more SEED plot! Also, a few surprises for you all.  
_

* * *

**Chapter 11 _– _Collapsing Land! Its Name Is Gundam! (Part 2)**

There was little time for formal introductions, as ZAFT would surely make another move in the very near future. Kira had dealt heavy damage to Rau Le Creuset's GINN with the Strike Sword Frame, forcing the Coordinator army to retreat. But with Rau still very much alive, Murrue knew they would be back. With that in mind, Murrue contacted the _Nadesico_.

"We should work together, you say?" Mr. Prospector said with some concern. "You do realize this is technically a civilian ship, don't you? If we help you, the _Nadesico_ would have to formally come under the control of the Earth Alliance."

"This is merely temporary," Ensign Natarle Badguriel, now second in command of the Earth Alliance ship, replied. "I don't see what is wrong with this."

"Um, can't we just work together without having to come under Alliance control?" Yurika asked. "Morgenroete gave us supplies and helped repair the _Nadesico_."

"As much as I hate to say it," Ruri said, "we may be better off just leaving…"

"Of course we'll help them," Daisuke interrupted. "We can't allow another atrocity like the destruction of Junius Seven to happen!"

"Yeah," Judau replied. "You can count me and Double Zeta in!"

"My Grendizer will lend its strength to Heliopolis' defense," Daisuke said.

One by one, each of the crew members of the _Nadesico_ offered to help defend Heliopolis from ZAFT, with varying levels of enthusiasm of course. Ruri sighed, wondering just how they could continue to throw themselves into battles like this. Maybe there was something about people she didn't understand.

As the group went their separate ways, Ruri did her routine system check on Omoikane. The Morgenroete employees had been allowed to enter the _Nadesico _to work on repairing everything, including the system, and Ruri wanted to make sure they didn't screw anything up. Opening up the main system log file, she quickly scanned it for anything suspicious.

It didn't take long for her to notice it. Someone had copied and downloaded the file of the plans for Great Mazinger utilizing Morgenroete's own systems.

An overwhelming sensation of dread filled Ruri. She knew that things were about to get a lot worse.

* * *

"What? You want us to go back out there?" Yzak, the new pilot of the Duel exclaimed as he and his other comrades Athrun Zala, Nicol Amalfi and Dearka Elsman from the team that stole the Aegis, Duel, Blitz and Buster mobile suits received their new orders from Rau. "I'm all for wiping out Naturals, but we literally just got four of the five G's! Cut us a little slack, Commander. If they get destroyed, all of our planning and effort will have been wasted!"

"Think of it as an opportunity to test their capabilities," Rau suggested calmly, his fingers steeple together rather ominously. "My mobile suit is currently undergoing repairs after a rather…badly timed encounter with the fifth G, and I want you to lead the attack in my stead. Athrun, I believe you're the most suited for the job. You ARE your father's son, after all."

"Yes, sir," Athrun said, wondering if Kira really was in the Strike. He didn't want to fight anymore for a while, but he had to confirm whether or not his friend was piloting that mobile suit. Just as he said this, a buzzing sound could be heard, indicating someone was outside Creuset's chamber. They saluted him and glided out, the near zero-gravity environment allowing them to do so. They took no heed of the person just outside, who huffed at them for being so rude.

"Stay a moment, Nicol. My guest wishes to meet you personally. You went through quite a bit of trouble to get what he wanted, I feel you deserve to give it to him yourself."

The one who sounded the buzzer came in: a young man in his mid twenties with long, dark blond hair. His air of disdain, his vivid, commanding eyes, not to mention his rather royal attire, all gave him away as a prince of Britannia…its third prince, Clovis la Britannia.

"Ah, my old friend Rau le Creuset," Clovis said, being unusually friendly to the Coordinator. "It's simply a delight to see your masked face again!" Clovis was known to look down upon anyone who was not of the Britannian Royal Family, but he couldn't help but love being around Rau.

"Clovis…you avoided a nasty death, I see."

"Yes, your suggestion of using a body double was brilliant! Even my brother Lelouch, smart boy that he is, couldn't tell the difference! Neither could my father, too...he made this massive media fiasco about my death and delivered the most wonderful speech! I couldn't possibly go back and spoil that! Besides, I was tired of ruling Area 11. I want to do something TRULY meaningful, if you understand me?"

"Yes. You want to see the world engulfed in chaos, as I do," Rau chuckled. "To that end, I have what the Empire desires. Nicol, if you would."

"Yes, sir," the green-haired Coordinator said. He reached into a pocket in his pilot suit and pulled out a black memory drive and knelt deferentially before the Britannian prince, the drive cradled between his cupped hands. He felt slightly ill kneeling to a Natural.

Clovis smiled and delicately picked up the memory stick with two fingers and gazed at it with a smirk.

"So these are the plans to Great Mazinger. The power to become a god or a demon rests on this tiny piece of hardware…the power to change the world. Not through naïve talk, but through unbridled might!"

Rau smirked. Clovis used to be such a weakling when they met, barely three years ago, at a party he attended that Patrick hoped would result in an alliance between Britannia and ZAFT. While it failed overall, Clovis became entranced by Rau's vision of a chaotic world, and not long after the liquidation of Shinjuku (which he ordered), he decided to come to the PLANTs. Rau had slowly managed to change the narcissistic coward into someone worthy of calling a brother.

Suddenly, he clasped his head and literally began foaming at the mouth as a seizure suddenly came over him. He feverishly reached into a desk drawer, pulled out a bottle of blue and white pills, took four out with a quaking hand, stuffed them into his mouth and swallowed, all with Clovis watching with shock and a look of genuine concern. The masked man panted for a bit, then composed himself.

"Rau, what was that all about?" Clovis exclaimed.

"It happens occasionally. I…am not sure why. The pills do help, though."

Clovis crossed his arms and shook his head. "Poor Rau, you're hardly one to call yourself a Coordinator if you have a seizure like that at the drop of a hat."

Rau chuckled as he relaxed. Clovis didn't know it, but he was completely right. Rau wasn't a true Coordinator. He was ZAFT's greatest ace, though, and thus he was able to hide the fact that he wasn't one at all.

"No Coordinator is truly perfect, my friend," Rau replied, reassuming his calm, composed state. "But that is for another time. Would you like to watch our forces lay waste to Heliopolis? It's going to be quite a show."

"Oh, joy! I do love fireworks! You have our favorite wine, no?"

Rau raised a bottle of wine with a ZAFT label on it. "This is one of the very last bottles of Chateau Petrus ever produced on Junius Seven. I obtained this prize just before those Alliance barbarians nuked that colony into oblivion. Savor it, for none shall taste the likes of it again."

* * *

The _Archangel _was hardly a luxurious vessel, being it was a military-issue ship rather than a civilian one like the _Nadesico_. Its facilities were well-made, but plain, consisting of only what was necessary for military life. After being on the _Nadesico_, Kira, Sai and the others were in no hurry to take advantage of what few luxury amenities the ship Murrue commanded had.

What it did have was a vending machine, and Kira was determined to take advantage of it. He swiped his special cash card, issued by Orb Intercolonial Bank, and pressed the button to drop a bag of Gekiganger Passion Chips, a treat from Earth he ate once and loved, but his parents never let him eat, saying it was unhealthy. It also happened that Hyoma Aoi, leader of the Combattler team, was also looking for a snack, since he and the rest of his team was assigned to the _Archangel _temporarily.

"Oh, hey! You're that Coordinator who pilots the Strike Gundam! Nice to meet ya!" he greeted Kira cheerfully. "Hyoma Aoi's the name."

Kira, hardly in the mood to talk, only glanced at Hyoma. "First, my name's Kira Yamato…second, G.U.N.D.A.M is its operating system's name, not the machine's…and third, I only pilot the Strike because apparently I'm the only one who can. Happy, now?" He stepped aside and let Hyoma have his turn at the vending machine.

"Sheesh, lighten up. I'm just trying to be social," Hyoma replied, taken aback by Kira's attitude. Even though he had a good idea of what Kira was going through, the Combattler team leader still felt a little resentful at being pushed away like this.

"Whatever…I'm off to bed. Wake me when we sortie."

Just behind him came Gamlin and a blond man Hyoma didn't recognize, and they both saw Kira enter a nearby door. The blond man shook his head silently before going up to Hyoma.

"I'm sure you had nothing but good intentions, but cut him some slack," the man replied. "He's just been in battle for the first time. It always does that to people."

"Yes, very true," Gamlin replied.

"Gamlin, why are you talking to yourself...oh, hi," he said, seeing the blond man behind him.

"Lieutenant Mu La Flaga, Alliance pilot," the blond man said, extending his hand to shake Hyoma's. "You're the pilot of Combattler V, I take it?"

"Mu LA Flaga?" Hyoma said, suddenly assuming the same tone Kira had shown just moments ago. "You wouldn't happen to be related to those scummy Britannian royals, would you?"

"Hyoma, of all…" Gamlin scolded before Mu cut him off.

"Actually, I am," Mu answered rather frankly. "Ol' Charles is my old man's second cousin or something…certainly not proud of the blood relationship. My old man certainly was, though. But if you're thinking you can use me to get at him, don't bother. My old man and that crazy Emperor disowned each other after some stupid argument. He wouldn't speak to me if I was the last man alive."

"Oh…anyway," Hyoma said, resuming a more friendly tone. "I'm just one of them. Combattler is formed by a total of five different machines, so there are four other pilots."

"That'll be something to see when we sortie," Mu replied. "I guess I'll see you on the battlefield, Hyoma."

"Sure, see you 'round, Mu," Hyoma replied. Gamlin and Mu continued walking, chatting about some military matters.

_Why do they sound so similar? _Hyoma thought. _It's like they're voiced by the same person…_

* * *

"Murrue was right," Ruri said to Yurika as she looked over the scanners. "I'm picking up a lot of ZAFT mobile suits and battleships heading toward the colony. Fifty-two ZAFT-issue mobile suits and eight battleships…as well as four mobile suits that are registered as Earth Alliance models. No known model numbers, though."

"The stolen G's," Murrue said grimly over the communicator. "ZAFT is already turning them against us."

"Should we try and retrieve them, or just destroy them, ma'am?" Akito asked.

"Protecting Heliopolis is our main priority," Murrue replied. "And mobile suits can always be rebuilt. You have permission to terminate the stolen G's."

Kira didn't like the idea of that at all. Regardless, he would fight to protect Sai, Mirallia and the others on the _Archangel_, as well as everyone on Heliopolis. But still...was Athrun really the one who stole the Aegis?

As the Coordinator looked around, he suddenly noticed something wrong with Heliopolis. It definitely didn't seem structurally sound all of a sudden. Did the battle inside the colony destabilize it? He tried not to think about it. He knew his parents were safely in an escape transport, and would likely be jettisoned safely away should the colony actually fall apart.

"Hey, Kira," Koji's voice came over his communicator.

"Huh?"

"I'm glad you're on our side," Koji replied. "The name's Koji Kabuto. Let's take out these ZAFT punks together!"

Kira shook his head in disgust. He couldn't believe this guy ENJOYED fighting. He wanted to say something, but then decided it was better that he just did what he had to do.

Soon enough, the ZAFT forces came into view.

"All units…engage the enemy!" Murrue declared. "We must protect the colony!"

The combined forces of the _Nadesico _and _Archangel _charged forward at the ZAFT troops, their hearts filled with courage and bravery.

* * *

Yzak growled with frustration as his shots continually failed to hit Kallen's agile Knightmare Frame, a tiny machine not even remotely suited for space battles, only capable of moving about thanks to Uribatake's modified 0G Frame that he built for the machine.

"Damn it, you stupid Natural! Hold still!" Yzak roared as he fired several shots from his beam rifle, which Kallen effortlessly dodged. She suddenly wheeled around and powered on her claw. Thankfully, she had remembered to switch it back to its energy as opposed to its sonic setting, or else Planet Dance might have started up again.

"Your machine may be bigger, but this hand of mine, which glows with power, WILL defeat you!" Kallen bellowed, once again using a public channel to make sure her opponent heard her.

"Really? Show me the power of that shining finger, then!" Yzak replied, drawing the Duel's beam saber.

The two machines clashed repeatedly, energy claw meeting beam saber, neither side giving an inch.

Kallen whirled around as a ZAFT GINN tried to sneak up on her, only to have its head ripped off by its slash harkens. She dodged Yzak's attack, and jammed the claw into the Duel's head, piercing its Phase Shift Armor with terrifying ease. The Duel was able to shake off the Guren, but the damage was done.

"Stupid Natural!" he growled. "You'll rue the day you messed with ZAFT!" He fired off a grenade launcher shot, which she easily dodged, only to see it strike Heliopolis, making a crack in the thick transparent wall that separated the inside of the colony from the void of space. With that, Yzak retreated.

* * *

"Get out of my way!" Athrun yelled as he tried to find Kira in this chaotic mess, only to be confronted by Shin Getter 1.

"You will not harm this colony," Go replied in his usual terse manner. "GETTER SCYTHE-O!"

Shin Getter extended its long, grim scythe and took hold of it before rushing at the Aegis at great speed. Athrun's Coordinator reflexes allowed him to dodge the Super Robot's vicious attacks, but it was always just barely.

"GETTER BEEEEEAAAAAAAAAM!"

The red robot fired the green Getter Beam from its head, managing to strike Athrun's machine square in the chest. The Phase Shift Armor held out, but it was showing visible strain from the force of the attack.

"Ha! So much for being a superior human!" Gai taunted. "Go, let's finish this guy off!"

But Athrun was quick to counterattack. He fired off several shots from its beam rifle, then began attacking with its arm and foot-mounted beam sabers, the weapons cutting deep gashes into Getter's armor, forcing it back.

"Damn it, Go…let's not push our luck," Kei grunted. "Let's have Sayaka patch up Getter!"

"Understood. OPEN GET!"

Getter split off into its three component machines and sped back towards the _Nadesico_. With that threat temporarily out of the way, Athrun continued to look for the Strike…

* * *

"Koji, stay vigilant…the Blitz is using its Mirage Colloid," Daisuke said as Grendizer, with Double Spazer. "But if Captain Ramius' explanation is correct, its Phase Shift Armor cannot be used at the same time. If we can locate it and strike it, it will fall easily."

"But how can we detect it? The thing's invisible to all forms of radar, and there's no air for it to disturb here in space."

But Daisuke had faced this sort of threat in his battles against the Vega Empire, who had long since perfected combat-purpose invisibility, and knew exactly how to deal with it. Such tricks used up a lot of energy, and sooner or later their opponent would have to drop his invisibility.

As Grendizer pushed away several GINNs, Daisuke focused his mind, anticipating when the Blitz, which had been orbiting the Super Robot, would make its move.

Nicol, in the meantime, continued orbiting, waiting for the right moment to attack. He knew something of Grendizer's power: it was an alien machine capable of withstanding all manner of attacks…and that it was stolen from those aliens that Athrun's father met.

The Coordinator noticed that his energy was starting to run low, and that he had to make his move now and get back to the main ship to refuel. He dropped his Mirage Colloid and switched back to the Phase Shift Armor as the mech lived up to its name, moving in on Grendizer at lightning speed.

But Daisuke had anticipated this. He didn't even have to move his arms...just his head.

"SPACE THUNDER!"

The bolt of cosmic energy shot out of the Super Robot's head, striking the Blitz dead-on, and shorting out its Phase Shift Armor.

"Gotcha! CYCLONE BEEEEAAAM!" Koji yelled. Double Spazer fired its own beams, striking the staggered Blitz.

"No…I can't die here…sorry, everyone…" Nicol grunted. He spurred the Blitz into a full retreat, devoting its remaining energy to escape. Grendizer, of course, held its ground as a pair of GINNs rushed it.

* * *

Dearka, in the Buster was dodging and rolling as it exchanged beam rifle shots with Tara while both were on the move. Janus was off dealing with the ZAFT battleships, leaving his partner to deal with the last remaining of the stolen Gundams.

Neither was able to land a hit, Xemmey and Tara together possessed a total piloting skill beyond even many Coordinator pilots, and Dearka was able to react more quickly than any Natural could, even in the heavy Buster.

"Hey, you're not half-bad…for a Natural!" Dearka quipped. "But without that crazy OS you must have, I'd have shot you down as soon as you even looked at me!"

"Oh yeah? Well, there's one thing I can do that you can't, mister big shot!" Tara retorted.

"And what's that?"

"Fight at close range."

Dearka looked down at his systems in shock. Quickly flipping through his OS, he found that Buster indeed lacked any sort of close combat weaponry.

_Nuts…_ Dearka thought. He spurred Buster into full reverse.

Tara fired up a turbo booster on Lifthrasir, causing it to rocket forward straight at Dearka. At that speed, even the Coordinator couldn't judge when to dodge. But Xemmey knew exactly when to strike.

"Eat beam tonfas, jerkwad!"

Lifthrasir slashed at Buster Gundam repeatedly with its weapons while it vainly tried to escape. But as Tara moved back for a finishing blow, Dearka quickly acted. He readied the mech's beam cannon and fired it quickly, catching its opponent in the blast.

The shot went all the way through the void and striking the _Nadesico_'s Distortion Field, where it bounced off, and struck Heliopolis, causing another large piece to fall off. Tara winced when she saw it, giving Buster enough time to escape.

"Tara, there are six GINNs assaulting the _Archangel_. We should leave the Buster for now."

"Right."

Lifthrasir sped back towards the Alliance battleship.

* * *

Kira was fighting with all his might. The Strike was equipped with its Aile Striker Pack, the aerial maneuvering frame that had all of the basic tools: a beam rifle and beam saber, much like Amuro's own RX-78 Gundam. GINNs seemed to swarm him from all sides, but he was able to dodge and strike them all, taking care not to destroy their cockpits or cause the mechs to explode. The Coordinator hated war more than most people, even being merciful to his enemies. He watched as various ZAFT pilots quickly bailed out of their machines and used their ejection seats to return to the ship.

But as he pushed another GINN off of him, he saw a purple mobile suit rush toward him: the Aegis. He had just enough time to parry its beam saber with his own.

_Those reflexes…_

_That speed…_

"Athrun…what are you doing in that machine?"

"Kira…what are YOU doing fighting for the Alliance?"

That confirmed it for both of them. The two friends were now enemies. But neither gave up hope of convincing the other that their side was in the right.

"Kira, you're a Coordinator! Why would you side with them? Please, let me take you to ZAFT!"

"No way! I am NOT joining ZAFT!" Kira yelled, backing up and firing a few beam rifle shots. Athrun dodged it, but a GINN just behind them was struck by it, blasting its head off. The pilot managed to bail out in time, much to Kira's relief.

"Then tell me why you're against us! Why are you fighting for the Naturals?!"

Kira only needed to think for a split second for his answer. He thought of Sai, of Tolle, of Kuzzey, of Mirallia, and of Flay…his friends.

"Because…I WILL PROTECT MY FRIENDS!"

He wheeled around and tried to fire his beam rifle. It only got off one shot, which Athrun blocked with his shield.

_No…of all the times to run out of energy… _Kira thought frantically. At that same moment, the Strike's Phase Shift Armor faded, removing the Gundam's white, blue and red color scheme and returning it to its dull grey color.

But before Athrun could take advantage of this opening, Judau, using the ZZ Gundam in its G-Fortress form, barreled into the Aegis.

"No way! You're not gonna take Kira down today!" Judau roared. "Hey Kira, the _Archangel'_s got a present for you, courtesy of your buddy Mu La Flaga! Get your rear over there so we can end this!"

Kira nodded and rushed into the path of the _Archangel_. Once he had positioned himself, he waited. From the catapult came the third of the Striker Packs: the Launcher pack.

Meanwhile, Athrun managed to push the G-Fortress off, which shifted back into the ZZ Gundam. He had not seen this machine before.

_What the? That looks like the Strike?! What the hell is going on here?_ _There was no mention of a G like this thing!_

"Listen, pal. I don't want to have to make this get any uglier than it's already gotten," Judau said, pointing his beam rifle at the Aegis "You can just fly away right now, and we won't pursue you. Or you can fight and get your Coordinator tail thrashed by Double Zeta and the rest of us!"

Athrun looked behind ZZ Gundam and saw that Kira had successfully switched to the Launcher pack, and was blasting GINNs left and right.

But then he heard a voice in his head…

_Athrun Zala. Leave this battle to us. Return to your brethren._

Athrun nearly leaped out of his skin when he saw white portal opens all around him.

* * *

Tara looked up near where Judau and Athrun, and gasped when she recognized the white portals.

They were back.

From out of the portals came another thirty-five of the winged statue beings. But then she noticed several other, somewhat different beings: eight of them were colored like pure, polished brass and wearing crested helmets as well as carrying heavy swords, and four of them were made of bronze, were lithe, classically beautiful maidens with flowing gowns and hair, and carried scepters. And after them, a familiar, granite-colored face appeared: Samael, already brandishing his scythe.

Everyone on the defenders native to the Flourishing World that had participated in the escape through the Big Barrier recognized these new combatants. Kittan, who was just finishing off a ZAFT battleship, turned and recognized the figures as well. Judau moved back a little, and Athrun took off, wondering who these mysterious figures were that had just saved him.

"You…you're the one that killed my friend Gai!" Akito exclaimed angrily when he recognized Samael. "I'll make you pay!" Akito spurred his Aestivalis forward, and upped the Distortion Field. "EAT THIS! GEKIGAN FLAAAAARE!"

But Samael was ready this time. He slashed at Akito's Aestivalis, creating a deep cut in it with such force that it stopped dead in its tracks, before kicking it back towards the _Nadesico _like a ball.

"Akito!" Tara cried. But the Aestivalis pilot was able to slow himself down enough that it lightly bumped the _Nadesico _when it finally collided, rather than making a huge hole in it.

"What in the world?!" Kei exclaimed. "He just sent Akito flying like he was nothing!"

"He who challenges the will of the universe is doomed," Samael declared.

"What? The will of the universe? Are you supposed to be some sort of judge or something?"

"It is not for you to know. Principalities! Powers! Virtues! Destroy those who defy the will of God and make their lives here in the heavens!"

_Principalities…Powers…and Virtues? _Mu, flying around in the Moebius Zero, thought, remembering back to a data file on old religions he had read. _Those sound like…members of an angelic hierarchy… _

The angel-like beings rushed in, weapons drawn. Judau quickly drew his beam rifle, but Samael slashed it in two, then conjured up a pair of smaller scythes and threw them at ZZ Gundam and telekinetically threw them at the Gundam. The first missed entirely, but the second struck the Gundam right in the forehead. It didn't critically damage the head, but it was enough to disable the mech's ultimate weapon. Judau dashed away, not about to push his luck with such a cunning opponent.

"Daisuke, be careful! These guys are quick!" Koji warned Grendizer's pilot. "Let's try and defeat their leader. I bet they'll all flee if we take him down!"

"Yes, good plan, Koji. Let's move! DOUBLE HAKEN!"

Grendizer popped its twin blades out of its shoulders and linked them together, then rushed into the swarm of enemies.

"Everyone! Be careful!" Yurika warned. "These winged beings are as dangerous as any mobile suit, in spite of their size! Don't let them swarm you! Ruri, ready the Gravity Blast."

"I don't care what these guys are; we'll beat them all the same!" Kei declared. "Go, let's show 'em Shin Getter's power!"

"Understood. GETTER TOMAHAWK…BOOOOOOOMERANG!"

Shin Getter extended an axe from its shoulders, and tossed it as hard as it could. The spinning axe struck down several Principalities, the marble-colored angels.

Kira, meanwhile, was turning the Launcher Strike on the new enemies, its massive beam wiping out several more Principalities and a Power, one of the brass-colored angels.

"Tara, you know that guy?" Janus said as he flew Granlif over to her.

"That guy…I fought him before we got to Macross. I don't know what he wants, but he has to be stopped. Last time, he killed Akito's best friend. And…"

She watched Grendizer and the others engage Samael, only to be pushed back. But Tara gasped in horror as she saw Samael grab Double Spazer and rip it right off of Grendizer's back. She saw him look straight at her, and she heard him speak into her mind…

_Tell me, Tara Zifell…how much does this young man matter to you? Ah, so this Koji Kabuto person is a dear friend. Well then…_

"NOOOOO! KOJIIIIIIIII!" Tara screamed, rushing at full speed to finish Samael off in one attack.

Koji furiously tried to eject from Double Spazer, but Samael has killed the machinery that did so. He helplessly banged on the window, his face filled with terror.

"Farewell, Koji Kabuto. You shall not get in our way ever again!" He conjured up a white portal, and tossed Double Spazer into it with all his might. It flew straight into the portal, already nearly the speed of sound. And it came out right in the Earth's upper atmosphere.

Koji screamed as he yanked hard on the controls to stop Double Spazer's descent, even as the temperature inside climbed higher and higher, the heat of re-entry threatening to bake Koji alive…

"KOJI!" Daisuke cried out as rage once again filled his heart. First Hikaru, and now Koji. He had already lost two of his dear friends. Samael smiled wickedly as Tara rushed at him. He didn't even care when she sliced him clean in two.

The remaining angels broke off from combat and got to work on finishing off the crumbling Heliopolis. The Principalities and Powers threw their spears and fired energy waves from their swords; the Virtues launched bolts of celestial lightning from their rods, critically damaging the already unstable colony. Soon, hundreds of escape pods jettisoned from the crumbling structure. The Virtues quickly went to work blasting several of them apart, killing the civilians inside.

The defenders of the dying colony could only watch in helpless shock at these atrocities.

"My, my, wanton destruction IS fun!" Samael laughed. "Rau Le Creuset certainly knows how to stay amused!"

_Angels…and Creuset? _Mu thought, baffled to no end. _What the hell is the host of heaven working with a deranged man like him?_

Tara attacked again, screaming with uncontrolled grief, but Samael disappeared into a portal, as did the remaining angels.

* * *

The _Nadesico _and _Archangel _had failed. Heliopolis was being reduced to rubble, and all they could do was flee. Murrue offered to ensure that the _Nadesico _could return safely to Earth, and would work to keep them from being drafted into the Alliance military.

For the entirety of re-entry, Tara buried her face in Janus' chest as she mourned her dear friend Koji Kabuto.

* * *

_So, Clovis is alive and Koji is dead. Maybe. Anyway, next time on **Super Robot Wars U**!  
_

_-Tara and the other students at Ashford Academy return there and study to make up for lost time. But do they honestly think that life will return to normal? Not with Britannia possessing the plans for Great Mazinger, and especially not with a mysterious young man with the power to read minds looking to wreak havoc on the school! What sort of explosive plans does this fellow have? What sort of humorous situations can our heroes get into before tragedy inevitably strikes? Find out next time on **Chapter 12****: Ashford Held Hostage! Mao the Reprehensible!**  
_


	18. Chapter 12

_No battles in this chapter, but a lot of scenes I really enjoyed writing. Don't worry, next chapter is gonna have a lot of battles, because we're coming up on a route split!  
_

* * *

**Chapter 12 – Ashford Held Hostage! Mao the Reprehensible**

It was odd for Tara and her Ashford classmates to return to school after being absent for so long. They had crazy adventures, fought great battles, and now they returned to their normal, mundane lives. At least for Tara, she hoped it was a return to normalcy, even with Koji gone. She left Lifthrasir in the care of Photon Power Labs, which had managed to avoid the worst of Britannia's wrath, even when they handed over the fake plans.

Meanwhile, Murrue Ramius had managed to clear every civilian aboard the _Nadesico_ from having to enter the Alliance military, mostly due to their Britannian semi-citizenship.

But the best part of it was that she was home. Even in a land under the heel of a foreign power, home was home. A feeling of relief she had not felt in months filled every part of her, even as she heard sobbing coming from inside. She could hardly wait to see her parents' grief melt away like snow in the face of a spring sun as she knocked on the door. Janus, whom she was dying to introduce to them, stood next to her.

"Just…a moment…" her mother Haruhi's voice called out between sobs. Tara put on her best happy expression. Moments later the woman opened the door. Her hair was disheveled and she looked twenty years older than she did already, and she wore all white, which was the traditional funeral color for Japanese.

"…Hi, Mom. I'm home."

Haruhi began to weep again, but embraced her daughter with surprising strength for such a small woman. Janus felt a twinge of jealousy. His parents died when he was young, and what few memories he had of them weren't pleasant ones. Is that how parents were truly supposed to be?

"Gilbert! Gilbert…Tara…she's…she's…she's alive! She's here!" Haruhi sobbed. Gilbert, who was sitting nearby, got to his feet, and he too started to shed tears of absolute joy to behold his daughter once more, especially with her face full of life. The whole family was soon in a group hug, both parents sobbing uncontrollably, their joy overwhelming them.

"I missed you guys too," Tara said. "I hope you're not mad I missed half the school year…"

"…Mad?! How can we be mad?! We...we were so sure you had left us forever! Just having you back…oh Tara!" Haruhi replied.

* * *

After all the tears were done and shed, Tara recounted her adventures to her parents. She told them of her battles with the Alliance, with the Vega Empire, the Jovian Lizards, and even the mysterious winged beings. She told of them of all the friends she made on the journey as well. But when she was asked how she met Janus and the others, that was when she tried to hide the truth, but like Xemmey said, she was easy to read, especially for her parents.

"Tara, please don't lie to us. We won't judge you at all, you know that," Haruhi said reassuringly. But Janus was the one that ultimately revealed the truth.

"Mr. and Mrs. Zifell…um…I don't know if you're going to believe this…but me and my own allies came from…another universe, I guess. My machine, Granlif, can generate portals just like Lifthrasir's. But when a massive amount of energy interacted with it, I guess it kinda went crazy and pulled us through. Not sure exactly sure HOW it worked, but the massive energy was definitely the reason the portal went crazy-go-nuts."

Gilbert was silent for a moment, and then started to chuckle…and then laugh a little…then a lot…in a matter of moments he doubled over with laughter, tears again streaming from his eyes.

"What? It's the truth!" Tara said.

"No, no, no, sweetie…" Gilbert said after composing himself a bit. "It's just that he's answered that puzzle! The puzzle that has confounded me and countless other physicists for years can FINALLY be answered!"

"What?" Tara asked.

"Why, the puzzle that is the possible existence of alternate realities; of other universes besides our own, and the means to travel between them! Do you know what kind of implications this has?!" Gilbert said, overjoyed beyond belief and near crazed with excitement. "Haruhi, call the office. We're continuing Project Threshold!"

* * *

Ashford Academy: the best secondary school in the Holy Britannian Empire bar-none. It was to this prestigious institution that Tara, Sayaka, and Kallen returned after so many months away. Seeing it again was almost like a dream; It possessed a serene beauty even with all of its leaves fallen and brown on the ground.

The first to greet the three upon their return were three rather comical-looking young men. One of them was a thuggish, overweight brute with a big lower jaw and a bulky body; another was a snide-looking character with a constant grin; and the last was a lanky fellow with a wide-eyed stare and a constant nose-drip. They seemed like a typical band of bullies.

"Hey! Boss! Nuke! Mucha!" Sayaka called out to them. As it turned out, they were actually her friends. While they were nothing but bullies to Koji and Sayaka at one time, they were inspired by Koji's heroism, and became his friends. The brute of the group, Boss, looked up, and smiled widely, recognizing Sayaka.

"Sayaka! Where have you been these past months? I was actually starting to get worried!"

"…Yeah; and where's Koji?" the snot-nosed one, Nuke, asked. Sayaka's happy expression quickly faded, and she turned away. Boss scratched his head, confused.

"What? Why the long face, Sayaka? You don't actually mean that…"

Sayaka could only nod.

"No! No! There's no WAY Kabuto actually bit it!" Mucha cried. "I mean, he can handle a whole bunch of Mechabeasts! What could POSSIBLY do him in?"

"It's a long story. We'll tell you over lunch," Tara said, trying her best not to look depressed. Koji wouldn't let anyone else's death get his spirits down, at least not in public. "C'mon, let's get to the library. We have some time before our cramming class."

* * *

At the library, the three girls were sitting down at a quiet table, going over the RidgeNotes versions of the texts they were required to read during the semester they missed. Suddenly, they heard the faint whirring of something, which grew slightly louder. Tara looked up and saw a girl with long light-brown hair, constantly closed eyes and a lovely purple dress. But what was most glaring was that she was confined to a wheelchair.

It was blind and crippled Nunnally Lamperouge, and just behind her was her brother Lelouch, a tall, uncommonly thin young man. Unbeknownst to them all, Lelouch Lamperouge, or rather, Lelouch vi Britannia, was in fact Zero, the leader of the Black Knights, who fought against the oppression of his family's empire. Nunnally, on the other hand, was no fighter or resistance leader, even if she was a princess. Of course, no one at the school save the Ashford family themselves knew that the siblings were royalty.

"Oh…great…hi, Lelouch," Kallen groaned, hardly pleased to see the elder Lamperouge. Tara and Sayaka were more pleasant, especially with someone as sweet and gentle as Nunnally around. And somehow, in spite of her blindness, she knew exactly who she was addressing.

"Tara, Sayaka, Kallen! You're okay!" she said with innocent joy. "Oh, I've worried and worried about you."

"Oh, you worry about everyone, Nunnally," Sayaka giggled quietly awkwardly, trying to keep Koji off her mind.

"Nunnally, they look like they have a lot of studying to do, considering they've missed a whole semester already. Let's leave them be. I still need to get you the book you need," Lelouch said to his sister, and suddenly let out a great yawn.

"Lelouch, you're staying up late again, aren't you?" Sayaka chided. "You're going to fail your classes if you don't get a good night's sleep. That's no way for the Vice President of the Student Council to act!"

"Yes, yes, I know…" the young man groaned as he nudged Nunnally forward a bit, letting her know that she could go forward, leaving the trio in peace to study.

* * *

Lelouch looked up to an upper bookshelf and saw the book Nunnally needed: _A History of Ancient Religions_, a book she needed for a history paper, of which the library had two copies. The world indeed had a sick sense of irony, as both were much too high for her to reach, and out of Lelouch's reach as well, at least without the aid of some sort of stepstool or ladder. The prince knew Nunnally's wheelchair could support his rather light frame, but the last thing he wanted to do was to make her get off.

"Nunally, let's go get a stepladder," he said gently.

"No, I can wait here," the crippled girl replied. "I don't need you by my side all the time, big brother, and I know you'll come back soon." Lelouch sighed and left her to go get a ladder, feeling a tad ill leaving Nunnally all alone in public, even for a moment.

Unfortunately, trouble always had a tendency to occur at a moment's notice.

Around the corner came Asuka Langley, who, as it so happened, was looking for a copy of the very same book. Shinji Ikari followed close behind, having been assigned to work with her on this project.

"Hey! Cripple!" Asuka said loudly, completely ignoring library rules. "Move it!" You're blocking the aisle!"

"Shhh! This is the library!" Nunnally scolded them in a loud whisper. "You know the rules."

"Hey, you're breaking the one about blocking the aisles! Back up! I need to get one of those copies of _A History of Ancient Religions_!

"Oh, I'm looking for that book too. If you'll just be patient my brother will get a ladder, and he'll get it for…"

"I don't have time! My paper's due in two days!" Asuka bellowed, still not giving a hoot about the rules. In an act that would baffle anyone else, she walked right up to Nunnally, and started to climb up, using her wheelchair as a booster.

Shinji, aghast that even Asuka would be so callous, rushed it behind her and yanked her dress as she tried to reach for the book. The blind and crippled girl whimpered with confusion and fright as she felt Asuka's other foot nearly crush one of her fingers with the heel.

"Ikari, what are you doing? Stop that! You WANT me to fail the project?!" the fiery haired girl yelled while kicking Shinji in the head repeatedly. But the boy held on and pulled harder and harder.

By this point, Lelouch was returning with a stepladder, and heard the commotion. He started walking faster, fearing something had happened to his sister.

Just as he rounded the corner, Shinji managed to pull Asuka off of the wheelchair, and both tumbled to the floor. He put down the stepladder and rushed to Nunnally's side.

"Nunnally, what happened?" he said, looking off her for any bruises.

"That girl there…" Nunnally began, quivering a little from the shock of the situation; "she didn't want to wait for you to come back, because she wanted the same book…and she started climbing all over me and then…"

Lelouch had enough information, having seen everything after that point, and he trusted Nunnally's words even though she could not see at all. He glared at Asuka, wanting so very much to use his Geass on her, and then make her do something humiliating, but he knew it would be a waste of his power.

Silently he climbed up on the stepladder, grabbed a copy of the book, and brought it down. He immediately noticed that it probably weighed at least eight or nine pounds, and gently placed it in the small gap between Nunnally's leg and the arm of her wheelchair before calmly climbing back up and started pulling the other out, but stopping just before it was completely off the shelf.

"Well…let me have it!" Asuka yelled up.

Lelouch smiled smugly. "All right then."

Lelouch tugged the book all the way out.

THUD.

"EEEEEEYYYYYAAAAA!" Asuka screamed as the dense book smashed her foot, it having fallen from nearly ten feet up. She hopped up and down on her undamaged foot, grunted and cursing, ultimately bouncing out of the aisle.

Shinji couldn't help but have no sympathy for Asuka. Even though she was his comrade in battle, the girl needed a comeuppance something awful. He picked up the book and held it up to his chest as Lelouch climbed down. Before Shinji could say anything, Lelouch spoke to him.

"I saw you pull that she-demon you call a classmate off of my dear sister," the violet-eyed young man said. "You have my gratitude."

"Yes, thank you…" Lelouch's sister said gratefully with a smile.

"Oh come on, anyone would have done that," Shinji said, embarrassed at receiving such praise.

"No," Lelouch said rather seriously. "They would have simply yelled at her, but you took matters into your own hands and acted. Few people have the ability to take action like that."

Shinji couldn't believe it. Someone was actually praising him.

His father, his fellow EVA pilots at NERV, and even his other classmates either ignored him or mocked him at every turn. This guy, whom he had never met before, was actually praising him for something.

It felt good.

"Oh, uh…thanks," Shinji said awkwardly.

"Hey, wait a minute…" Nunnally exclaimed, suddenly recognizing Shinji's voice. "You're Shinji Ikari, aren't you? It's me, Nunnally Lamperouge. We're in history class together! How about you and I meet somewhere later and work on our papers together?"

The EVA pilot blushed.

"Uh…sure…" Shinji answered, taking a few steps back. Sure, Nunnally was blind and crippled, but she was definitely cute…

_Wait a minute_, he thought. _Lamperouge?_

Asuka had just gotten her comeuppance by none other than **Lelouch** Lamperouge, the Vice President of the Student Council, and was renowned throughout the school for his expertise at giving people their just desserts.

"Excellent. We'll see you then," Nunnally's brother replied with a slightly devious smirk.

* * *

Suzaku Kururugi sat in quiet solitude beneath a tree, flipping lazily through notes he had taken in that day's history class. The student council's pet cat, Arthur, was crouched down in the tall grass nearby, looking to pounce at his leg to take a bite out of it yet again. It was something Suzaku was used to.

The cat suddenly launched itself at Suzaku's leg, which was extended outwards. With only a single sideward glance, he pulled his leg in, and the cat ended up flying right by, and tumbled about before coming to a stop in another patch of tall grass.

As this occurred, Tara happened to walk by after the meeting of the campus manga club (which she headed), and happened to see Suzaku sitting there. She hadn't seen his face since the end of school the previous year, and had not seen him in any way after his raid on Photon Power Labs not long after.

As soon as they locked gazes, they recognized each other. Tara turned off the sidewalk, leering at him, while Suzaku steeled himself for what he knew was to come. At their last encounter, she was out for his blood, and due to his momentary lapse in good judgment, he had revealed his identity to her, and now she was the only one at the academy who knew he was the pilot of the Lancelot.

But instead of trying to throttle him or something, Tara sat down ninety degrees to his left, opened up a sketchbook, whipped out a pencil and started working on a drawing she started in the meeting, trying her best to pretend not to notice him.

They were silent for a whole ten minutes; Suzaku was glancing over his shoulder every few seconds to see what she was doing, afraid she would try to stab with her art supplies, while Tara just sat there, drawing and erasing.

The battle to see who would crack first was lost by the "traitor".

"Okay, I'm sorry. Do you think I WANT to see Japan oppressed?" Suzaku said quietly, trying to ensure no one else overheard him. "I was under orders."

"Don't give me that bull," Tara scoffed, still not even looking at him. At least she was also quiet, not wanting to spill the beans either, lest Suzaku arrest her. "I may have been fooled by you once, but as far as I'm concerned, you're a grade-A traitor. You should be counting your lucky stars that I'm not in my robot."

Suzaku nodded silently. It was certainly one thing he could agree with Tara about.

"Do you realize what you are? You're the Empire's lackey, a puppet made to dance to its tune. You have no will of your own whatsoever. I bet you've even thrown away your conscience, just to get the chance to be 'better' than your fellows. You're nothing but a coward, just like your suicidal old man."

Suzaku clenched his fist. How dare she talk about his father like that? He slammed his fist on the tree, just above her head.

Unexpectedly, an unusual metal box roughly proportional to a full-size cereal box tumbled out of the tree, and landed to Suzaku's right. Both stopped and looked at it. While Tara had no idea of its nature, Suzaku knew EXACTLY what it was:

A bomb.

Just then, Suzaku saw Lelouch running down the sidewalk, a look of absolute terror on his face.

"Lelouch!" Suzaku cried, and Lelouch stopped, and saw the metal box lying by the tree.

"Suzaku, oh god, Suzaku…please, I…please…I…"

"Lelouch, calm down…tell me what's going."

Lelouch took a few deep breaths, and resumed his normal composed state, not realizing immediately that Tara was right there. "Nunnally…she's been kidnapped."

"…What?! Who do you think the guy is?" Suzaku then asked, shocked that such an awful thing would occur. "It couldn't be a Britannian, or someone from the Royal Family?"

"No, just some psychopath who's been messing with me for the past month or so," the Britannian prince said grimly. "But now he's crossed the line."

"Why don't you go to the army or police?" Suzaku suggested.

"I can't trust them," his friend replied, shaking his head. "If they investigate, both our situations could be compromised."

The violet-eyed young man's cell phone rang again. He picked it up, knowing exactly who was calling.

"Hello, Lulu."

"…You again."

"There's one MORE thing I forgot to mention last time. In case you think only Nunnally is at my mercy, you're so very wrong. I've got six other lovely little bombs wired to blow if you don't find me in, oh…one hour and twenty-two minutes and eight…no, seven seconds! That's all you've got before Ashford has the biggest blast ever!" The caller let out riotous laughter before Lelouch hung up.

Suzaku looked back at the box.

"This…isn't about your gambling bill, is it?" he asked.

"No…but now he's got the entire SCHOOL held hostage. That monster has to be stopped…"

Suzaku grimaced. "Got any leads?" Tara silently listened, fearful for Nunnally's safety as well. The younger Lamperouge was always so friendly to her…then again, she was friendly to everybody.

"Only this photo…" Lelouch said, picking up a photo of Nunnally blindfolded and tied to her wheelchair. "And I know the kidnapper is somewhere very close by...and now that I think about it, I heard the sound of running water…"

"The school water circulation system?" Tara chimed in just before Suzaku could.

"…Of course! On the lower levels!" Lelouch exclaimed, snapping his fingers.

Suzaku shook his head. "I can help you with Nunnally, but what about the other bombs? I can't be in seven places at once."

Tara finally remembered something: Boss, Nuke, and Mucha had been recruited by the Student Council to begin work on the pavilion for the upcoming Spring Festival, and they had brought Boss Borot to help with construction.

"Guys, where's the spring festival pavilion being set up again?" Tara asked frantically.

"Huh? Why are you asking that, of all times?" Suzaku said, somewhat confused. But Lelouch, as Vice President of the council, had a good idea what Tara was thinking, but dared not answer that question, lest the kidnapper know, should he be within 500 meters.

"The northeastern section, near the pond, like it is every year," he answered. "Anything else you need to know?"

* * *

"A little more to the left…" Milly Ashford, the President of the Student Council, called out to the massive red, pink and yellow robot with a spherical body, accordion-like limbs. The machine, none other than Boss Borot, was moving a rather large boulder that would be used for the spring pavilion. While Ganymede, the prototype of all Knightmare Frames, was typically the one helping on heavy lifting, this was a job that called for a fifty-foot colossus like Boss' mech.

"There we go! Perfect!" Milly said excitedly. "Wow, you're wonderful!"

"Hehehe, thanks, Milly!" Boss replied, puffing out his chest with pride. How about you and me hang out later?"

"I was talking about your robot," Milly replied, pretending not to be disgusted by the idea. She knew she was way out of Boss' league. Just then, she saw Tara running up to her.

"Listen, Milly…I need you to do me a HUGE favor!"

"Sorry, no matter how many times you beg, the manga club is NOT getting more funding!" the student council president said disdainfully.

"I'm over that," Tara replied, surprised she wasn't panting as much as she used to after a sprint like that. "Right now, I REALLY need to borrow Boss…well, technically, Lelouch does."

Milly's frown turned to a sympathetic smile. "Oh, in that case, go right ahead."

"HEY! BOSS BOROT IS NOT SOMETHING YOU JUST 'BORROW'!" the slack-jawed ex-bully yelled, sticking his head out from the slots that formed his machine's mouth.

* * *

After entering the lower levels of the school and Suzaku displaying an inhuman level of agility, sufficient to outrun a machine gun camera and then spinkick it, the pair reached the place where Nunnally was tied up. The last bomb was suspended from a wire high above them.

Suzaku looked up at the bomb, and recognized that it was different from the others, based on his police training.

"Well?" Lelouch asked, seeing that his friend was pondering something.

"That bomb's motion-sensitive...or rather, it can detect when its motion is disrupted. As long as the bomb is swinging like that, it won't go off. But if I can cut the...um...I guess it's the red wire...the bomb won't trigger."

"But how are you supposed to cut it without disturbing its motion?" Lelouch asked, now unsure of his best friend's ability.

"Lelouch, I'll figure it out," the prince's best friend said. "Somehow, I'll find a way. Just trust me. Nunnally, I hope you trust me too."

Nunnally nodded in response. She was blind and crippled, but certainly not hard of hearing.

Lelouch knew there was no one in the world he could trust more than Suzaku Kururugi. He had to, if their plan was going to work.

* * *

"Okay, Kururugi, I've got Boss Borot, plus Boss and his gang. Fill them in," Tara said as he talked with Suzaku over the phone before handing it to Boss.

"Hey, traitor! I got some stuff to say and…"

"Now is not the time!" Suzaku yelled into the phone. "The lives of everyone at Ashford Academy are at stake!"

"…Aw, yeah!" Boss said excitedly, rubbing his hands together with anticipation. "…Time for Boss Borot to show Ashford what a REAL hero is! What do we gotta beat up…Dr. Hell's Mechabeasts? Or maybe aliens from another planet?"

"Okay, listen closely, Boss, because I'm only going to say this once. There are some bombs scattered around campus that will blow the whole school to bits if they can't be removed; and based on the one we did find, they're not easy to defuse, so they have to go off where they can't hurt anyone. The only one that can do it safely in a short time is you, with the strength of Boss Borot. Did you get all that?"

"Find some bombs, chuck 'em real far away where they won't hurt anybody. No problemo!"

"Good. You have one hour and thirteen minutes." With that, Suzaku hung up.

"Okay, geek queen, let's find some bombs!"

* * *

Lelouch flung open the doors to Ashford's chapel. At the altar stood a man who looked as much like a lunatic as he was: he wore a blue baseball cap, turning it backwards so that four silver bangs stuck out: thick earpieces and a band around his eyes that seemed like he was wearing headphones the wrong way and a long white and lavender robe. His arms were wrapped with long bandages, and he wore brown gloves. Behind him were a large two-ended scale and a small table. Upon it sat something covered by a white sheet.

There was no mistaking the figure: It was Mao, the psychopath in question. He, like Lelouch, had the power of Geass. But his power was different: he could read minds and discern the truth about people from that; With that power, he knew everything about the prince. As Lelouch approached the altar, Mao began clapping.

"Alright, way to go! You actually found me, there's still an hour to go and the bombs are still intact! No weapons, no plan...and no Black Knights or your silly pal or anything! I'm proud of you, man!"

"We've had this conversation already, Mao," Lelouch retorted. "You have our last game ready?"

"Yup," Mao replied in a smirk. "We're going to settle this with that game you love oh so much..."

He pulled a sheet off a small table he was standing in front of.

On the table was a neatly arranged chess board.

"Okay, hot stuff, here's how it's going to go. These scales are both the detonator and the disarming device for the bombs. Every piece we take will go on our end of the scale. If it swings completely to my side, the bombs will explode. If it goes completely to your side, all the bombs will be disarmed. So if you win, everyone you care about will be safe and sound…and if I win, well…"

"You're sick. That's why C.C. left you," Lelouch said with a cold sneer.

"...Nope. Don't care. Your mind's an open book and I'm hankering for a good reading."

* * *

Suzaku stood on a high ledge watching the bomb as it swayed back and forth. The only sounds in the room were the rushing waterfall and the creaking noise of the slowly swinging explosive.

His eyes slowly moved back and forth, following the bomb's motion, as he synced his entire body to the rhythm of its swing.

He had only one shot at this. If he messed up, it was all over. For Nunnally, for him, for everyone at Ashford.

* * *

"Hey! There's the last one!" Mucha called out, pointing to a metal box lying behind a tree.

"Great!" Tara yelled. She picked up the bomb and ever so gently placed in the cart she had snagged to move the others around.

Then she noticed that the timers on the bombs had stopped, and were instead replaced by the number 0.

A second later, it changed to 1. Another five seconds later, it increased to 2. Regardless, they were ready to dispose of the bombs.

"Boss, heave this cart as far as you can! Aim for the ocean."

"…HEYAAAAAH!" Boss roared as his mech picked up the cart in one hand and wound up to toss the bomb like a baseball. "SUPER SPECIAL DELUXE GOLDEN DELICIOUS HYPER MAGNUM BOROTO FASTBALL SPECIAL…"

"Just throw it already!" Tara yelled.

Boss Borot threw the cart full of bombs as hard as it could…

* * *

Mao threw yet another black piece onto his side of the scale. Lelouch was sweating like he had never sweated before, even as he tried his best to stay calm. He feared that any moment, the bombs would explode, and all of his efforts would be for nothing…not to mention that everyone at Ashford would be dead.

Mao had spent the entire time talking and yakking, taunting Lelouch, reminding him at every opportunity that he knew exactly what the prince was thinking. It was driving the poor lad crazy.

In desperation Lelouch tried to make his mind multitask. But all that did was make Mao clap again.

"Wow! Look at him think, ladies and gentlemen!" Mao applauded derisively. "You're thinking seven things at the same time just to confuse me! That's quite a brain you've got there, Lulu! But as long as I focus my Geass on you, the truth becomes easy to distinguish from the deception."

Mao took another black piece and tossed it on the scale. It was now near the red on Mao's side. They were both evenly matched, but Mao had the psychological advantage.

"You know, your sister's in mortal danger because you keep underestimating me. Your latest plan has failed, and there's no one around to help you. Whatever will you do?"

Just to spite him, the psychopath dropped a subway token on the ground. Lelouch felt his heart stop for a split second.

Lelouch moved his queen a few spaces left.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Mao said snidely.

Finally, Lelouch sighed and hung his head. He couldn't take it anymore.

"Please…Mao…just stop," he whimpered. "Just let Nunnally go…"

"What? I'm sorry. I couldn't hear you. Say it louder?"

"I…"

"Yes?"

"I…lose."

Mao began to smile from ear to ear, and again started laughing and clapping, so proud was he of giving Lelouch his comeuppance.

"Oh, I'm so happy! You FINALLY say what you feel in your heart of hearts! It makes me feel are warm and fuzzy!" the psychopath laughed joyously.

"But…I'm afraid even if you lose I can't win…so that's…check..."

He picked up a black piece and tossed onto his side of the scale.

Lelouch, completely distraught at what was about to happen, let out a long agonizing scream, and hardly the most sturdy of people, fell backward, his eyes glazed over with sheer terror and emotional agony.

But to Mao's displeasure, nothing happened. He opened a cell phone that he had wired up to a camera where Nunnally was imprisoned. She was still there.

"What happened to the 'ka-boom'?!" Mao cried, stamping his foot like a spoiled child. "There was supposed to be an Ashford-shattering 'ka-boom'!"

Lelouch came out of his momentary trance when he heard Mao's sudden whining. Someone had actually managed to stop the bombs. It was a miracle!

The stained glass window above the altar shattered as Suzaku burst through it. Mao pulled out a gun, but the young man was too quick for him, first knocking him down with a powerful right hook before trapping the gun under his foot.

"My name is Warrant Officer Suzaku Kururugi," he said authoritatively to the prone Mao. "I am hereby placing you under arrest under suspicion of terrorist activities."

"You…disarmed the bombs?!" Mao exclaimed. Suzaku let his thoughts do the talking.

"What? You actually figured out which wire to cut, AND you timed your strike to match the pendulum's swing?!"

"But that's not all," Suzaku said.

"…There was someone else?! They found ALL of the other bombs and threw them far away? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Then…"

"Suzaku, what are you talking about?" Lelouch exclaimed, genuinely confused about the whole thing.

"It was your idea that I enter if I heard you scream," Suzaku replied.

Lelouch suddenly realized it. He glanced down at a reflective pendant he had with him. Then he remembered.

He had intentionally used his Geass on himself (via the mirror) in order to make him forget he had ever initiated this whole plan. Lelouch smiled when he realized what he had achieved. He was back to his usual arrogant self.

"Well, Mao. That's checkmate," he said in his mind, knowing Mao would hear it. "You lost because you assumed my thoughts were the absolute truth, and you neglected to consider that I would have been outside your power's range."

"And what if your buddy here failed?" Mao retorted angrily, showing that he couldn't take it nearly as well as he could dish it out.

"This plan would not have worked at all unless I trusted Suzaku completely," Lelouch replied. "It's over, Mao."

Suzaku spoke into his cell phone, indicating to someone on the other line to untie Nunnally. The warrant officer then started to restrain the maniac, who struggled against his hold.

"You…ergh…let go of me, father-killer!"

Lelouch gasped, and Suzaku had a look of sheer terror on his face when that horrible truth slipped out of his prisoner's lips. Mao grinned. He would have the last laugh after all.

"That's right, you killed your old man seven years ago. You actually thought that if your father was dead, the war with Britannia would stop? How childish. You're nothing but a murderer."

Suzaku tried to shake off the horrible truth. "No…you're wrong."

"Thank goodness the truth didn't get out. Every one of your elders lied on your behalf," Mao continued, relishing the look of despair in Suzaku's eyes."

"So…they made it look like Prime Minister Kururugi had killed himself?" Lelouch asked, astonished at this tale.

"Yep! It was all one biiiggg, fat, JUICY lie!" Mao cackled.

"But if I didn't…Japan would have…"

"No point in trying to reason it away now! You've already got a death wish!"

Suzaku's terror at facing this truth grew, as did Lelouch's anger.

"You want to save lives? It's your SOUL that wants saving! You keep throwing yourself in harm's way because your soul cries out for death! You won't be satisfied until you're writhing in the deepest pits of Hell!"

Suzaku let out a cry of agony and dropped to his knees, his hand still firmly on Mao's wrist. Lelouch's expression turned from a frown to a scowl of purest rage, while the psychopath's expression kept getting more fiendish and gleeful.

"Your self-righteousness is nothing more than self-satisfaction! You're just a spoiled brat who craves the ultimate punishment! You…"

Lelouch's rage finally boiled over as Suzaku crumpled to a heap of sadness and self-loathing. First, his sister, then his school, and now his best friend; Mao had dared to toy with them. The prince wouldn't stand for it anymore. Three words crossed Lelouch's lips as his Geass power activated.

"…NEVER. SPEAK. AGAIN."

Mao tried to block Lelouch's gaze with his own Geass, but it quickly penetrated into his mind.

The next thing he knew, Mao had completely lost his voice. He tried to speak, but no sound came from his mouth other than a weak croaking. Powerless and terrified, the silver-haired psychopath rushed out of the church.

…Right into Boss Borot's path. To anyone piloting a giant robot, the roly-poly mecha would be laughable. But to Mao, it might as well have been the Grim Reaper himself. The machine's glowing eyes and lit-up mouth certainly added to the terror. Out from behind Boss Borot's right leg came C.C., her expression a sad one, and pointing a gun at him.

"Mao…I…I did love you."

Mao bolted down the sidewalk, but Boss flung a chain lasso at him, and managed to get it around his neck, and tightened it like a noose. He dragged Mao closer like a fisherman dragged in a small fish. He frantically tried to get away, but to no avail. As a last result, he cowered at C.C.'s feet like a scared puppy, hoping to win her over with a pathetic display.

C.C. pointed the gun at his head.

"Mao…Wait for me in the next life."

She pulled the trigger, just as Boss and company looked away.

C.C. looked up, and saw Shinji standing there. He had witnessed the whole thing. Lelouch, helping Suzaku out of the church as he tried to handle the shock, recognizing the boy as the one who saved Nunnally, knew something had to be done. Allowing Suzaku to lean on Boss' leg approached the shocked boy.

Without him realizing it, Lelouch's Geass power automatically lunged at Shinji's mind.

"…Shinji. Just forget everything you've seen here. Nunnally and I will come by your room later, so wait for us, okay?"

Tara, who had just approached Mao's body to get a closer look at the deceased psychopath, noticed the glazed look in Shinji's eyes…it was just like Tetsuya almost a year ago when he came face-to-face with...

Zero.

Tara wondered if she should say anything. She watched Shinji run along, smiling, excited at the prospect of seeing Nunnally. He even stepped right through the pool of Mao's blood.

C.C. looked her way, and instantly knew that Tara had guessed the truth far sooner than even Kallen or Suzaku. For her, it was just a matter of _when_ she would pull the mask of Zero off of Lelouch's face, as opposed to _if_.

In the distance, the faint sound of a siren could be heard…

* * *

_Fun! Games! Bloody murder! All this and more! Anyway, next time on **Super Robot Wars U**..._

_-You know how you couldn't wait to play with that new toy you got for Christmas and ran back to your room to try it out when you got the chance? Well, that's sort of what happens when an evil empire gets its mitts on the power to become a god or devil, courtesy of some mass-produced Great Mazingers! Will the Black Knights and the crew of the _Nadesico _be able to handle this new threat? Find out next time on **Chapter 13: Britannia's Ultimate Weapon! Enter Great Mazinger! **Until next time, robot fans!_


	19. Chapter 13

_And now, some more semi-original plot! Also, I wasn't planning on the chapter turning out quite like this...but what the hey. Just read it._

* * *

**Chapter 13 – Britannia's New Ultimate Weapon! Enter Great Mazinger!**

Britannia's military was itching for an excuse to try out its newest toys, and it got one.

The cart of bombs Boss had lobbed ended up landing short of the water, and instead blew up several warehouses where occupation forces were keeping supplies and ammunition. They went off as soon as they collided with the cement roof, setting everything aflame, causing further explosions. There were no injuries or deaths, but millions of Britannian pounds in supplies were lost. Witnesses indicated a projectile flying from the direction of Ashford Academy.

The military police, after mere hours of investigation, authorized the use of the new Great Mazingers, assuming the enemy, likely the Black Knights, had more where that came from.

* * *

Shinji waited quietly in his room, still under the effects of Lelouch's Geass for the past two hours. Night had already fallen. When he heard a knocking on his door, he went up to it and peeped through the hole. Sure enough, Lelouch and Nunnally were there, and instantly the effects wore off, now that the command to wait for them had been completed.

He looked around, and noticed that his room was all cluttered.

"Um, just a minute!" Shinji said as he frantically made his bed. Outside, Lelouch shook his head, wondering why the boy was acting like that. Was he honestly trying to impress Nunnally, whose heart was as blind to skin-deep difference as her eyes were, with something so frivolous as cleanliness? After a few minutes, the EVA pilot opened the door with an awkward smile on his face.

"Uh, welcome. I usually don't have company…well, ever."

Lelouch could tell…Shinji, while good at heart, was suffering from something far beyond mere low self-esteem. That, and there was a stench. It was very faint, but it definitely wasn't anything remotely familiar.

Suddenly, the room trembled a bit as the ground shook.

It stopped.

Then it shook again, as if something massive was slowly making its way towards the Academy. Suddenly, Lelouch's phone rang.

It was Ohgi. Something big was going down.

"Excuse me, I need to take this call," Lelouch said politely, standing up and leaving. He ducked into a nearby closet, slammed the door and put the phone to his ear.

"Ohgi, what's going on?"

"Zero, you're not gonna believe this! There are these HUUUUGE robots tromping right through town. They're no Knightmare Frames, I'll tell you that. They've gotta be at LEAST fifty feet tall…"

Lelouch's heart stopped for a few seconds from fright.

_No…they've mass-produced the Great Mazingers?! _

Lelouch calmed himself. "Whatever you do, do NOT engage them. Our forces aren't equipped to tangle with Super Robots!"

"Then what do you suggest, Zero? If Britannia has that kind of power now, the whole world is screwed!"

Lelouch, of course, knew what needed to be done. He had to get to Photon Power Labs and have the Black Knights officially join forces with the other Super Robot facilities.

"Any idea of where they're headed?" the Black Knights' leader asked nervously, praying that the day couldn't possibly get any worse.

"It looks like they're headed for…Ashford Academy. Something about an explosion at the docks that came from that direction."

And his day just got worse.

* * *

_"_Professor Yumi, Tetsuya just took off in Great Mazinger!" a scientist at Photon Power Labs cried as Sayaka's father entered the lab.

_That fool...does he truly intend to challenge Britannia's might all by himself? _the Professor thought as he gazed out at the western sky where he could just make out Tetsuya's mighty mecha fade into the distance. "Where is he headed?"

"Based on his trajectory, he's probably headed for Ashford Academy, which is exactly where the mass-produced Great Mazingers are headed." the same scientist replied, glancing back at a nearby computer screen.

"I see...is Lifthrasir repaired?" Professor Yumi asked.

"The repairs and data backup were completed an hour ago."

"Good. Prepare it for launch."

"Without its pilot?!"

"You underestimate the programming ability of Haruhi Zifell, my friend. Also, make preparations to launch Aphrodite A and Boss Borot."

"Understood!"

* * *

Tetsuya soared toward the Tokyo Settlement, his mind clouded by indignation and rage. Koji, his adopted brother, was dead for all he knew, and now the Britannian army had a new weapon As soon as he saw the first news footage of the mass-produced Great Mazingers, his frustration with the Empire which had been simmering just beneath the surface, exploded catastrophically.

_Britannia...you will be punished. I, Tetsuya Tsurugi, will not allow your reign to continue. Not as long as the true Great Mazinger can fight!_

Soon the settlement came into view. It was once a much greater city before Britannia laid waste to Japan. Now all that remained were the defensive walls and the ghettoes.

He soon spotted Ashford Academy, and close by, were his targets: the mass-produced Great Mazingers. They were very similar in color scheme and design to the one made by Koji's father Kenzo, but they notably lacked the built-in Scramble Dash flight pack, the Great Typhoon generator, and the chest plate could not be removed, preventing the use of the Great Boomerang. Also, they lumbered like the mechanical giants they were while Tetsuya's moved more naturally...all the results of cost-cutting measures.

"Britanniaaaaaans!" Tetsuya yelled as he descended near Ashford Academy. The copy Super Robots were accompanied by a small contingent of Knightmare Frames, but they immediately moved behind the three behemoths like a scared child hiding behind its parent's legs.

The three Mazingers stopped their progress, allowing Tetsuya to get a look inside their cockpits. Sure enough, there were Britannians inside, wearing variations of Tetsuya's own outfit, but with Britannia's national colors and a differently shaped helmet.

"What are you doing, Eleven?" one of the Mazinger pilots said. "Get that hunk of junk you call a robot out of our way. We're on official military business."

"Why do you need to have the power to be a god or demon to go on 'official military business'? Answer me that, and perhaps I'll let you pass."

"Don't give us that mumbo-jumbo, Eleven." the same pilot said, more annoyed than before. "Move, or you'll regret getting in our way."

"You think those cheap knock-offs can challenge the original?"

"Sergeant, he's not going to move. Let's just blast him to bits."

"Mazinger squadron, attack!"

The three Mazinger copies immediately fired off Breast Burns, variations to Mazinger Z's Breast Fire. Tetsuya made Great Mazinger leap high into the air, causing the blasts to miss wildly, dealing significant damage to the road.

"Now, see the power of the original! BREASTO BUUUUUURN!"

The original Great Mazinger fired out its own Breast Burn, which packs much more strength and accuracy that the copies. The leader of the group got the worst of it, but was barely able to eject in time.

Tetsuya didn't flinch at the sight of the man's burnt face, such was his loathing for Britannians at the moment.

The other Mazingers began to back off, but Tetsuya was too fast.

"MAZINGER BLAAAAADE-O!"

He popped Great's blade out of its legs, where it landed in the mech's hand. He dashed forward with one massive slash. The sword, made from high-grade Z-Alloy, easily sliced through the low-grade Z-Alloy armor of the mass-produced Great sakuradite reactors instantly overloaded, causing the mechs to explode horrifically, damaging several nearby buildings and setting them ablaze.

Yet still, Tetsuya did not care. In fact, he was going to teach them a lesson they would never forget. Unbeknownst to him, something evil was filling his very being...

* * *

As Tetsuya's rampage continued, Britannian news cameras captured every moment. Everyone at Ashford Academy saw it on television and stared in disbelief. Particularly shocked were Sayaka, Boss, Nuke and Mucha. They all knew Tetsuya was a ticking time bomb, but they never thought he'd do something this crazy. As Sayaka turned away, despairing the sight of Tetsuya Tsurugi attacking innocent people, she saw Tara running down the hall, a look of determination on her face. She ran after her, with Boss' gang close behind.

They arrived outside, where Lifthrasir, auto-piloted by Xemmey, was standing in wait for its pilot. As soon as Tara got close enough, a blue portal appeared a few yards ahead of her and she slid in like a baseball player rushing to home plate.

"Xemmey, I assume you know what we have to do. I must warn you, we're going up against a true ace pilot."

"Hey, I handled that Coordinator punk, and he was apparently some sort of ace as well," Tara said, more concerned about why Tetsuya was doing this rather than how skilled he was.

"That ace was also controlling his machine for the first time," Xemmey replied. "Tetsuya has had thousands upon thousands of hours of training in Great Mazinger. You have had perhaps no more than eighteen hours with me."

Tara grinned, undeterred.

"Whatever...we can do this! Lifthrasir! LAUNCH!"

As she flew off, a large, humanoid purple robot that had previously been invisible appeared atop one of the damaged buildings. He watched Tara fly away, then became invisible again and deftly followed, the structures somehow able to support his great weight.

* * *

Guy wondered what the nature of this latest EI was. According to reports from Volfogg, the victim of the latest Zonderization was a highly skilled pilot who used a Super Robot not unlike GaoGaiGar. Right now, the GaoMachines were being held back (due to the required approval of Final Fusion) so the cyborg rode atop Galeon along with his friend and partner, the green boy Mamoru. The robotic lion moved with all due haste over the landscape, gracefully avoiding cars and power lines.

"Guy, I have new information!" Volfogg said over the communicator on Guy's wrist.

"Go ahead, Volfogg," Guy said, talking into the watch.

"The individual that is host to the Zonder Metal is being pursued by an unusual white robot. The pilot is a student of Ashford Academy, between the ages of 16 and 19, with long purple hair. She entered the machine via an unusual portal."

"Did you get all that, Kosuke?" he said. His watch was actually on two frequencies: one linked to Volfogg, the other to GGG headquarters, located on the floating G-Island City, which migrated around the Pacific Ocean like a never-stopping cruise liner, but usually kept somewhat close to Japan, since most of the Zonder attacks as of late have been concentrated in that area.

"Loud and clear, Guy," Kosuke Entouji, the computer operator. "I've already found a record matching Volfogg's description. It appears to be the XEM-00 Lifthrasir, a high-speed, portal-generating robot created by the now-defunct Project Threshold. The pilot's description brings up one match: Tara Zifell, daughter of Project Threshold's two heads, Gilbert and Haruhi Zifell."

"I don't know if that girl is going to last long against a Zonderized Super Robot!" Mamoru said nervously. "Guy, let's hurry!"

"Gotcha, Mamoru! FORWARD, GALEON!" Guy said, standing up and dramatically pointing forward. Galeon sped up its pace.

* * *

Tara found Tetsuya blasting down buildings within the Britannian section of the settlement, and she immediately opened a comm link to him.

"Tetsuya, have you completely flipped?!" she immediately yelled. "These people have done nothing to you! I could understand if you attacked a Britannian military base…"

"ALL BRITANNIANS MUST DIE!" Tetsuya roared, his voice distorted a little. "I'LL KILL THEM ALL!" Great Mazinger turned and looked up at Tara.

"Xemmey…I don't think Tetsuya is all there anymore. He sounds…possessed."

"He is possessed, Ms. Tara Zifell…by Zonder Metal!" the voice of Volfogg said over Tara's communicator.

"What?! Who are you?" Tara exclaimed. "How are you on my frequency?! And how do you know my name?!"

"I am Big Volfogg of the GGG organization. We have access to much information. But fear not, we are defenders of justice and foes to those who use Zonder Metal to ruin lives!" Big Volfogg appeared just below Tara as he said this. He resembled a giant robot ninja, but had a helicopter blade attached to his left arm and a gatling cannon on his right.

Tetsuya turned to face the ninja robot and sneered. The Zonder Metal finished possessing him completely, and quickly began to take over Great Mazinger, just as Tara spotted Boss Borot and Aphrodite A appearing on the scene. Both recoiled in horror at the sight of the transforming Super Robot. It grew another ten feet in height, its overall form became distorted, the grille around its mouth transformed into sharp metal teeth, and its eyes began to glow a hellish red.

"Tetsuya!" Sayaka cried out.

"Noooo...he turned into a monster!" Nuke cried out, grabbing onto Boss for security. "I'm scared, Boss!"

"ZONDEEEEEERRRRRRRR!" the possessed Tetsuya, now completely consumed by the Zonder Metal, gurgled. The mutated Great raised its hand and pointed skyward, seeming to cause storm clouds to suddenly began to gather over the area.

"Oh no..." Sayaka said as she looked around for cover.

Lightning struck the two antennae on Great's face, which then arced the lightning to its outstretched finger.

"THZONDERRRRRR BREEEEAAAAK!"

The lightning shot out of the Super Robot's finger, right towards Lifthrasir. The robot put up its golden barrier, but the blast was too strong. Electricity overwhelmed the mech's circuits, and it plummeted to the ground.

Sayaka rushed over to try and repair it with Aphrodite's repair equipment, but was struck by a Great Boomerang, knocking it down. Boss quickly put himself between Lifthrasir and Great Mazinger, but a quick Great Typhoon blew it over just as easily. Tetsuya paused about twenty yards from Lifthrasir, and began charging up a Breast Burn.

But the cavalry made it in time...and it had a lion on its chest and bullet train shoulder pads.

GaoGaiGar, freshly out of a Final Fusion, landed just in front of Lifthrasir and raised its hand just the Zonderized Great unleashed a purple-colored Breast Burn.

"PROTECTO SHAAAAAAADE!"

The purple blast fizzled out in the face of GaoGaiGar's shield.

"Are you all right, Ms. Zifell?" Guy said, still watching Tetsuya.

"Thanks to you," Tara said as Lifthrasir unsteadily got to its feet, and accepting that GGG probably knew everything about her, including her manga blog.

"Please, let GGG handle this," Guy said.

"I won't let you kill Tetsuya!" Tara grunted.

"Kill him?" Big Volfogg exclaimed, aghast at the idea. "There's no need! We'll destroy that Zonder and save your friend at the same time!"

"Then let us help!" Sayaka called out. "We can't just sit by and be useless!"

"Yeah! We've got giant robots!" Mucha said in agreement. "We'll pound sense back into Tetsuya, and then you can do...um...what WILL you do to save him?"

"Just watch and be ready to back me up," Guy said before readying to attack. "Ms. Zifell, keep your distance. I'll handle him at close range."

"Ten-four...um...Guy..."

"What? You don't like my name."

"Never mind, let's beat this Zonder up!" Tara yelled as she took off and pulled out one of Lifthrasir's rifles and immediately opened fire, placing her trust in GaoGaiGar to handle Great Mazinger up close.

"DURILL PRESHAH PANCHEH!" the Zonderized Tetsuya roared, firing off bladed fists.

"Then I'll counter with BROKEN MAGNUUUUUUUMMM!"

GaoGaiGar's fist fired off at its opponent's fists, and they struck each other with deafening force, enoughand immediately began to push against each other. Both were evenly matched.

"KILL! HATE! DESTROY!" Tetsuya laughed as his mech's fists slowly pushed Guy's fist back.

"Your fists may be powered by your hatred, Zonder...but GaoGaiGar 's fists are fueled by the power of COURAAAAAAAGE!"

The Broken Magnum surged forward, pushing aside Tetsuya's fists and digging deep into Great Mazinger's body before bursting out the other side. The damage was quickly healed by the Zonder Metal, but Guy was right on the offensive, and began to pound its foe with its fists and the drills on its knees. Meanwhile, his allies began to converge and providing supporting fire.

"4000 MAGNUM!" Volfogg bellowed as he fired his gatling cannon on his right arm.

"MISSILES, FIRE!" Sayaka yelled, firing off a pair of chest-based missiles.

"TAKE THIS! AND THAT!" Boss yelled as Boss Borot began picking up rubble and wrecked cars and heaving it at Great Mazinger. After the last projectile landed, Guy hit Great Mazinger with a massive uppercut, sending it spiraling away.

Tara opened a portal right near the Super Robot's feet, then opened another right in front of her.

"LIFTHRAAAA DIVIDER!"

The beam fired into the portal, and came out as several smaller ones, each one striking Great Mazinger hard, and managed to knock it higher into the air. The Zonderized Great Mazinger lacked access to the Scramble Dash, and thus was helpless in midair.

This was Guy's chance. GaoGaiGar opened its arms wide.

"HELL...AND...HEAVEN!"

The machine's hands glowed pink and yellow

"Gemu-giru-gan-go-gufo..."

Just as before, the two energies began to crackle as both hands attempted to repel each other like magnets of the same polarity.

As Great Mazinger landed, its opponent managed to clasp its hands together, unleashing a massive wave of energy, trapping it in a vortex of green.

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAG H!"

GaoGaiGar rushed forward, hands still clasped. But Guy had guessed that the Zonder Core was not in its torso, like it was most of the time. He instead smashed his hands into Great's head, where the Brain Condor would be.

With one more roar, Guy ripped the core containing the ace pilot out of Great's head, causing it to explode catastrophically. Moments later, Mamoru came flitting down like a dragonfly as the purple blob form of Zonderized Tetsuya rose from the core. He quickly raised his finger and began to chant.

"Curatio teneritas, sectio, salus, coctura!"

Just as before, as soon as Mamoru pointed at it, the blob began to shift back to its original shape: Tetsuya, who was in a state of utter shock. He had been all too aware of his actions today, yet he had been powerless to control his emotion.

But the words had an unusual effect on Tara. She grabbed her head with one hand as if in pain, as a new image appeared in her mind...

* * *

_Countless explosions across a starry void. A looming battleship with a great face on it. Then...the red hand...and then a monstrous red face...  
_

* * *

Tetsuya couldn't even speak, though he gladly wished to explain himself as he, Guy, Professor Yumi, Volfogg, Sayaka and Boss' gang gathered in one of the hangars at Photon Power Labs. As it turned out, Professor Yumi already guessed what the cause of Great Mazinger's rampage was.

"About four months ago, Tetsuya was out battling more of Dr. Hell's minions. However, they were different. They were being controlled by another force, most likely the Zonderians you spoke of, Guy. During the battle he must have somehow gotten infected."

"But I wonder why it took so long for him for the infection to take hold," Guy asked, purely as a rhetorical question, though he got an answer anyway.

"Because Tetsuya is a stubborn, stubborn guy!" Boss laughed. "He could out-stubborn a tired mule with a hangover!"

"Yes, he has a great deal of willpower, far more than the common person," Professor Yumi said, nodding his head. "But regardless, what's done is done. Besides, we have more immediate things to worry about."

"Yes," Volfogg said. "I suppose your already tenuous relationship with Britannia is over now, since he, while under the thrall of the Zonder Metal, let his hatred overwhelm him and took innocent Britannian lives." Tetsuya let out a cry of rage, more at himself than anything else, for doing such an idiotic thing.

But before much else could happen, a scientist entered.

"Professor Yumi, Zero, leader of the Black Knights, is here to see you."

* * *

_And now...route split!_

_But before that, the first** Interlude Chapter!**  
_

_**-**The situation is looking grim for Japan. Tetsuya's rampage and Boss' inadvertent destruction of a Britannian warehouse have cemented Photon Power Labs as an enemy of the Holy Britannian Empire. The Zonder, ZAFT and the Vega Empire all threaten to attack as well. But with Project Threshold back in action, perhaps help can be found in Janus' world...  
_


	20. Interlude 1

_And now, we finally come to our second route split. I feel like I could have tacked this on the end of the last chapter, but it just fits better as a separate chapter. Anyway, let's get started! _

* * *

**Interlude 1 – Across the Threshold**

The crew of the _Nadesico_, the _Archangel_, and of the various scientific facilities throughout Japan convened at Photon Power Labs. Guy Shishioh and Volfogg of GGG were already there and decided to stick around.

Meanwhile the travelers from the Ruined World arrived there soon after Zero did, and were followed closely by Tara's parents Gilbert and Haruhi Zifell.

But there were also some new faces in the crowd: Akatsuki Nagare, a mysterious man who worked for Nergal; Erina Kinjo Won, Akatsuki's secretary and a citizen of the Chinese Federation. Also new to the group were the five pilots of Voltes V from Big Falcon: The three Gou brothers including Kenichi Gou, Daijirou Gou and Hiyoshi Gou, their group rounded out by their two friends Ippei Mine and Megumi Oka.

Also present were the core members of the Black Knights aside from Zero and Kallen: Kaname Ohgi, Kento Sugiyama, Shinichiro Tamaki, Kyoshiro Tohdoh and Chiba Nagisa, not to mention the mysterious green-haired girl, C.C, and the Cyber Beast Force.

Never before had so many truly exceptional individuals convened in one place for a single purpose.

When he saw that everyone was present and accounted for, he began to speak.

"Noble warriors of the twin Earths, Professor Yumi, Dr. Zifell and I have called you all here because Japan…no…our entire world is under a terrible new threat. The Britannian Empire has managed to obtain a terrifying weapon: a mass-produced version of Photon Power Labs' own Great Mazinger. Already, three of them have been used to persecute innocent lives. Furthermore, our world is beset by forces from space. Volfogg, Captain Ramius, Daisuke Umon, and Gamlin Kizaki will tell us more."

One by one, the four explained the nature of the threats. It became more and more obvious that the odds of the world surviving so many simultaneous threats at once weren't very good.

"However," Gilbert Zifell added. "There is hope. We have in our midst two very special robots, capable of generating portals that allow for instantaneous travel through space. But these mechs have revealed an ability that has been witness only once in this world...that it can create a gateway between dimensions...a Threshold, if you will!"

"Knowing that these travelers successfully crossed over from another universe," Professor Yumi continued, "We have concluded that it may be possible to create and control a portal that will take us back to their home universe."

"There, we can seek aid from its inhabitants," Zero concluded. "…And perhaps work together with them to restore their own Earth as repayment for their efforts. I trust you all have no objection to this."

"Simon's not one to turn down a challenge. You can count on Team Dai-Gurren's help," Kittan said, giving a thumbs-up to Zero.

"It's going to take some doing, but I'll see what Londo Bell can do for you," Christina said.

"Perhaps we can stop Gym Ghingnham and the Turn X with this universe's technology," Harry said. "I would be most willing to help you if you could provide such a service."

"I bet Hayato and Benkei will want to get away from that hellhole that our Earth has become," Gai said. "They shouldn't be hard to convince."

"That's all fine and dandy," Shinichiro said. "But how the hell are we going to cross over?"

"We just getting to that, my boy," Professor Yotsuya of the Nanbara Connection laughed. "The secret lies in the way the portals work. 'Big Sis' Ruri, if you would..."

Suddenly, familiar music started up, and Ruri stepped out into the room, wearing the same outfit from "The How and Why of the _Nadesico_". She still looked embarrassed. Boss, Nuke and Mucha immediately burst out into raucous laughter.

"Hello, everyone. Big Sis Ruri here. I'm here to explain to you about how travel using the portals generated by Lifthrasir and Granlif works, and how it can be used to travel to other universes."

_Somebody, please kill me now… _Judau thought, burying his face in his hands.

Ruri began her explanation.

_When a set of two portals are generated, the fabric of space-time is folded, as two points in time are drawn close together. To the traveler and to an observer, the distance between the two points seems shorter, and they perceive as having traveled very little distance._

_However, Lifthrasir and Granlif's portals have opposite polarities, if you will. Thus, one cannot enter a blue portal and come out a red one. _

_But when only a single portal is generated, it opens a 'window' into the void beyond space-time. It will fizzle out within seconds on its own as various subatomic particles in the quantum foam correct the anomaly. However, if a large quantity of energy is forced into the portal while it is open, it stretches the window, just as the gravity of celestial objects bends space-time. If sufficient energy is applied, it can stretch all the way to a nearby universe, thus bridging the two._

_Of course, such an event is comparable to the existence of a black hole. Its gravity is such that nothing can escape it, not even light…as shown by these few frames. Thankfully, the existence of this dimensional tunnel is extremely brief, in billionths of a second. _

"However," Dr. Zifell concluded, "we have a theory of how to create a STABLE dimensional tunnel! This has been the purpose of Project Threshold. It has been theorized, and simulated by the _Nadesico_'s own Omoikane in concert with Lifthrasir's AI, Xemmy, and the combined computing power of the three institutes, that by creating two portals of opposing polarities sufficiently close together, then applying the energy, we can create a stable, INSULATED portal. Based on reports from our alternate Earth friends, the air on the other Earth has similar proportions of atmospheric gases for humans of our world to breathe."

"Awesome!" Judau said. "Let's get this show on the road so those of us from the other can get home!"

* * *

The preparations were set. In a massive underground chamber that had been transformed into an artificial vacuum and surrounded by thick, transparent walls made of glass tempered with Japanium, Granlif and Lifthrasir stood in front of what appeared to be a large mirror shaped much their portals, except with.

"Tara, Janus, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, dad!" Tara replied. "Okay, so run it by us one more time?"

"I want you two to set a pair of portals, each one fired immediately after the other, in the very center of that structure. The two sets must be virtually simultaneous in appearance if they are to overlap."

"How close do we have to be?" Janus asked uneasily.

"Each portal takes about one second to form. If the other portal does not start forming by the time first is finished, the tunnel cannot be created."

"Oh, that's all? I thought the universe might fall apart or something!" Janus said with a laugh. Tara was oddly silent. Somehow, it seemed far too plausible for her taste.

"You okay, Tara?" the young man piloting Granlif asked. "You're quiet all of a sudden."

"I...never mind. Let's do this!"

"Now, on my mark..."

Everyone outside watched with eager curiosity at what was about to happen. Even for Kittan and Yoko, this would be entirely new.

"Three..."

Tara swallowed nervously.

"Two..."

Janus cracked his knuckles.

"One..."

Both of them readied their portal cannons. Xemmey and Granlif's AI quickly set the coordinates.

"Fire!"

Both fired their portal guns, with two rapid shots in succession, so that all four portals would form on the same spot. The very fabric of reality began to lurch and distort as the phenomenon began to stretch it. But it eventually calmed down as the window into the void between dimensions stabilized.

"Dimensional window formation confirmed!" Haruhi called out.

"Good! Begin the energy channeling now!" Gilbert ordered.

The device, which was hooked up via vacuum-sealed wires to the _Nadesico_'s Phase Transition Engine, the Photon Reactors of the labs, Shin Getter's Getter Ray reactor, and any other power source available, even the Spiral Engines of Yoko's and Kittan's Gunmen.

The portals began to twist, writhe and glow as they began to receive vast amounts of energy. Everyone save for Gilbert, who looked on with greater and greater excitement, braced themselves for the worst. Was Project Threshold going to succeed or would it result in the greatest catastrophe known to life?

After what seemed an eternity, the window, which had been rapidly flashing blue and red, suddenly ceased doing so, and instead began to glow snow white. Tara and Janus looked on with amazement.

They had done it. A stable tunnel between dimensions, a Threshold, had formed.

"YES! YES! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Gilbert laughed ecstatically. He grabbed Haruhi and passionately embraced her. "HARUHI, WE DID IT!"

"Awesome!" Christina said joyfully. "We can finally go home, Judau! Boy, what a story we'll have for the guys in Londo Bell!"

"More importantly, we can free Simon and find out how to stop the moon from falling," Yoko added.

"But what about Britannia? And all those enemies Zero and the others talked about?" Sayaka asked. "We shouldn't all go. That would leave the world too vulnerable!"

"I guess we gotta split up, then," Masato said. "Let's divide into teams."

"A fine idea, Mr Shikubu," Mr. Prospector said. "Everyone who has to deal with the enemies in this world should stay behind. Anyone else can choose where they want to go. Think carefully...you may not be able to return for a long, long time."

* * *

"Wait, why do you want to go to Janus' world?" Tara exclaimed when she heard Yurika's request to go to the Ruined World. "What about the Jovian Lizards?"

"Something tells me they won't be a bother for a while," Akatsuki said nonchalantly. "With Mars under their complete control, they'll likely wait a while before engaging in any more attacks. I'm interested to see what sort of technology the other Earth has. Perhaps we can trade notes, so to speak."

"Yes, and you'll need a warship, I think," Yurika added. "Besides, Hikaru would miss you so if you left!"

"Um…if you don't mind, I'd like to go to Janus' world as well," Michiru announced. "I…would like to see Hayato and Benkei again; and maybe Ryoma too. Somehow I feel like the Ryoma of Go, Kei, and Gai's world is alive."

"All right…but to be honest," Tara said thoughtfully. "I'm kind of torn. Janus, I'll go wherever you go."

"Same here!" Hyoma said. "I've got no problem with either one. Combattler V will shine no matter who the enemy is! No matter which way you go, we'll follow!"

"I also have no preference," Kenichi said. "But as fellow Super Electromagnetic Robots, Voltes V should remain with Combattler V. I'll follow you as well, Janus."

"I'd like to stay with Zero," Shinobu quipped, "But with Kallen back, he said I could go with you if you're heading back to your world, Janus."

"Macross can take care of itself for now," Gamlin said after considering his options. "I am willing to follow wherever you go as well, my friend."

"I'd like to return to our world as well," Loran added. "But I'd like to see if we can find something to combat the Turn X in this world. I'll stay here if you think you'll need me and the Turn A." Harry nodded, indicating his words were Loran's.

Janus pondered deeply…should he stay and Help Zero, or return to his own world and Save Kamina City?

* * *

"**Help Zero"**

"Actually, I think I'm going to stay and help Zero. Besides, I kind of like it here. It's so beautiful. My Earth is nothing but rock, dirt and Getter Rays. Here there's greenery, life and…a lot of other awesome stuff! I'd hate to see it suffer the same fate my world did."

"Really?" Judau said with great disappointment. "I was looking forward to introducing you to everyone in Londo Bell, Janus!"

"And I wanted Simon to see just how awesome you've become since you left!" Kittan said. "I'm actually proud of ya, kiddo! Well, I'm sure he'll see once we're done on our side of the tunnel."

"Yeah. But…I dunno, I feel there's something else keeping me here. Maybe I'll figure it out."

* * *

"**Save Kamina City"**

"Well, as much as I like it here, I do miss ol' Kamina City. It's home, and there's no place like home, I say."

"I guess this is goodbye for now, everyone," Tara sighed. Boss and his gang waved goodbye.

"Take care, Tara," Sayaka said, giving her friend a hug. "If you find any new fashions, bring them back for me!"

"Watch yourself, Tara. Don't worry, Zero said he'd take care of things with Ashford Academy...somehow."

"Hey, Tara! You still have your _Gekiganger 3 _disks?" Hikaru asked, pushing Kallen aside. "Let's show those guys in the other world the power of PASSION!"

"Yeah! I bet _Gekiganger _will be a crossover hit!" Tara laughed.

* * *

_And at long last, we come to a route split. The way I wrote it out is the way I'm going to handle them: I will write out both routes, but only one of them will be canon, in terms of the presence of our main protagonists, as well as the "undecided" series. I want YOU, the readers, to vote on whether you want Help Zero or Save Teppelin will be the one that I will designate as "canon". Who knows? You might even affect the ending! _

_Here are the two teams whose plot will be focused on, by series:  
_

_**Help Zero (Japan)  
**_

_Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion  
Mazinkaiser  
UFO Robo Grendizer  
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED  
King of Braves GaoGaiGar  
_

_**Save Kamina City (Teppelin)  
**_

_ Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann  
Getter Robo Armageddon  
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack  
Martian Successor Nadesico  
_

_So, place your votes now for which route will be canon and stay tuned for the next episodes!  
_

_-The situation at Photon Power Labs suddenly takes a turn for the even worse when Dr. Hell sends Baron Ashura and his Mechabeast army, reinforced by King Vega's Saucer Beasts to attack Photon Power Labs with Ashura's newest toy! And when another Mazinger appears, how will the team that's remaining in Tara's world handle matters? Find out in **Chapter 14 (Japan): Dr. Kabuto's Finest Achievement! Who Is The Strongest Mazinger?**  
_

_-At long last, the crew from the Ruined World returns home to find that very little time has actually passed since being pulled into the Flourishing World. With high hopes, they make tracks for the prison where Simon and Viral are imprisoned. Will they be able to defeat Rossiu's forces and free Gurren Lagann's pilots? And what of Domon Kasshu and Shining Gundam? Find out next time in **Chapter 14 (Teppelin): Hot-Blooded Prison Melee! Enter the King of Hearts! **_

_Stay tuned for the next episodes! Until then, fellow robot fans!_


	21. Chapter 14 Japan

_Now this is the kind of writing I was hoping to do! First up, we see the events of the Japan route. It's probably the longest chapter I've ever written! I hope to have as much fun writing the remainder of the story as I did writing this chapter!_

* * *

**Chapter 14 (Japan) - Dr. Kabuto's Finest Achievement! Who Is The Strongest Mazinger?**

Janus and Tara watched as the last of those traveling to the Ruined World entered the dimensional tunnel. Having been sufficiently energized, the tunnel would be stable for a long time, and it was now connecting the two universes. However, they had no idea where they would pop out, but hoped for the best. He would miss Yoko and Kittan, as well as the Getter Team, but he didn't want to go back. Not yet, anyway.

"I'm still surprised you decided to stay behind, Janus," Kira said as the crew that stayed behind relaxed in one of the lounges in Photon Power Labs. He was typing away at his computer with one hand, working on some code for another project at Morgenroete. "You don't miss your home and family? I...know I do."

"Your parents are safe, that much I assure you, Kira," Mu La Flaga, who was sitting with Janus, Kira and Tara, replied. "They're likely staying at another Orb-controlled colony, I bet. But yeah, what kind of family do you have, buddy?"

"...I don't remember, really," Janus said with a sigh. "I do know my folks died when I was a little kid, and I don't have any brothers or sisters. I've been living on my own ever since, relying on either my own wits or the kindness of others. I don't think I've ever had so many consecutive days of having three square meals and a roof over my head at night in my whole life. Most of the time I would sleep on the street, and I taught myself how to read by hoarding and reading old magazines. Kids may resent it, but I really wish I could have gone to school."

"You'd think a city powered purely by people's hopes and fighting spirit would be able to provide for everyone," Mu quipped. "Guess that's not how it quite works in your world, does it?"

Tara suddenly smiled when an idea suddenly popped into her head. "Hey! How about you enroll at Ashford Academy? My dad could easily convince the headmaster to let you in! You can have a dorm room and everything! You'll get to hang out with me, Boss, Sayaka, and even Kallen!"

"Eh, what the hell. Do I have to fill out anything with a pen? I...don't honestly know how to write."

"If you can type, you should do fine," Kira replied. "I'm sure they'll let you use a computer. For papers anyway."

"I guess..." the young man replied.

"Then it's settled! By this time three days from now, you'll be enrolling at Ashford Academy!"

* * *

Sure enough, Gilbert came through for Janus, and he found himself in Tara's room the night before his first day, getting ready to go to bed to rest up for it. Even though the semester was almost a third of the way over, the scientist arranged for a tutor to help him get caught up with the class.

He had been spending the night on the Zifells' sofa for the past two days, but now he had been invited by Tara to sleep in her room. In fact, ever since he first set foot in her house, she was acting quite different than usual. She became more coy, yet...flirtatious.

After letting him stand in the middle of her room, afraid to touch anything, Tara came back and went over to her closet. She opened the door, grabbed a low-cut, midriff-baring shirt and extremely short shorts, something that looks more like the bottom half of a two-piece swimsuit, and walked into her small bathroom to have a little privacy.

A few minutes later, even though they felt like hours, she came out of the bathroom, her day clothes hanging over her arm, and her nightclothes actually on her. All the time he had spent with her, Janus had never really gotten the chance to see her like this. Not that he had ever tried.

She was pretty, even from an objective standpoint. There were certainly prettier girls out there, but at the same time, Tara had that sort of natural look that make-up could only make worse, while her deep blue eyes, which she got from her father, also helped bring out that sort of charm. Her chest was noticeable, but nowhere in the same league as, say, Yoko's. Her overall figure was thin, but not overly so, with just the slightest bit of pudge on her belly and rear, just enough to give her a more mature, rather than girlish, figure.

"Are you finished ogling me, Romeo?" Tara quipped as she assumed her usual personality. "Now it's your turn to be eye candy for me and the ladies!"

Janus, anxious but driven forward by his instincts, removed his shirt, pants, socks and shoes, leaving only his plain green and white boxer shorts, which were fresh from the clothing store. Tara looked him up and down.

Like her, Janus was thin and somewhat tall, while still being well-toned from years of hard life; as close to being one of the beautiful men in her OTHER favorite kind of manga as she could possibly imagine without actually being one. His hair was spiky, though it dropped down rather than stood up. He had one light blue eye and one green eye, something Tara had never noticed until now. Though perhaps her sense of his handsomeness was skewed, he was certainly no slouch in that department.

Tara smirked and hopped onto her bed, then stared at Janus seductively. He swallowed nervously as he felt his instincts rising. The look in her eyes, that pose...and her smell. Not the stench of filth, but the pheromone-laced odor that all women in love emitted that only a man enamored with her could recognize, but no perfume could emulate.

The smell awakened something within him, this time. He closed his eyes and smiled.

"Janus?" Tara asked. If he didn't have that huge smile on his face, she would be worried about him.

"Tara...I...I just remembered something. I think...maybe it was from another lifetime. I remembered you being there and that..."

"Yeah. I dreamed about you last night," Tara said, trying so hard to find the words, suddenly looking coy and sweet. "You looked different, yet I knew it was you. That's why...I..."

Janus was silent. Tara just threw up her hands in defeat and lay back in her bed. She got up from bed, grabbed Janus before he could finish his sentence and pulled him into bed with her.

"Oh, just kiss me, you dope."

She immediately locked lips with him passionately.

Janus let his instincts guide him, while he groped around for the switch for the lamp on the side table near Tara's bed and pulled the string, turning it off, and then set about resuming the relationship from another lifetime where it left off...

* * *

"RAWK! I AM SANGER ZONVOLT! I AM THE SWORD THAT CLEAVES EVIL! RAWK!"

Tara awoke to the sound of her parrot Zengar downstairs screaming that phrase in its greeting to the morning. She glanced at her alarm clock. It wasn't set to go off for another few minutes, but now that she was up, there was no point in wasting time. She got out of bed, but paused to look back at Janus, who was still sleeping like a log.

It was 6:59 A.M. - one minute till her alarm would go off. She walked over quietly and turned up the volume on her radio to full blast. With his head only a few feet from it, there was no way he could stay asleep. She put her fingers to her ears and waited.

At 7:00 sharp, Janus was blasted with the sounds of Fire Bomber's hit "Try Again". He nearly leaped out of his skin when his ears were subject to the blast of noise, but Tara quickly turned the sound down as her friend caught his breath.

"Rise and shine, lover boy!" Tara said joyously. "Today is YOUR first day of school!"

* * *

Everything Janus said about wanting to go to school, he took back within minutes of sitting down in his first class. The black uniform was hardly to his taste, and the teacher began droning on about some boring history stuff...something about a guy named Benjamin Franklin betraying the old colonies prior to Napoleon conquering the British Isles. So he looked out the window and scribbled in his notebook, in spite of being unable to write. The minutes ticked slowly by, but eventually the first class ended with him having learned nothing of importance.

As he got up from his seat, he set out for the library, where his tutor was supposed to be waiting for him.

As Janus walked, he saw all the people chatting amongst themselves. But before he could think too much of it he noticed a familiar face coming down the hallway, his glasses, silver hair, pink shirt, yellow and black checkered vest, and bright red pants turning heads everywhere he went. He came to a halt right at Janus' position.

"Oh, hey, Harry."

"Do not 'hey' me, Janus," Harry said, looking rather stern in spite of no one being able to see his eyes. "You and I are to go to the library. There you will receive part of what will be your REAL schooling." He looked around, and noticed that people were looking at him. Then again, Harry stood out like a sore thumb with his tacky outfit.

"Real schooling? Are you my study partner? Well come on, the tutor's waiting," he said, walking around the guard captain, embarrassed as anyone else.

"I AM your tutor, Janus," Harry replied. "You had no reason to participate in that history class. Instead, I will be teaching you the history that truly matters. I will also be teaching you math, science and literature. It's time you moved beyond that drivel that is _Gekiganger 3_."

_Just what I need, a drill sergeant for a tutor..._ Janus thought, hanging his head in disgrace.

* * *

After several long hours of being grilled and drilled by Harry Ord, Janus' first day of school ended. He could finally go to his room, where Tara and the manga club had spent the better part of the day (with Milly Ashford's permission) to skip their remaining classes to help set up Janus' room.

When he arrived at his dorm, more tired than any battle had ever made him, he found that he had a visitor: a girl, probably 13 or 14 years old or with short, pale blue hair, a blue-green and white outfit, and most startling, a pair of ruby red eyes. She carried a basket full of goodies, both healthy and not so healthy, with both hands. She glanced at him for a moment, but that one look simultaneously went right past him and right into him, and he immediately felt uncomfortable just looking at this girl. But he wanted to be pleasant, at least.

"Uh, hi. You must be the welcoming committee?"

"H-hello," the girl said, obviously nervous and not even looking him in the eye. "W-welcome to Ashford. I'm...Rei Ayanami..."

"Hey, is that basket for me?" Janus asked as he eyed the treats piled within.

The girl nodded as she held it out to him. He remembered being socially awkward when he was this age, but not like this. He pitied Rei a little.

Janus took the basket from her, and fished out a tangerine, and gave it to her. He had tried them once, and wasn't too keen on the small oranges. Maybe the girl would.

"Just a little thank-you present."

Rei looked down at the tangerine, but then back up at him.

"What? You've never had one of these before? Here, let me show you how it's done." the young man said. He took back the tangerine and began to peel it, dropping bits and pieces of its skin on the floor as he did, and occasionally squirting a few drops of juice out. Rei watched, and tilted her head slightly, wondering what this new boy was doing.

After a few minutes and a floor covered with tangerine skin and sprinkled by juice later, he had successfully peeled the tangerine, and handed it to Rei.

"Okay, there you go. Eat up."

Rei, looking as if she was doing something she shouldn't, delicately took a bite out of the fruit. A sensation she could not recognize, but felt good, filled her, and she began to take normal-sized bites of the fruit.

"Alright, see you around, Rei. Thanks for the goodies!" Janus said as he opened the door to his room and shut it behind him, feeling a little better about himself after being humiliated by Harry and his tutoring.

Two words tried to pass through the girl's lips to express her gratitude for this small act of kindness, but she could not form them. All she could do was take yet another bite...

* * *

Lelouch sat in his room, quietly meditating on how to deal with this whole situation. His plan would be doable if it was just Britannia he had to deal with. But now many other terrible forces threatened the safety of the people, and his sister. C.C. sat on his bed, dressed in a lovely nightgown, lazily chomping on some of her favorite pizza.

"Your Geass went out of control again recently."

"What?" Lelouch asked, surprised that C.C. would wait so long to tell him that. "Did anyone see it happen?"

"Yes. That Tara girl. The pilot of the Lifthrasir. I can only assume she's been able to put two and two together at this point, especially when she witnessed it twice."

"Twice?"

"Your first trip to Photon Power Labs as Zero, you Geass'd the pilot of the Great Mazinger...and she was present. And a few days ago then you Geass'd Shinji Ikari, who witnessed me putting Mao to an end, I spied her nearby, and she had seen the whole thing."

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Lelouch said with mild frustration.

"What good would it have done?" C.C. replied nonchalantly. "You should have expected and prepared for this possibility. You've had your share of near misses as of late. You're slipping, mister chessmaster."

Lelouch grumbled, and got up from the chair. "I'm going to bed. Tomorrow, Nunnally's going on a field trip with the rest of her grade, and I volunteered to chaperone so I could stay close to Nunnally."

"No missions? No daring terrorist attacks? No grand schemes? I'm disappointed, Lelouch," the green-haired maiden said with a wry smile. "Surely you can think of something to spend all night doing?"

"OFF. NOW."

* * *

The light-blue bus was clamoring with seventh-graders as it drove out into the countryside outside Tokyo Settlement, which was covered with a light coat of snow.

Today, the 26th of February, was a red-letter day for the 7th grade class at Ashford. That entire section of the student body was going on a field trip to Photon Power Labs in order to take a tour of the facilities. In reality, though, it was a trip taken every year by the 7th grade at this time.

Among those coming along were Nunnally, Shinji, Asuka and Rei. Tara and Sayaka were called in to chaperone as well, at Professor Yumi's request. With well over forty kids to watch, the teachers would already have their hands full; and of course Lelouch, who feared that Nunnally would get hurt when he wasn't around.

After two hours crammed into close proximity with each other, the bus finally arrived at the labs. After everyone else got off, Nunnally did so with the aid of a special lift built into the bus that was used for individuals who were wheelchair-bound. No sooner had she been unstrapped than did she try to gauge where Shinji was in the crowd by using her somewhat heightened sense of hearing, to compensate for her blindness.

"Big brother, please help me find Shinji," the crippled girl asked. "I can't tell where he is in all of this noise." Lelouch was surprised. What had happened between her and the boy must have sparked something. He felt a twinge of jealousy as he complied with his sister's request.

Shinji was off to the side, away from the rest of the crowd, standing next to Rei Ayanami, who was eating another tangerine, one she peeled for herself. The boy looked up, and waved to Nunnally, looking rather excited to see her, before remembering she was blind. But Lelouch saw him, and started to push her along toward him. Rei looked up and saw Nunnally approaching.

"Hello, Shinji. Hello...um..."

"Rei," the pale girl replied listlessly after swallowing another bite of tangerine.

"Oh, of course. I'm sorry," Nunnally apologized. "Are you two excited? I am!"

"It's just a scientist's lab. Big whoop." Shinji said with a shrug. Being an EVA pilot, he assumed Photon Power Labs wouldn't be as impressive as NERV headquarters.

"C'mon you three," Lelouch interrupted. "The group is starting to gather. We'd best join them."

"Oh, okay," Shinji replied. He felt rather upbeat today, especially being able to hang out with Nunnally. He never judged him, never made fun of him, and always tried to cheer him when he was down.

Unbeknownst to anyone there that day, things were about to take a turn for the terrifying...

* * *

"And this, students, is the hangar!" Professor Yumi said with a flourish. "This is where we do our maintenance on all of the institute's Super Robots! And it just so happens that one of our robots, Aphrodite A, is here undergoing its routine maintenance."

The young students, used to seeing the twelve-foot Knightmare Frames, looked in awe at the gigantic Aphrodite, who towered almost five times taller than any of Britannia's weapons. Sayaka, who silently stood nearby, beamed a bit with pride. Last year, it was Mazinger Z that was getting all of the attention. At least her machine had its moment to be marveled at.

But to everyone's surprise, an alarm started going off. The Yumis and Tara recognized the alarm as the sound of an enemy attack, though the students and teachers, including Lelouch, assumed it was something else.

"Great...a fire drill," Asuka groaned, rolling her eyes. "Welp, so much for our field trip. Let's go."

"Calm down everyone," Professor Yumi said to the rather panicky schoolkids. "The situation is under control. If you'll follow me, I'll lead you to the underground shelters where you can wait things out..."

* * *

"BU-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" Baron Ashura laughed, the sound of it echoing through the countryside. The two-faced being sat in Mazinger Z as it tromped toward the Photon Power Labs, followed by a small army of Mechabeasts. But the Super Robot had been changed drastically from its original form.

One of its eyes had been blacked out, while spikes jutted out from various orifices, and its body was dotted with gigantic, punkish rivets. Its breast plate and cockpit were decorated with fiendish, painted-on eyes, and its arms and legs has visible cracks, remnants of its last battle for the side of good.

Soon the laboratory came into sight, and the machine paused by the pale blue school bus. With a fiendish grin, Ashura made Mazinger smash the bus flat with a single stomp before turning its attention back to the lab. The twin-gendered freak caught sight of Professor Yumi and Jun Aoi, another of the Labs' robot pilots, on the higher floors.

"The hope of the world, Photon Power Labs..." Ashura said, opening the hatch where the Pilder used to be to add to the drama of it all, "...shall be destroyed by its protector, Mazinger Z! Soon the Earth will kneel before Dr. Hell!"

"Don't bet on that, Baron Ashura!"

The large doors to the hangar opened and an elevator slowly brought Grendizer, with Daisuke, or rather, Duke Fleed at the helm, to the surface. Its arms were crossed in a rather imposing manner.

"Grendizer! I almost forgot about you," Ashura's male half laughed. "It will be a great pleasure to make you Ashura Mazinger's first victim!"

"But first," Ashura's female half chuckled. "Have a go at my master's armies! Attack, Mechabeasts and Saucer Beasts!" Ashura Mazinger sprang back suddenly, and a small battalion of Mechabeasts and Vegan Saucer Beasts charged forward, a mix of Doublas M4s, Garada K7s, Dayan M4s, Gilgils and a new face, the bull-like Gamegames.

Daisuke wasted no time in preparing to counterattack.

"GRAVITY STORM!"

He fired a wave of gravity-based energy (which was the basis for the _Nadesico_'s own Gravity Blast) at some of the beasts, flattening them in mid-air. But a Gilgil managed to get around him and prepared to tear into the lab, but suddenly a portal opened, and several familiar rifle shots burst out of it. Lifthrasir swooped out and landed before firing off another pair of shots.

"You again!" both of Ashura's halves cried in anger, recognizing the white body of Lifthrasir. "You humiliated me at our last encounter! You shall suffer for that, and the hands of your dear friend's Mazinger Z! PERIIIIISH!" Ashura spurred the evil Mazinger onward, even as Duke saw his approach.

"Is backup coming?" Duke called out as he slashed a pair of Garadas that had just struck Grendizer in two.

"Yeah. The _Archangel_ already is on its way! We've also got Kira, the Cyber Beast Force, GaoGaiGar, Loran and Kallen with them! No word from the Black Knights, yet. Janus and Harry are also no-shows."

"At least we will not be all alone. We must continue to hold off...ergh...Ashura as long as we can until they arrive."

But Ashura, seeing that Grendizer was starting to falter, changed direction and went for the Super Robot. As the mech charged forward, Ashura readied Mazinger's signature attack.

"TAKE THIS! ROCKETO PUNCH!"

Just as the punch landed, the rockets took over, dealing substantial damage to Daisuke's UFO Robo. Almost immediately, the monsters began swarming over him, while Ashura focused on Lifthrasir.

"PHOTON BEAAAM!"

* * *

"This is stupid! If we were out there, we would have had those guys beaten in ten seconds flat with our EVAs!" Asuka grumbled loudly as they watched the battle on the lab's satellite monitors, and as she paced back and forth restlessly. She, Shinji and Rei, at the teacher's request, were relegated to a shelter together. The shelter was small, cramped, and glowed a dim red.

"Listen, they said they had it under control," Shinji said, trying to calm the pacing Asuka. Rei, meanwhile, was perusing the canned foods (in case of a long stay) for reasons even she wasn't sure of.

"Shinji, you dumbkopf! Don't you know anything!? When adults say they have the situation under the control, they mean they're really running about like headless chickens while everything falls apart around them! Adults are idiots."

"Hey, Misato's not stupid!" Shinji retorted.

"Are you kidding? She's an old hag who couldn't get laid, and now she's wasting her free time away drinking beers with a freak penguin that beats her at chess! The only worthwhile thing she's doing with her life is at NERV!"

"Well, at least she's not a jerk like you are!" Shinji shot back. Asuka responded by confirming her jerk status with an uppercut to his chin. The teen staggered backward, and toppled over right next to Rei, who had just discovered something interesting: a hatch with the letters NERV on them, just large enough for them to slip their whole bodies into comfortably.

"Oh," she said, with only the slightest hint of surprise at this completely unforeseen discovery, barely noticing that her fellow EVA pilots were fighting. As she examined the Shinji rubbed his chin and noticed another one of his teeth had been knocked out of his jaw. That was the second in the past three months.

_Damn it, Asuka...why do I even hang out with...ow..._

"Hey, doll, let me see!" Asuka said, poking her head over Rei's shoulder. "Well, isn't that convenient! Looks like we can actually show those losers how EVAs do things!"

"But there's no Angel..." Rei said.

"Who cares? I've been itching for some action, and that spiky robot is just the ticket to a little stress relief! Besides, it's more fun that clobbering you wimps. Let's roll!" She pulled the tube open and eagerly dove in feet first. The tube immediately pulled her along to an unknown location, and she was laughing and giggling the whole way.

"Rei, you go on ahead. I need to find my tooth," Shinji said, his tongue lick at the place where his tooth used to be.

"Okay." Rei calmly entered the tube herself, and was pulled along. Shinji, now alone, looked by his feet. Sure enough, there was his missing tooth. He grabbed it, put it in his pants pocket and sighed as he got into the tube.

* * *

Tara was at her limit. She could barely see straight after trying so hard to hold off the Mechabeasts and Saucer Beasts under Ashura's command, and Lifthrasir was almost out of energy. Several times her mech had crashed into the labs, breaking down the walls and raining rubble down. The sea of beasts parted to let Ashura Mazinger through.

"Your agility could not save you now, cursed white gadfly!" Ashura laughed as the fiendish Mazinger raised its arms. "BEGONE! BREASTO FI..."

But instead of a Breast Fire striking Tara, a massive blast of heat and energy of similar nature, but vastly greater power flew overhead. It caught a half-dozen Mechabeasts and three Saucer Beasts directly in the blast, incinerating them. The heat emitted from the blast also melted the vast majority of the monsters. But Ashura Mazinger, Grendizer, and Lifthrasir could withstand the great heat, at least while not caught in the blast.

"What the!?" Ashura exclaimed as its Mazinger turned around to see what could have fired out such a powerful blast. Standing about a thousand yards away, stood what appeared to be a more demonic-looking version of a Mazinger. It towered over Ashura Mazinger by at least one-and-a-half times. The red chest plates were shaped like bat wings, and its limbs were much bulkier.

"What...is that?" Tara said, panting as she strained to get Lifthrasir up...

* * *

"Mazinkaiser...it's Mazinkaiser..." Professor Yumi gasped as he beheld the massive new Mazinger. "Did Juzo...actually build that?"

"Mazinkaiser?!" Jun exclaimed as she looked out at it as well.

"A Mazinger beyond all others; a weapon that allows its pilot to possess power beyond that of a god or a demon..." the scientist replied.

They watched Ashura Mazinger try all of its attacks on the newcomer: Rocket Punch, Photon Beam and Rust Hurricane. But Mazinkaiser's armor, made of an even stronger form of Z Alloy, was barely even scratched. Kaiser took a few steps forward and smashed its foe with a single punch, then picked it up and threw it over the still downed Grendizer, smashing it into the lab.

* * *

"Curse you, whatever you are! You'll regret this!" Ashura cried as the male half furious smacked the eject button repeatedly. The Dr. Hell produced Pilder broke off from the evil mech's head and flew off into the distance. No sooner had that happened than did Sayaka appear and put herself between Kaiser and the lab.

"Stop! Please, stop!" she called out. Mazinkaiser paused and looked down at her.

"Please! Koji, that's enough!" Sayaka called out once more. How she could tell it was Koji was anyone's guess...but indeed, Koji was inside Mazinkaiser's Pilder, though the machine seemed to be moving on its own.

To everyone's shock, Kaiser started to take another step forward. But suddenly, as if seeing Sayaka in danger renewed his strength, Daisuke spurred Grendizer forward and tackled Mazinkaiser, allowing her to get away.

And no sooner did she move away than did she spy the _Archangel _coming in from the horizon at full tilt. Meanwhile, another small division of Mechabeasts and Saucer Beasts, who were waiting in reserve, appeared from over a nearby hill, eager for mayhem.

But none of them even noticed something flying high in the heavens, at the edge of space, was slowly beginning to descend.

"What in the world is Grendizer fighting?" Kira said as he and the other robots accompanying the _Archangel_, "It kinda looks like...another Super Robot..."

"Not just any Super Robot...that's a Mazinger!" Kallen replied, as her mech's Factsphere enabled her to get a closer look. "It's like Mazinger Z...but even from here I can tell it's more powerful just by looking at it."

"Worry about that later! We've got other problems! Look!" Guy said, pointing out the waves of approaching Vega troops.

"Let Daisuke hold off that mystery robot a little longer!" Murrue called. "All units, stop the Vega troops! Don't let them reach Photon Power Labs!" GaoGaiGar, Big Volfogg, Aile Strike Gundam, Guren mk II, Dancougar, Moebius Zero and Turn A Gundam all spurred themselves forward, with the _Archangel _close behind.

"DAN KUU KEN!" Shinobu cried out as Dancougar drew its sword, and slashed at a Garada K7, slicing it to bits in one swift motion.

"Kira, don't worry about hurting anyone when fighting these guys," Mu called out to the Coordinator, seeing that he was somewhat apprehensive about attacking these enemies. "They aren't even alive, so you can go ahead and blow them up completely! It's the only way we can protect the people inside!"

"Oh, okay," Kira replied. Knowing that he was protecting others, he immediately pushed aside his apprehensions and spurred the Strike forward. He quickly took aim at a Gilgil and a Doublas, destroying them with a few quick beam rifle shots.

"Get away, you monsters!" Loran yelled as the Turn A drew its own beam rifle and opened fire, destroying another three monsters before drawing its beam saber and cutting down a fourth.

Kallen dodged and weaved around the monsters, frustrated that she couldn't move as she did in space and get at their heads. Mu, seeing Kallen's predicament, flew down and started flying level with her.

"Hey, Kozuki! Need a lift?"

"Uh...I don't know if I could balance on that thing..." Kallen said uneasily. "Maybe if I was atop the _Archangel..._"

"Whoops! Watch it, missy!" Mu exclaimed when he noticed that he was about to hit a wall. He yanked the controls back, and the Moebius Zero did a hard, vertical U-turn, narrowly avoiding a nearby cliffisde. Kallen was able to swing around, the Guren only scratching its paint job lightly against the rock.

_Man, if only this thing could really fly_, Kallen said, silently cursing her luck at being a dwarf amongst giants. Then she noticed Duke and Mazinkaiser exchanging blows in an all out fist fight. And the way Kaiser was moving...it seemed to have forgotten all about the lab, and was attacking Grendizer exclusively.

Then Kallen remembered something...Koji had always expressed resentment in playing second banana to Daisuke. Even if Koji wasn't conscious, was the behemoth acting on his hidden hatred? If that was the case, then the red-haired pilot knew she had to do something.

She spurred Guren into a full charge, knowing full well she could be squashed flat by Mazinkaiser, but not caring. Grendizer backed away all of a sudden, then leaped high into the air, just as the Spazer swooped in.

"SPAZER CROSS!"

Grendizer slipped nicely into the craft's hole, and Duke's pilot's chair shifted to its other position. That gave Kallen an idea.

"Daisuke! Can you give me a lift?" she called out.

"Kallen? Don't tell me you intend to challenge this thing?!" he exclaimed as he swooped around. Kaiser's sole weakness for the moment was that it could not fly. The Fleedian ace was able to dodge and weave around the waves of Photon Beams shot from its eyes.

"Hey, if this is like Mazinger Z, maybe I can get Koji out of its head!" she said.

"I see..." Daisuke said. He glanced over at his allies. It seems the Vega troop numbers have been reduced drastically in the span of a few minutes. He decided to give Kallen's plan a try. He would need a distraction.

"Mu!" Daisuke called out to the Alliance ace. "Keep Koji distracted! Kallen and I are going to try something to stop that monstrosity he's in!"

"Sure," Mu replied with surprisingly little apprehension. Koji was no Coordinator, so Mu could more than easily dodge the slow Kaiser's attacks in his agile Moebius Zero. He zipped by as the Guren and Grendizer got closer.

"All right, Daisuke, I'm getting on!"

The Guren took a mighty leap and quickly retracted its wheels, and used the magnets attached to its feet to stay atop Spazer, another addition by Uribatake for Guren's adaptations to space combat. Amazingly, Grendizer was more than capable of sustaining flight even with the extra weight. It rose into the air and wheeled around, heading straight for Mazinkaiser, who was trying to swat the Moebius out of the air. Mu, seeing their approach, quickly broke off, firing out a few rounds to keep Kaiser distracted for an extra moment.

Just as the massive Super Robot turned around, Kallen bounded off the Spazer, and activated her energy claw. Just as she had hoped, the Guren managed to land on Mazinkaiser's face. She quickly jammed the claw into its Pilder.

_Sorry, Koji... _Kallen thought. Energy coursed into Mazinkaiser, shocking the unconscious Koji heavily. He let out a loud, long scream as the energy from Guren's claw lashed out at him. As he did, the memory of the last time he had been conscious played back in his mind's eye:

* * *

_"Damn it Double Spazer! Why won't you do as I say?!"_

_A waterfall._

_"Oh no! I'm gonna crash!"_

_He yanked hard at the controls._

_No crash._

_At least not into a rock wall._

_His head throbbed. Helmet off._

_A light. He followed it._

_Suddenly, a bright light. A hologram of his grandfather. His words were clear as day._

_"Koji! I've done it! I have finally created the successor to Mazinger Z! It's a super robot even more powerful than Great Mazinger...MAZINKAISER! If you have Mazinger Z, you can be a god or a demon. But with Mazinkaiser, you can be even greater than a god!"_

_The hologram reaches out and somehow touches his shoulder._

_"Koji...you can even defeat the devil. But it's up to you how you use Mazinkaiser's power. Will you control the world, destroy it or protect its people? The fate of the world is in your hands!"_

_He laughs like the mad scientist he always was. He disappears._

_Further in. Lights go on._

_It's a really demonic Mazinger..._

_Pilder On!_

_NOW I'LL SHOW THAT DAISUKE WHAT MY GRANDFATHER COULD REALLY DO!_

* * *

Koji slipped back into unconsciousness, and Mazinkaiser, its circuits damaged by Kallen's desperate attack, stopped moving. Its eyes went dim and it stood like a statue, its arms hanging limply at its sides.

"Kallen, you did it!" Daisuke cheered. "Mazinkaiser has been shut down!"

She jumped off of Kaiser and landed safely on the ground. GaoGaiGar threw aside the last Mechabeast husk and then ran over to see if Kallen was okay, as did everyone else, who had just finished off their own targets. Lifthrasir, meanwhile, was still lying on the ground, unable to get up.

"Thanks for noticing me, you guys!" she said sarcastically.

"Sorry," Kallen replied. "So much was going on at once that we..."

"Never mind. I'm just glad the facility was..." Tara sighed.

"Warning: massive object detected in atmosphere." Xemmy suddenly chimed in. "Estimated size: 4,000 meters across. Altitude: 35,000 meters and closing. Speed: Approximately 2,500 kilometers per hour.

"YOU'RE KIDDING, RIGHT?!" Tara screamed.

* * *

At a hidden NERV base, Misato and several other operators watched the descending object: a weird, almost flat entity with six nodules with eyelash designs surrounding a massive, single eye and a pair of flat limbs with smaller eyes on it. If it wasn't so massive and descending at such a high speed, one might think of it as a drawing done by a disturbed young child.

Just outside this base, out of view of the main fight, the three current EVAs, Units 00, 01 and 02, piloted by Rei, Shinji, and Asuka respectively, were all lined up, posed like sprinters at a track meet just before the starting gun

"Listen up...we can't rely too much on secondary data. You could very easily be operating on your own. Remember, those EVAs are the key to stopping this thing. If you don't..."

"Don't worry! We'll be fine!" Asuka said dismissively.

"Target is at 20,000!" an operator called out.

"Begin the operation!"

The three massive EVAs, which towered even over Mazinkaiser, rushed forward with a surprisingly human-like gait as the external plugs in their backs ejected, leaving them five minutes of battery power to get the job done. They were rushing to stop the falling object, which turned out to be an Angel, from colliding with the Earth. As the EVAs ran, the ground shook and heaved, roads were damaged, power lines came down, and trees were uprooted.

Rushing along at hundreds of miles per hour with great strides, they quickly looked around for their target. Shinji spotted it right over Photon Power Labs.

"Damn it, it's moving too fast! I dunno if we can catch it..." Asuka said, actually discouraged for once.

Shinji, too, seemed to despair at the likely possibility of not being able to make it. Then he remembered Lelouch's words...

_"...You took matters into your own hands and acted. Few people have the ability to take action like that."_

Lelouch and Nunnally...Shinji knew he had save them. They were the only people who had praised him when he had done something good outside of his EVA. As if those words gave him courage, and his courage fueled Unit 01's power, it extended its AT Field, allowing the purple EVA to quickly accelerate. In a matter of seconds, Unit 01 had pierced the sound barrier and quickly left Unit 00 and Unit 02 in the dust. With a single great leap, it bounded over the next hill, right into the site of the battle.

* * *

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Mu exclaimed as he narrowly avoided being smashed by the falling Unit 01.

The impact shook the ground heavily, causing any land-bound mecha to fall over, even Mazinkaiser, who thankfully toppled forward rather than backward. The Angel, codenamed Sahaquiel, was now within 5,000 meters and closing.

"DEPLOYING A.T. FIELD!" Shinji yelled. Instantly, every last mech was blown back as the EVA's barrier deployed, just in time to start pushing Sahaquiel up. The labs took a hit from Unit 01's AT Field, but managed to remain standing.

"Shinji?!" Shinobu exclaimed. "Cyber Beast Force gotta help him stop that thing! YAAAATE YARUZE!" Dancougar got to its feet rushed into the mess. It stood beside Shinji and opened all of its cannon ports.

"DAN KUU HOU FORMATION! SHOOT!"

All of its cannons fired at once and began pushing against its AT Field.

"Hang in there!" Guy called out as he too rushed in, and raised its hands to hold Sahaquiel back with GaoGaiGar's power. The mech's GS Ride kicked into overdrive, fueling the mech's strength.

"We can't let it fall!" Loran cried as he joined in with the Turn A, its vast power fueling it as it held up Sahaquiel.

"I've seen my birth home sent to ruin..." Daisuke said as Grendizer got to its feet. "I will not allow my second home to suffer the same fate!" He rushed in, pushing his UFO Robo to maximum output as it held up Sahaquiel. Kira, Mu, Tara and Kallen could only watch as the EVA, the four Super Robots and the Lunar Kingdom mech strained under the force of the Angel's weight and AT Field.

Just then, Unit 00 and Unit 02 came over the hill and rushed into the fray, deploying their own AT Fields, and slowly began to push it up again.

Suddenly the Angel began spinning around like a top, and moved away from its initial trajector and then paused in mid-air, only about a half-dozen meters off the ground. It let out an unearthly wail as it stared down its enemies.

"Well, didn't see that coming..." Asuka quipped.

"Well, at least we can take care of it in a fair fight," Daisuke said as Grendizer got to its feet.

"Hey, Asuka, long time, no see!" Masato called out to Asuka. "I see you brought some buddies!"

"You know these guys?" Loran asked.

"We've been acquainted," Ryo replied. "It's a long story."

Suddenly, Sahaquiel shifted its gaze to Lifthrasir. As Tara gazed back at it, she suddenly heard a voice in her mind.

_Come back. Come back...I miss you._

"Get out of my head, you freak!" Tara screamed, putting her hands on her ears, vainly trying to block out the noise.

_Please...come back. Don't you remember?_

"GET OUUUUUUUUUTTT!"

As if fueled by her stress, Lifthrasir got up, seemingly heedless to the damage it had sustained. It pulled out both rifles and with a hot-blooded scream, she fired both of them, narrowly missing GaoGaiGar. Oddly, the Angel made no attempt to deploy its AT Field, so the blast struck it smack in the middle of its massive eye, and came out out the other side. The attack had pushed both Tara and Lifthrasir to their absolute limit. The machine began to short out, and collapsed once more, and Tara drifted into unconsciousness.

And to make matters worse, being shot through the eye apparently just made it mad. The Angels' body began to tremble, and then began to peel itself away, revealing another form inside. It seemed to be made of multicolored light, its central eye was smaller, and its fingers were now fringed with tiny (on its scale) black needles, and pink fire emanated from its back.

"Any other bright ideas?" Mu quipped.

"I say we just go all-out," Shinobu said. "These AT Fields can be overpowered. You just gotta put all of the effort and guts you have into your attack!"

"Yes! As long as we have courage in our hearts, we can overpower any foe or barrier! EVERYONE! FORWAAAAAARD!" GaoGaiGar's GS Ride again glowed brightly, its energy overflowing.

Rei, Shinji and Asuka glanced at their timers. To their shock, the timer was actually counting up, not down. Something intangible was providing the EVA's engines with energy.

"Asuka..." Shinji said, worried about this weird occurence.

"Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth, you two!" Asuka said eagerly. "Let's show these shrimps how we EVAs take down an Angel!"

* * *

"Captain, you're not gonna believe this!" one of the operators exclaimed. "The timers on Units 00, 01 and 02 are going in REVERSE, and they're not even plugged in! Something must be fueling their batteries!

"What? Can you locate the source?"

"It looks like...one of GGG's mecha, GaoGaiGar! Its giving off so much energy, the EVAs have started to draw it in!

"Amazing..." Misato exclaimed as she watched the time limits on their batteries rise higher and higher. "Is this the true power of Super Robots? Or have we misjudged how capable the Angels are? Or could it simply be the power of the human will?"

* * *

"Captain, I need the Launcher Frame!" Kira called out as the Aile Strike landed inside the _Archangel_. The crew scrambled to make the switch and make some quick repairs on the mobile suit. He watched on his monitor of how the battle was progressing.

Sahaquiel was doing its best to hold off its opponents, but even being 4,000 meters in size and a powerful AT Field was no safe assurance of its survival. Time and time again its foes forced their way through the field with nothing but sheer force of will, just long enough to land a hit.

_What power...and I thought the G's were impressive_, Kira thought. _And they're not even Coordinators. Maybe I DO need to put more spirit into my attacks..._

Within one minute, the Strike was fitted with the Launcher Frame. Kira braced himself as the catapult got ready to launch him. Three seconds later, he was shot out, and was launched high above the melee. He had a clear shot on Sahaquiel.

"Alright, let's see you handle this! AGNI CANNON...FIRE!"

The massive weapon launched a high-powered beam, which struck the Angel from above, and pierced its AT Field. It flopped backwards with a great crash. All of the needles began to stand on end, and then something burst out of its pupil: an EVA-sized, but thin, and vaguely humanoid creature with lance-like arms and a mask-like face.

"I guess this guy's the Angel proper," Asuka quipped. "Now we just gotta take out its core!"

"I'll take care of that!" Guy yelled. "HELL...AND...HEAVEN!"

Guy went through the same sequence, and the Angel's core body flopped over.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

GaoGaiGar rushed forward and managed to grab hold of the core. But as he tried to yank it out, it somehow managed to literally slip through GaoGaiGar's fingers, taking the form of a red liquid of similar consistency to blood. The core reformed and started beginning moving around wildly. The Angel stabbed its lances into GaoGaiGar's hands, breaking the hold of Hell & Heaven. The Super Robot staggered backwards.

"Stupid adult," Asuka sighed. "Shinji, Rei, let's do it right!"

The three EVAs charged forward, and all drew their Progressive Knives. Shinji and Asuka started to push through the Angel's AT Field, while Rei's eyes darted back and forth, trying to time her move to snag the blood-red core when her battle companions. Sahaquiel didn't counterattack, and concentrated its entire effort on maintaining the AT Field.

But the EVAs held out, and Units 01 and 02 forced the way through. Rei lunged at the core, snagging it with both hands. Unlike with GaoGaiGar, the core chose a different tactic: it surrounded itself with a shell made of its AT Field as the Angel itself retreated into the eye once more.

Rei tried to crush it with Unit 00's hands, but the core's field held up. Shinji came over and tried to stab it, but the thick field held on; Asuka had no success either.

Suddenly, Rei remembered the tangerines she had been eating, and how Janus showed her the way to peel them. She concentrated on not the core itself, but the many layers of AT Field surrounding it. Bit by bit she peeled away at the field, until eventually she had pulled enough layers away for an opening to form.

"Everyone! Now!" Rei cried out. She had never realized she could display such emotion. She raised her knife and jammed it into Sahaquiel's core, cutting it like she would the fruit. Shinji and Asuka joined in, and together they cut open the core. It melted into blood again, but didn't reform. Sahaquiel let out one last wail, and went silent.

"Huh...it didn't explode," Shinji said, scratching his head.

* * *

Lelouch had watched the battle from his shelter with Nunnally, wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

He couldn't believe the power his new allies possessed. Especially Shinji. To be able to defeat a foe of this size and power was amazing. He knew something of NERV and the Evangelions, but never thought all three of the pilots would go to Ashford Academy.

He finally managed to shake off his awe as he began to rethink his plans. If he could get NERV to join the cause of the Black Knights...

* * *

Tara finally came around several hours later, after the children were brought back to school by a GGG transport. She sat up in bed, and saw Koji lying in the bed adjacent to hers. Sayaka was sitting there, watching Koji, hoping he would open his eyes. She looked up and saw Tara awake.

"Tara, you're okay!" she said happily. "You were out for a while."

"I...take it we won? I mean, we're still alive."

"Yep. The three weird robots, apparently called Evangelions or something, defeated that Angel...or whatever it was called. Apparently three of the 7th grade students are Evangelion pilots. Based on what my father told me, they work for a group called NERV, that specializes in fighting these things."

"Let me guess; they said they'd join our merry band of oddballs and misfits?" Tara said with a twinge of sarcasm.

"Not at this point," Sayaka replied. "But they certainly know to call us for back-up from now on if they have any Angel problems..."

"What about Sleeping Handsome right there? Is he going to come around any time soon?"

Sayaka shook her head sadly. "The doctors...can't honestly say. They're going to put him on life support until he comes around. Meanwhile, I'm going to come here after school as often as I can until he wakes up. I...want to be the first person he sees."

Tara smiled at those words. She knew Sayaka had a thing for Koji, but she had never been able to admit it. It was certainly more than the feelings she had for Janus at the moment. And then she wondered where he had been this whole time...

* * *

_Wow, over 8,600 words. Now that is what I was hoping to write. To be honest, I decided to add the fight with Sahaquiel on a whim. I saw how it was done in SRW L, and was disappointed. They didn't even SHOW the dang thing. And to anyone who realizes that I'm probably doing the Angels out of order, calm down. I'm giving the ones who never got any love in SRW the spotlight they deserve.  
_

_Also, voting will remain open until I finish all of the chapters for this route split are done, which won't be for a while yet. But please, if you're going to vote for which route should be canon, put something** besides** your vote in your review, even if you don't have a lot to say. Substantial reviews are appreciated more, of course. Thanks, and see you on the Teppelin route!  
_


	22. Chapter 14 Teppelin

_And now, Gurren Lagann and G Gundam plot. Brace yourselves for awesome. Also, I remember to use Combattler V and Voltes V this time! For some reason, they're easy to forget about._**  
**

* * *

**Chapter 14 (Teppelin) Hot-Blooded Prison Melee! Enter the King of Hearts!**

After bidding farewell to her friends from her home world, Tara traveled with Janus and those who would go with him through the dimensional tunnel to Janus' world aboard the _Nadesico_. Upon entering, everyone immediately felt the indescribable sensation of being stretched out by their very atoms, but not actually being pulled apart, and then after what simultaneously felt like an eternity and an instant, they were relaxed back to their normal states, amazingly unharmed.

They reappeared from out of a massive cliff hanging over the enormous wasteland. Those from the Flourishing World were overwhelmed by the sheer desolation of their new environment. The sun rose high in the heavens and scorched the already parched earth. Ruri quickly ran a scan of their area.

"Radiation has the surrounding area," Ruri said. "It matches the wave pattern of Getter Rays. Danger level is 4 out of 10."

"Yeah," Christina said grimly. "When I was a kid, Dr. Saotome of the Getter Ray Laboratory unleashed a monstrosity called Shin Dragon on the Earth. The Earth Federation got the bright idea to nuke it, and as a result contaminated almost 75 percent of the planet with Getter Rays.

"Earth Federation?" Tara asked. "Didn't Ruri say that Yurika was undefeated at..."

"I got mixed up. I meant to say Alliance that time." Ruri replied, slightly embarrassed. "I'm amazed you still remember."

"Let's stay on task, people!" Kittan yelled. "We gotta get to the prison where Simon and Viral are being held and bust 'em out!"

* * *

"Captain Noa! We're receiving a request to open a temporary long-range video channel!" one of the _Ra Calium_'s bridge crew exclaimed as the great ship traveled within the inner orbit of the Neo colonies on one of its frequent "peacekeeping" patrols of the area, which served to keep Neo-Japan from being attacked both by their fellow colonists and by Neo-Zeon.

"Who's asking it?" Bright asked, as he stood up, hoping it was who he thought it was.

"It's...it's from the Double Zeta! Judau's alive!" the crewman replied joyfully.

"Get him onscreen!" Bright ordered as he sat back down. The view screen on the bridge crackled and fizzled with Minovsky interference, but in a few moments Judau became visible onscreen, sitting in the cockpit of the ZZ Gundam.

"Hey _Ra Calium? _You there, Captain Bright?"

"This is _Ra Calium_, getting you loud and clear." Bright said. "We sent messages all over Federation airspace and to all of our Earth bases! But none of them had seen you or Christina! To put it literally, where on Earth have you been?!"

"Okay, I swear I am not making this up...Christina and I, and much of the crew of Tower got sucked into a dimensional vortex caused this weird Super Robot! We came out on some alternate version of the Earth. It was so amazing! It was green and beautiful and not saturated with Getter Rays at all!"

At this moment, Amuro Ray stepped on the bridge.

"Amuro! How ya doing, buddy?" Judau said excitedly.

"Judau! Where have you been the past two weeks?" Amuro said angrily. "You were supposed to report to us every..."

"Captain, we're receiving another transmission. There's no matching ID for the ship!"

"Oh, the crew of the _Nadesico, _which is from that other Earth I just mentioned, wanted to get familiar with you guys," Judau said, hearing the voice on his end. "We're looking for some good help on a really important mission and hoped the _Ra Calium _and _Nadesico_ could team up."

"Hmm...Amuro, what do you think?"

"Judau is not the type of person to knowingly deceive others," the ace pilot replied, still annoyed. "I'm open to at least talking with the captain, and gauging their character. Of course, I'm going to have to have a word with Judau."

"My thoughts as well," Bright said with a nod and a small smile. "Open the channel to the unknown transmitter."

* * *

Nightfall. The _Nadesico_ had to move rather slowly, since a lot of power had to be transferred to the Distortion Field in order to minimize Getter Ray exposure. Due to this, it didn't even make it to the prison that day, in spite of traveling hundreds of miles non-stop.

Tara sat in a lounge that had an open view of the landscape and stared at it, feeling as empty of joy as the landscape was of life. Christina walked in and sat down next to her.

"Hey, is something bothering you? Let a fellow gal help you through it," she said, placing a hand on her shoulder. Tara sighed.

"Christina, I feel like I'm losing a sense of who I am."

"Listen, war does that. It..."

"Not like that. I am having real identity issues. I'm starting to have trouble knowing whether I'm who I always was, or if I'm really somebody else and just forgot."

"Let me guess...dreams that may or may not be memories of a past life?" Christina replied before Tara could continue.

"Wow, how did you know what I was going to say?" the purple haired girl exclaimed.

"I've taken a psychology course or two," the Gundam pilot replied. "Now, I'm no licensed therapist, but it's given me an insight or two into the way the mind works."

"Okay, Ms. Wannabe Therapist," Tara retorted, "tell me how I can be sure about who I am."

"It doesn't matter. If you're the reincarnation of someone else, so what? Try to stop worrying about what happened in a previous life. Concentrate on the life you're living now. That's really all I can say. If you're still having problems, then...well, it is a little hard to get a therapist nowadays. But maybe we can find you one."

"Concentrate on the life I'm living now...I guess I can try that," Tara replied, feeling a little better.

"Maybe you can help affirm your identity by...I dunno, sharing yourself with someone, if you know what I mean? Janus sounds right up your alley."

Tara blushed. She had gotten to know him pretty well. He was kind, brave, considerate, and quite handsome...everything she really wanted in a man. And ever since she had met him, Basara became more and more of something she could never have, while Janus was already her friend.

Christina was satisfied. She got up from the sofa and started to leave, but paused as she reached the other end of it.

"If you ever need a little more girl talk while we're here, just let me know."

* * *

The next morning, the group gathered around Kittan, who had spent much of the previous day working with Yoko on their daring plan to get Simon and Viral out of prison and back in Gurren Lagann. A chalkboard, complete with chalk and eraser, was wheeled in by Ruri. When everyone was seated, Kittan stepped forward. Apparently, Yoko wanted to make a small show out of this.

"And now, to present our most daring plan to bravely bust Simon and Viral, leaders of Team Dai-Gurren out of jail, I give you, Professor Yomako Littner, H.B.D!"

From the door outside, in strode Yoko, dressed in an unusually conservative outfit (at least for her): a white blouse with puffy upper sleeves, a pink pseudo-corset over it, and a long brown dress, a short, green-blue tie and low-heeled shoes. A pair of glasses (purely decorative, her sniping skills were due to her above average vision) and her hair not being tied in a ponytail completed the picture. But it only made her bust-line all the more attractive. Indeed, she seemed more mature in this outfit. Yoko had initially planned to become a teacher for a rural school, but had to drop everything to help Janus, and now she was wearing the outfit she planned to use.

"Good morning, class," she said pleasantly. Everyone looked at Kittan, who mouthed the words 'Just play along'.

"Good morning, teacher," every one of the pilots droned simultaneously.

"Today I have a very special lesson for you." She began writing words on the board. "We're going to learn how to break someone out of jail when they've been unjustly imprisoned. Does anyone have any questions before we get started?"

"Yeah, does H.B.D. stand for Huge Boobed Doctor?" Gai quipped with a goofy grin.

He was answered by a stick of chalk hitting him in the forehead at a hundred miles per hour. Everyone, even Kittan, stared, terrified of Yoko, who was still smiling pleasantly. Ruri smirked a little.

"Any other questions?" she asked. Everyone was silent.

"Alright, let's begin."

She began scribbling on the chalkboard...

* * *

_The jail where Simon and Viral are being kept is a maximum-security prison that is home to the Beastmen who continued to fight after the war with the Spiral King was over. It has three layers of protection that we need to deal with. _

_The outermost layer is a patrol of Grapearls, which are mass-produced copies of Gurren Lagann, which, due to Rossiu having no understanding of Spiral Power whatsoever, won't be terribly effective against the likes of us, but still need to be dealt with. Keep in mind that every last pilot is human and may ultimately be on our side once this mess is over, so under no circumstances should you actually destroy these Grapearls. Disabling them is fine, but destroying them is absolutely off limits._

_The second layer is a Spiral shield that surrounds the facility, making entry via breaking the walls difficult. It is powered by an external generator that is also heavily guarded. If we can shut down or destroy the generator, the Spiral barrier will disappear. _

_The third and innermost layer consists of the prison guards themselves. Of course, our mechs can't fit inside the facility, so a small group will have to go on foot._

_We will be dividing into three teams for this mission. Each team will deal with a different layer._

_I will be on the team that goes on foot into the prison itself. Anyone who is trained in dealing with combat on foot is welcome to join me. _

_The team that will deal with the patrolling guards should consist of individuals who are good at distraction. It will be led by Kittan. _

_The team that deals with the barrier should consist of heavy hitters, as the armor surrounding the generator is very thick, and only a very strong mech would be able to punch through it. It will be led by the _Nadesico_._

_...To efficiently achieve this goal, we must..._

* * *

"And that is the plan. Do you all understand?" Yoko said after she finally got done explaining. The board was filled with doodles, scribbles and drawings of different sorts. She had also used a large number of highly complex terms and equations that even Kittan had no idea she knew.

"Yes, teacher," the pilots groaned.

"Good. Class dismissed. I'll see you all on the battlefield!"

As everyone got up and readied to scramble, Gai approached Yoko awkwardly. Still maintaining her teacher persona, Yoko tossed a piece of chalk up and down, wondering if she'd have to throw it.

"Hey, Teach...I mean...Yoko..." the pilot of Shin Getter 3 asked. "What DOES H.B.D. stand for? I'm actually curious now."

"Oh, since you asked nicely this time, I'll tell you," Yoko replied. "It stands for 'Doctor of Heavy Ballistics.'

Gai shrugged, and went on his way. It made sense to him...

* * *

"This is Gold Leader to Mama Bear." Kittan said into his communicator. "The scrap piles are completely oblivious. We're ready to commence the operation...over." The three teams looked over the mesa at the patrolling Grapearls. They did not seem to notice them at all.

"Um...we're not using code names, Kittan," Yurika said, puzzled. "Why do we need code names? And why you saying 'over'?"

"Just...ugh," Ryoko groaned. She, Kittan, Hikaru, Izumi, Akito, Christina, Judau and Tara made up the distraction team. "How are things at your end?"

"Just fine. The barrier generator is in plain sight, and guarded, just as Yoko said. Our Super Robots are all in position."

"You sure you don't want Ryo coming with you, Yoko?" Shinobu asked. "He's really good at hand-to-hand combat; and I mean REALLY good."

"I'll be fine, Shinobu. I can take care of myself; besides, all four of you need to be together to form Dancougar, right?" the red-tressed sniper replied.

"True," Ryo said with a nod. "Whatever, let's get this show on the road, we've wasted enough daylight as it is."

"Yeah! Let's break Yoko and Kittan's buddy out! YAAAAATE YARUZE!"

* * *

Simon sat quietly in his cell, wondering what was going on in the world outside. As he listened, his ears picked up the sound of combat, and it wasn't the sound of a prison riot or anything. Those sounded like robots fighting robots.

_Wait...did Kittan get the message to Yoko?_

Suddenly, he saw the Spiral barrier surrounding the facility start to fizzle out, as well as all of the lights. He wondered why the heck this was happening. But it didn't matter; as long as he lacked his Core Drill, he wasn't of much use. He'd have to get it back if he was going to save anyone.

Of course, Rossiu foolishly believed Simon would be held here until his execution, so he kept the Core Drill somewhere in the facility as if to taunt him. But the digger-turned-war-hero-turned-prisoner didn't have to wait long. With seconds of the Spiral barrier shorting out, a massive hole was blasted in the prison walls. There stood Yoko, her rifle resting on her shoulder, and back in a slightly more modest version of her normal outfit. He pulled a smaller gun from her hip holster and blasted the lock on Simon's cell with it, then put it back, all without even looking away from him.

"Yoko! Where have you been? I would have thought Kittan would have gotten to you way before now!"

"It's a loooooooong story, Simon. Let's go find your Core Drill so we can get you out of here and save everyone."

"Hold on. Let's free Viral first," Simon replied. "I can't very well operate Gurren Lagann without my co-pilot."

"Huh? Is that you, woman?" Viral's voice came from the adjacent cell with a smidgen of contempt in his voice. "Have you come to release us from this miserable cage? I'm flattered that you still care about me." Yoko blasted the lock off of Viral's cell door, and then did the same with the chains that bound his hands and feet. He stood up and rubbed his wrists.

"When Team Dai-Gurren says it's going to save everyone, we do mean EVERYONE," Simon said with a grin. Viral grinned back, baring his sharp teeth a bit.

* * *

It had all been too easy. The Grapearl guards put up a pitiful resistance in the face of the combined assault of the Aestivalis, Gundams and Lifthrasir, and the Super Robots had smashed through the armor on the barrier generator with ease thanks to their combined effort. It only took about five minutes for the whole operation to go from initiation to Yoko entering the facility.

Now it was just a matter of waiting for Yoko to come out, with Gurren Lagann and its pilots hot on her heels...at least, that's what they thought. Suddenly, the Gunmen's sensors started going crazy.

_Ah, crud...why now?_

A large number of red and green Mugan warped in and quickly surrounded the facility, boxing in the distraction team. And quickly following...was Nia, thrall to the Anti-Spiral. She still had that cold, leering stare even as her colorful hair flowed like it was forever on a spring breeze. She entered the circle of mecha and looked at them. She paid special attention to the robots not native to this world.

"Hey, who is this girl? And what are these things?" Kenichi of the Voltes team asked.

"The mastery of Threshold technology...it makes the human race an even greater danger than before," Nia said in her semi-computerized voice. "With this act of hubris, you only accelerate the coming of your imminent annihilation. The Anti-Spiral races of the universe now raise humanity's threat level to three."

"I'm sorry, but who gave you the right to decide who lives and who dies?!" Hyoma yelled.

"I was given this right by my creator, who is one with the great god." Nia replied. "It is for the safety of not merely this reality, but all realities. But I see you will not be persuaded by words. You only understand force. Farewell. You shall not see me again until the moon is ready to fall."

With that, she dissoluted into geometric shapes that disappeared into the gap between dimensions while the Mugan began to close in.

"Everyone! Lure them away from the prison!" Kittan yelled. "We can't let those blockheads get to Simon or Viral, or Yoko for that matter!"

"Blockheads?" Ryoko exclaimed. "Okay, now THAT's a good one! Hey Izumi, why don't you hang out with Kittan more? He's got way better puns that you!"

* * *

Yoko, Simon and Viral had managed to brawl their way through the halls of the prison to where Simon's Core Drill was being held. It was sitting out in the open, underneath a single hanging light bulb that was slowly hanging back and forth.

It appeared to be completely out in the open.

"Well, what's the plan, fearless leader?" Viral asked. "Every square inch of the floor, wall and ceiling has got to be booby-trapped."

But Simon just walked forward in his usual fearless manner. Even Yoko was surprised at how quick the hero was to act. They winced, wondering what sort of traps the prison had in store. But to their surprise, nothing happened. No swinging blades, no lasers, not even a pit. Simon just casually picked up the Core Drill, tossed it up and caught it before walking back, whistling a little ditty.

"Rossiu seriously didn't put ANY security in here?" Viral said, almost disappointed.

"It was all mind games. He must have thought he could say this room was filled with traps and everyone would believe him. But, come on, did he really think a couple of pits and blades would stop me? I mean, I beat Lordgenome with just my Core Drill even when he had wrecked Gurren Lagann."

"Yeah, stopping a guy who defeated a demigod with his car keys isn't exactly easy," Yoko quipped. "Now to find Gurren Lagann."

"Hang on guys, I'm taking us straight there!" Simon declared, suddenly jamming the Core Drill into the floor and twisting it. The drill instantly ripped apart the huge floor, causing the trio to plummet into a pit of unbelievable depth.

Simon, once again, had a plan. He beckoned Yoko and Viral to get closer to him before flinging his core drill down as hard as he could. It zoomed into the darkness below, and made a tiny clinking sound as it hit the ground. A split second later, a massive updraft hit them, caused by the Core Drill slowing the trio's descent.

They landed safely on the ground, right near Gurren Lagann. Simon's heart swelled with joy to see his old friend again.

"Yoko, thanks for everything, but we can take it from here."

* * *

The battle against the Mugan wasn't going terribly well. Though no casualties had been suffered yet on their side, Janus, Tara and the others were getting worn out from the endless waves of Anti-Spiral troops, and morale was starting to fall.

"Damn it, they just keep coming!" Kei growled as Getter 2 drilled another green Mugan into oblivion.

"Just keep fighting, no matter what!" Kittan yelled as he fired his arm cannon at a red Mugan. "The moment we give up is the moment this will have all been for nothing!"

"Not...all of us can push our limits like you Gunman pilots can," Christina panted as she cut down another Mugan with her beam saber. "Let's be realistic here!"

"Realistic? Team Dai-Gurren doesn't follow whatever rules of 'realistic' you follow!" Simon's voice suddenly came over everyone's communicator. "Whatever we do, even if it would otherwise be impossible, IS REAL!"

"Simon!" Janus exclaimed. Bursting out of the jail was Gurren Lagann, with Simon and Viral in their usual places. Yoko was sitting on Simon's lap. In his younger days, Simon might not have been able to concentrate with such a hottie on top of him, but with his heart entirely belonging to Nia and his mind in the game, he had no such issues.

"Simon! Buddy! We missed you!" Kittan said. "Think you're willing to help out?"

"Hey! Don't order us around!" Viral yelled.

"It wasn't an order, it was a request," Simon said.

"Okay, fine. Besides, these Anti-Spiral guys just piss me off!"

As Simon began to funnel Spiral Power into Gurren Lagann through his sheer hot blood and force of will, it began to emanate the energy, in the form of green, heat-less flames. In a manner similar to Fire Bomber's songs, the group felt themselves re-energized by Simon's overwhelming presence.

_Wow...what a rush! _Akito thought. _Is this the Spiral Power Yoko mentioned? The power of passion and hot blood? _

Akito's Artillery Frame raised its rifle and aimed it into the center of a large mass of Mugan, the _Gekiganger 3 _theme song playing in his head at full blast. He even felt the spirit of his old friend Gai at his side.

"EAT THIS! GEKIGAN BLASTER!"

The Frame's rifle, instead of a single shot, fired off a massive beam filled with Spiral Power; it destroyed about a third of the remaining Mugan in one shot.

"Nice shot, Akito!" Kosuke said. But then, the shards of Mugan fused together, and a single blue Mugan as massive loomed over the two Super Electromagnetic robots.

"Kenichi! Let's blow this thing away with one shot!" Hyoma yelled. "We're not gonna let a tiny thing like an Aestivalis outdo us!"

"Right!" the leader of the Voltes team replied. Voltes put its hands near its chest, and pulled out a special folding sword, the Tenkuu Ken, and raised it high before leaping into the air.

"CHOUDENJI TATSUMAKIIIIIII!" Hyoma yelled as Combattler V channeled power into its special attack. The usually pink tornado turned the same bright green as the energy, and even formed into the shape of a drill. The drill tornado battered the Mugan, sending it spinning.

"CHOUDENJI SPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!"

Combattler then started its most powerful attack and began to spin like it usually did, but the Spiral Power gathered around the spear point where its hands met, and formed into an actual drill shape, but much smaller than Gurren Lagann's Giga Drill Break.

"TENKUU KEN! V NO J SLAASSSHHH!"

Voltes came down and cut deep into the Mugan, then flew up again, dragging the sword behind him, just as Combattler drilled through it. As a pink and green V hovered in front of it, the energy of the attack overwhelmed it, causing it to explode. Other nearby Mugan were caught in the blast, and exploded as well. With that single attack, all of the Mugan were destroyed...and then they combined into a single white Mugan three times larger than the prison itself.

"Man, this guy's as stubborn as you are, Simon!" Kittan quipped, unfazed by this new development.

"Tara, let's show Simon our Ragnarok Requiem attack!" Janus yelled. "Everyone, keep this guy pinned down!"

"Yeah! We haven't done this in a while!" Tara said eagerly, also wanting to impress Simon. The two rushed forward. They no longer needed to use their strange 'awakened' states to perform the attack, since they had become so comfortable with creating portals at such short intervals.

As this was happening, Simon watched the display with interest. As the duo zipped between portals, Simon nodded approvingly.

"Well, what do you think? Was I right to consider him joining the team?" he asked.

"I'll admit, he's come a long way since then," Viral replied. "But I still don't know if he'll..."

"RAGNAROK..."

"REQUIEM!"

The two white mechs did one massive final attack, which blew up the white Mugan in one shot. This time, it didn't reform, since it couldn't combine with anything else. The battle was finally over.

"Yep. He deserves a spot all right. Every last one of the friends he's made does too," Simon said confidently. "I'm making them all official members of Team Dai-Gurren once we make Rossiu understand."

As everyone composed themselves after getting so worked up, Simon turned to his rescuers and looked them over, then finally at Janus.

"Well, you've gotten yourself quite the number of allies since I last saw you," he complemented as he really looked over the merry band that had gathered. "And your combat abilities have really improved." Janus grinned and blushed, embarrassed, yet honored to receive such praise.

"Of course, you're still nowhere near OUR league," Viral added, never one to turn down a chance to deflate an upstart's ego.

"Viral, you got your tail kicked fifteen different ways to three weeks ago by Simon!" Kittan spat. "If he wasn't such a..."

"Cut it out, Kittan," Yoko interrupted. "Let's concentrate on what's important: stopping the moon from falling."

"Hey, relax a bit. We've still got almost five months to stop it. We can spare a few minutes for some proper introductions."

"Or maybe we can't..." Ruri interrupted. "Looks like our fight's not over."

"More Mugan?" Akito asked.

"No, but they're definitely not Mugan." the _Nadesico_'s engineer said. "In fact there's only one unit."

The ground beneath them shook violently as something that had been burrowing beneath them began to surface. Then, a massive cleft in the earth ripped open, and something extremely big and extremely evil crawled out of it.

It looked like the unholy spawn of a Gundam and a Gunman - it had wide, thick red shoulders; equally bulky dark-gray legs with four red and gold toes splayed out in different directions; a belly area that vaguely resembled the face of a Gundam, and a normal-size Gundam head poking out of its massive upper body. Wide gold-colored cones resembling the front ends of jet engines stuck out of its shoulders, legs and back. Judau and Christina (and amazingly, Go) quickly recognized it.

"Um...wow, didn't expect the Devil Gundam to show up," Christina quipped awkwardly, her Gundam ALEX taking a step back away from the ten-story tall behemoth.

"C'mon, Christina, don't be like that!" Kei replied. "We took on Shin Dragon, and it was WAY bigger than this thing! And there are more of us now!"

Devil Gundam took a step forward.

"Just take it easy, you guys," Simon said confidently. "We've got this. Let's go, Viral!" With that, Gurren Lagann charged in at blinding speed, extending a small pair of drills from its arm.

"EAT THIS! SKULL BREAKER!"

Devil Gundam had no hope of dodging the attack. The Super Robot blasted clean through the monster's lower body, leaving a nice big hole. Viral grinned as he savored the victory, easy as it was...only for it to turn into shock as the hole closed itself up.

"What in the world?!" Akito exclaimed. "That thing can regenerate?!"

"Yes. The Devil Gundam has three major abilities derived from the nanomachines that comprise it," a voice only Kei and Janus recognize said with a cold calmnes; "It can self-regenerate, self-replicate, and self-evolve."

"Janus, doesn't that voice ring any bells?" Kei asked. Shin Getter and Granlif looked up to a nearby cliffside to see a familiar-looking machine: Shining Gundam, which represented Neo-Japan in the Gundam Fight. Its arms were crossed and its eyes were locked right on the monstrosity. and the voice belonged to its pilot: Domon Kasshu. Judau also recognized him, being a Neo-Japanese citizen himself.

"Hey! It's him!" Janus exclaimed. "The guy we saw on TV before!"

The Devil Gundam looked straight at Shining Gundam, who drew a beam saber with his left hand, then raised his right.

"Not only that, but the DG Cells that make it up can infect others, making them its slaves even in death!" Both his hand and his Gundam's hand suddenly appeared to have a strange emblem on it. It consisted of a black and red heart behind crossed swords with a green number 13, a heavily stylized K above it, and a figure resembling the King of Hearts from a typical playing card deck, and topped off with a small banner with the words "King of Hearts 4711". Though no one except Domon knew it, this crest was the mark of the King of Hearts, a legendary fighter.

"I won't allow this monster to exist anymore! KYOJI! IT ENDS TODAY!" he screamed in a hot-blooded manner that made him vaguely sound like Go did. He brought his beam saber down on the Devil Gundam and made a massive cut in its head. It lumbered backwards in pain, but regenerated the wound.

"Hey, buddy! If you're thinking of taking this guy on by yourself, dream on!" Viral laughed.

"But if this thing can regenerate, we'll just damage it so quickly it can't keep up!" Simon said in his typical hot-blooded manner.

"You heard the man!" Yurika called out. "All units, attack Devil Gundam en masse! Don't allow it to escape!"

"Right!" everyone yelled simultaneously as they began their attack. The first to jump into the melee was King Kittan. who pummeled the monster's head with its fists and feet.

Yoko, Christina and the Aestivalis pilots, who were in their Artillery Frames, peppered Devil Gundam with long-range fire, beyond even the range of its own artillery. The Aestivalis girls soon drew close together and began syncing their attacks.

"C'mon ladies, let's take this clown downtown!" Ryoko yelled as they launched a final volley, blasting the wound Simon and Kittan had made even wider.

Loran and Judau were next, both drawing beam sabers.

"Judau!" Loran yelled.

"I know what you're thinking!" Judau yelled, allowing his Newtype powers to make his sabers grow. Loran drew both of its own beam sabers and held them together, making them extend in length as well.

The two Gundams rushed forward, and did a cross-slice attack, making a second huge gash in its body.

Finally, it was Gurren Lagann and Getter's turn. Kei was still in Getter 2, and that was when she got an idea.

"Hey, Simon! How about you and us finish things off with our drills?"

Simon needed to say nothing at all, and raised Gurren Lagann's arm up.

"FINISHING STRIKE!"

"GETTER..."

"GIGA..."

"DOUBLE..."

"DRILL..."

"HURRICAAAAAAAAAAAAAANE!"

Both mechs rushed in together, their massive drills whirling in perfect sync. They missed the cockpit area, but managed to drill into Devil Gundam's shoulders, ripping its arms off and disintegrating them.

"Domon, it's all you!" Kei yelled. Shining Gundam's gold vents opened, and it began to glow gold.

"THIS HAND OF MINE GLOWS WITH AN AWESOME POWER! ITS BURNING GRIP TELLS ME TO DEFEAT YOU!"

Shining Gundam rushed forward as its hand began to shine as before.

"HERE I GO! SHIINIIIIIIIIIIING FINGEEEEEEEEEEEEER!"

Domon grabbed hold of Devil Gundam's face, and with a last cry, crushed it. He landed back on the ground, secure in his victory.

But Devil Gundam still stood, and it knew when to retreat. It intentionally took several steps back, and let itself plummet into the chasm it had created from its ascent to the surface.

_Damn it..._ Domon cursed. _Even if you slip away from me a thousand more times, Kyoji...one day I'll finish you and the Devil Gundam for good!_

* * *

_Cutting straight to the chase... NEXT TIME ON **SUPER ROBOT WARS U:**_

_-With Koji alive but in a coma, and with Baron Ashura back on Hell Island, licking his wounds, the group can now focus on helping Zero defeat Britannia. But what happens when a plan to rescue the former superior of the Four Holy Swords turns into the beginning of the end of a friendship? And what of Shapiro Keats, the mysterious man who gave Britannia the keys to Japan in exchange for great political power? Is he truly the delusional god-wannabe he's been made out as? Find out next time on **Chapter 15 (Japan) - Shapiro and Suzaku! ****Two Swords, One Princess!**  
_

_-Domon Kasshu, at Rain's behest, joins up with the _Nadesico_, and in exchange the crew agrees to keep an eye out for the Devil Gundam on the way to Kamina City. __But it isn't long before they meet up with old friends, in more ways than one! How will these reunions transpire? Ready those tissues as you find out next time on **Chapter 15 (Teppelin) - ****It's Good To See You Again! Tears Both Sweet and Bitter! ** _

_Until next time, robot fans!__  
_


	23. Chapter 15 Japan

_And now, some more Code Geass plot! Take a wild guess of which scene I liked writing best._

* * *

**Chapter 15 (Japan) – Suzaku and Shapiro! Two Swords, One Princess!**

Lelouch sat on a stool, pondering things, his legs crossed, his elbow on one knee, the classic "thinker" pose.

Ever since the incident with Mao, Lelouch understood why Suzaku had changed so much after the war. As a child, Suzaku thought only of himself, but when the boy, merely ten years old, killed his father and men like Kirihara had to save him from the consequences, he changed, becoming the person Lelouch knew so well. He glanced over at Suzaku, who was drawing in a sketchbook.

"Hey Lelouch, quit movin' around, will ya?" the voice of another classmate complained.

Lelouch sat up. It was Rivalz Cardemonde, the Secretary of the Student Council, and essentially Milly's sidekick. Like Milly and Lelouch, he was Brittanian, so it was no surprise he had such a high position in the council. But he was also as Lelouch's chaffeur of sorts, taking him around on his motorcycle whenever he needed to go places; as Lelouch Lamperouge, anyway.

"Oh, sorry, guys," Lelouch apologized, and resumed his original pose, albeit slightly different. He wasn't simply sitting the middle of the room pondering for his own purposes: he was chosen to be the model for today's art class; he was glad he didn't have to pose naked.

"No, your sight line was lower," Rivalz said. Lelouch bent his neck forward a little more.

"Like this?"

"Now it's too low!" Rivalz complained. Lelouch straightened his neck a little more.

"Good?" the prince asked.

"No, now your expression is totally different than when we started!" With that, Rivalz stood up and approached Lelouch, and began messing around with his face, delicately tugging different parts as if Lelouch were made of clay. Of course, this was much to Lelouch's chagrin, but he sat through this rather awkward moment in silence. When Rivalz was all done, the Britannian prince was wearing a slightly goofy, but still charming, smile.

"WHAT?!" the entire class, which included Kallen, Shirley, Suzaku and many of Lelouch's other friends, as well as Tara.

"Hey! I liked the frowny face better!" Tara yelled.

"The dopey look is waaaay better!" Rivalz replied.

* * *

It was Art Week, as declared by Clovis la Britannia before his untimely "death". He was known to be a patron of the fine arts, and an entire art museum, the Clovis Memorial Museum, was to be opened as part of the celebration.

Princess Euphemia, third princess of Britannia, was to judge them: first prize would be granted an unknown, but surely great prize. She walked along with a royal art collector, who had gathered submissions from across the Empire to put on display. He was bald, had a pointy mustache and a little paunch.

Walking alongside her was a tall, well-toned man with dark pink hair like Euphie's, wearing attire not unlike the Britannian princes would wear while at court; such was the trust he had gained with the Emperor. The man was Shapiro Keats – a former member of the neutral Australia's military assigned to Japan during the war. He had betrayed Japan in exchange for his station, and he cared not one whit about those he had harmed in doing so.

Euphie paused at a painting that caught her eye: a lovely landscape featuring straw and wood houses of the olden days. Several trees were in the foreground, and flowers covered the grass as well.

"Oh, I rather like this one," Euphie said. The art collector took a quick look at it to remind himself of who made it.

"Ah yes, we investigated that the artist was one-quarter Eleven, on his mother's side, I believe," the man replied. Euphie got slightly annoyed.

"Then, wouldn't it be better to simply not display it at all?" she asked.

"Your Highness, we must maintain at least an appearance of fairness." The art collector looked around, and saw a much larger painting just down the way.

It was of the Emperor himself, during his now legendary speech at Clovis' funeral. Though not a perfect likeness, it was certainly very close: the Emperor was dressed in his royal clothes, his lightly wrinkled face and his long flowing hair (in spite of his scalp being entirely bald) and beard; and a fist held up to the heavens – the very picture of a royal dictator. Shapiro smirked. He wasn't easily impressed, especially by something as trivial as art, but to see his benefactor portrayed so gloriously (and in such a dominating way) moved him a little.

"Ah, this one was painted by the son of Marquis Nicolai," the art collector said. Euphie felt slightly down. She wasn't terribly fond of her father, and this depiction of the iron fist he wielded in his rule reminded her of why. She immediately began looking around for another painting. She spotted one off in a corner: a small but lovely painting of a nude woman and man coming out of a great tree to a lovely meadow, dotted with globs of fallen snow. Their backs were turned to the viewer, and the woman was pointing to something.

"Oh, how about this one?" Euphie said.

"Ah yes. We had to stuff this one off in the corner here since it came just yesterday, right before the deadline."

"Let me guess; it's a picture of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman," Shapiro chuckled. "How droll."

"Actually, based on the artist's own description, it is actually a picture of what are supposed to be the LAST surviving man and woman, Lif and Lifthrasir. According to the Nordic legends that their tale originates from, when the fires of Ragnarok and the cold of Fimbulvetr destroy all other things, Lif and Lifthrasir would hide in the great World Tree, Yggdrasil, which would survive the flames and cold. Once the world was reborn, they would repopulate the Earth."

"Oh, what an interesting story!" Euphie said. "It truly adds depth to the painting. And what of the artist?"

"Ah yes. I believe a Miss Tara Zifell of Ashford Academy painted this," the art collector replied. "Dr. Zifell's daughter it seems, though she IS half-Eleven. I hope you don't mind, Your Highness."

"No. I'll keep it up, in the interest of fairness," Euphie said. She liked it very much, as much as she did the painting of the house on the meadow. It would be so hard to choose…

* * *

Tohdoh was to be freed. That was priority number one for Lelouch right now.

A previous raid by the Black Knights, in spite of being reinforced by the recent addition of the former Japanese Liberation Front's elite Holy Swords, had gone wrong. Kyoshiro Todoh had allowed himself to be captured so that everyone else could escape. It was typical for one who sought to be like the samurai of old.

Of course, being a highly skilled warrior and Knightmare pilot, Lelouch couldn't afford to lose such a valuable asset. He had just finished talking over the plans with Ohgi and the remaining four Holy Swords of how to get him back. As he hung up his special encrypted phone, C.C. came up to him. She now wore an outfit that the girls of Ashford wore: a yellow jacket, a blue-green tie, and long pants; her hair was tied into double ponytails with two white ribbons.

"I'm sorry I couldn't meet with the Chinese Federation," C.C. said, a little sad.

"It's been rescheduled; don't let it get you down," Lelouch replied. "If I keep changing your role, you'll only be hindering the plan. Besides, today has delivered two very important tools to me...and possibly a third."

He looked down to an area below. Suzaku was washing his hands at a faucet and tub, having gotten them full of paint.

Of all the people in the world, Lelouch could think of no one better than him to be Nunnally's Knight...her sworn protector, to live and die for her, as he would.

* * *

In spite of hating Britannia to the core, Tara was walking on air once the messenger from the Viceroy came to her home. The painting of Lif and Lifthrasir, the namesakes of the robots of her and Janus, was to be displayed at the opening of the Clovis Memorial Museum and would be among the finalists to be chosen for the first prize. And she was chosen to attend the event along with her mother and father. Gilbert, being of pure Britannian noble blood (a minor noble, but that was enough) allowed his daughter (but not his wife, who was pure Japanese) privileges such as this.

Tara was dressed up in the nicest formal attire she had, and had her long hair styled and braided. It paled before the pomp and puffiness amongst the other nobility, of course, so she hardly turned heads…which that was all fine and good, since she had no intention of making friends with them. She had all her friends on the _Nadesico _and _Archangel_, as well as Ashford's manga club.

But she did catch someone's attention, but for an entirely different reason, and it was a person she wasn't expecting at all…

…Charles zi Britannia himself.

How he wasn't the center of everyone else's attention, being the ruler of the largest empire in the world, was anyone's guess. But the normally reclusive Emperor had decided, on a whim, to come back to Area 11 for this event. Considering himself as much of a patron of the arts as his late son, he was looking for a painting to add to his collection, and Tara's had caught his eye.

"…You there; come here," the emperor commanded.

His voice was powerful, regal and imposing; a perfect fit for this giant of an emperor, who must have been nearly seven feet tall; this made it even more astonishing that he was able to avoid getting attention. Then again, so much as looking at him the wrong way would likely result in your whole family being thrown in jail...or worse. Tara was more terrified than she had ever been, even against the hordes of enemies she had faced in battle. Yet she tried not to show it, and approached the emperor, curtsying as was proper in Britannia.

"Is this your painting, girl?" he asked.

"Y-Yes, Your Majesty, it is," Tara said meekly, trying her hardest not to empty her bowels in sheer terror, which would have been just as embarrassing as saying something wrong.

Charles softened his expression a bit. "I must say, it's exquisite, for someone your age."

"Please forg…wait, you like it?" Tara exclaimed. The emperor nodded.

"Yes; I particularly like your subject matter," he replied in an unexpectedly honest tone. "You might say I am a…mythology buff, particularly of the Norse variety; anyone who knows anything about it would recognize this scene. The snow is from the long Fimbulvetr that freezes the world; the charred bits on the tree are the marks of Surt's flame that burnt it to ashes; and the great tree is Yggdrasill, the tree from which all things spring. And those two figures are the last of the old world and the first of the new...life and vitality. Lif and Lifthrasir."

Tara just nodded, trying to make like she was listening and not being terrified beyond words. Yet a small part of her was listening.

"And in every myth, there is a hidden grain of truth. I am a person who seeks this truth."

The emperor turned to her and was looking at her directly for the first time.

"I find it odd that I would ask this question to one such as you, but you strike me as something different from the rest of these pompous fools. It is little surprise, with both of your parents being scientists. Now...tell me..."

Tara's heart raced, wondering what sort of loaded question he would ask to get her thrown in prison forever.

"What is truth, to you? Tell me. And don't bother trying to pretend you agree with me. The last thing I need is an intelligent individual like yourself to act like an idiot."

_Oh boy, a philosophy question. Well, I guess I'll just be honest and hope he doesn't kill me where I stand..._

"I guess...truth is the intersection of all possible viewpoints."

Charles raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, not everyone's viewpoint is the same, but everyone understands certain things in common. And if you could, theoretically, put every last possible viewpoint together, all of that which is common between them would be the truth. That's my uninformed opinion, anyway."

Charles smirked.

"An interesting answer. It's not quite my view on the matter, though your reasoning is sound."

Tara swallowed nervously.

"But enough talk of such matters. I would make your painting a part of my personal collection, regardless of whether it wins or not."

Tara looked up at the massive painting of the Emperor nearby.

"Um, wouldn't that one be so much better?" she feebly suggested. Charles leered at her. Only then did it finally hit on her that this man hated displays of weakness, especially from someone he had judged to be strong.

"I have so many paintings of my likeness, I've lost count," the towering monarch replied coldly. "They are nothing more than attempts to weasel into my good graces. Look around, and see these fools. They lie, deceive, and trick in order to gain more power. They have not the strength nor the intellect to take it for themselves!"

It was hard to believe, but Tara actually agreed on something with him. But her pride as a Japanese kept her from openly expressing it.

"I loathe lies. They are used by those who are too weak to use the truth, and that weakness is the root of all the world's ills."

"...Too weak...to use the truth..." Tara echoed under her breath.

"Farewell, girl. Perhaps we shall meet again and talk at greater length. Perhaps you'll gain enough backbone to truly argue." Tara watched Charles walk into the crowd. Sure enough, he had begun to attract attention. She slumped over against the wall. She was out of danger now.

* * *

Charles sat away from the crowd on a high balcony as he watched his daughter Euphemia get grilled by the press with various politically-inclined questions. He sat next to Shapiro Keats, who was eying the crowd with equal disdain.

"Vermin, all of them," Shapiro said with a scowl. "I understand why you hate them, Your Majesty."

"All but one," the Emperor replied. He pointed to Tara, who sat in one of the center rows.

"Her? A mere girl? She's half-Eleven!" Shapiro replied with surprise.

"She reminds me a bit of Marianne, that one," the Emperor chuckled. "She feigns gentleness, but possesses a spirit of strength and passion, a passion I see in her art; She is truly a lioness among jackals. I wonder if the jackals will see it as well."

Shapiro wondered if Charles had actually become smitten by her. Then again, the man had 108 consorts over his lifetime, and sired nearly twice that number of children. What was one more to him? Shapiro, on the other hand, had only one: Sara Yuuki. If he wanted to become a god, the pink-haired man knew he had some catching up to do in that department.

"In fact, I think I will have her to do the wedding portrait of you and Euphemia," Charles then added. Shapiro stood up, now truly baffled by Charles' choices.

"My Lord, you're being foolish! She is but a mere student! There must be thousands of artists in your empire that would do it ten times better than she could!"

"It's true. I have seen better art. But of all the paintings I've seen, only hers looks toward the future, of a world without lies or deception. Do you understand me, Shapiro?"

Shapiro merely nodded.

* * *

Guy wondered why he had signed up for an operation like this. Sure, it was to save someone, but GaoGaiGar's purpose was to defend the people from the Zonder, not hurt them.

He, along with Kira, Volfogg, Kallen and Janus accompanied the other members of the Black Knights, including Tamaki Shinichiro, Kaname Ohgi, Kent Sugiyama, and Chiba Nagisa, another one of the Four Holy Swords, into this. Their mission was to free Kyoshiro Tohdoh from the Chofu military prison. The other three were forced to stay behind due to injuries sustained in the previous raid.

"Zero," Volfogg said. "I am detecting a number of energy signatures matching those of mass-produced Great Mazingers. Four of them. They appear to be serving as guards of the facility as well. However, there do not appear to be any human pilots."

_Then I was wise to bring the Super Robots after all, _Lelouch thought._ I cannot depend on Kallen all the time to deal with threats such as that._

"Good work, Volfogg. Our mission is now two-fold. Free Kyoshiro and destroy those Great Mazingers. Janus, Guy, I leave the latter mission to you. Kira, you will provide air support for the rest of us."

"Gotcha," Kira said, feeling a little ill already at the prospect of having to kill people. The Strike, boasting the Aile Striker Pack, towered over the puny Knightmare Frames, so it would be next to impossible to avoid that.

"Let's go, Janus," Guy said, confident knowing that he could avoid taking lives meaninglessly by challenging the AI-controlled Great Mazingers.

"Everyone else, you're with me," Lelouch ordered. "Tamaki…try not to get your Frame wrecked AGAIN, all right?"

"Sure thing, boss," the bearded young man replied.

Of course, with Tamaki being the most incompetent and useless pilot ever (even Boss and his gang had proved incredibly useful in the incident with Mao) he had quickly learned to factor Tamaki's inevitable goofing up into his plan.

* * *

The world had a sick sense of irony, or maybe it was just a reminder of how sick and twisted Britannia was. Suzaku was chosen to be Kyoshiro Tohdoh's executioner, a last-minute change that was almost never done.

The man was not simply someone Suzaku knew...he was his sensei. The sword and the fist were both passed to him from that noble warrior, and now the Empire put the burden on his shoulders to end his life.

Of course, that was barely five minutes ago. Now Suzaku was out in the Lancelot, ordered to support the Knightmare Frames guarding the place, along with the AI-controlled Great Mazingers. The Black Knights were here, breaking the very man who Suzaku was to execute out of prison.

Unfortunately, he hadn't anticipated what kind of power the Black Knights would bring to the table. All he had expected was the Guren mk II.

What he ended up with were GaoGaiGar and Granlif, who were busy pounding the four Great Mazingers apart, and two of them were already down for the count. The Lancelot skidded to a stop just out of range, as Suzaku stared awestruck by the power of these machines.

Janus turned around and looked over in Suzaku's direction, after dropping the third. GaoGaiGar smashed the head of the fourth in, and then faced the Lancelot.

"Well, would you look what decided to crawl out from the woodwork...the Lancelot," Janus said. With Granlif easily five times taller than the Knightmare Frame, he wasn't the least bit scared.

But suddenly, Guy got a signal from GGG - another Zonder Robo had just shown up.

"Janus, I don't like leaving friends behind, but my true duty calls. A Zonder has been spotted on the outskirts of the city, and I'm needed to handle it. Tell Zero that I'm sorry for running off in the middle of a mission."

"It's fine. I can take things from here, I think," Janus replied, noticing out of the corner of his eye that the Lancelot had gone into a charge, hoping to catch him flat-footed. As GaoGaiGar took off, Janus quickly lifted Granlif's foot as Suzaku zipped in to try and damage it.

"Hey, you mind waiting until a guy is done chatting before you go trying to cut his foot off?" the Super Robot pilot quipped. "No honor among you guys, I swear."

_I thought Super Robots were supposed to be slow… _Suzaku thought as he wheeled around for another pass.

"Okay, NOW I'm ready!"

Suzaku already didn't like whoever this guy was. He wasn't even taking the fight seriously. Was this the sort of person Zero recruited?

He rushed his Knightmare forward, but made it zigzag wildly as it approached, hoping to confuse his opponent or catch it off balance. But he didn't anticipate the next attack.

"Oh, that's how it's gonna be, huh?" Janus chuckled as Granlif started to hover, just out of reach of the Knightmare Frame. "Let's see you handle some GRAN BITS!"

Several Gran Bits shot out of the larger white robot's turrets and immediately went after the Lancelot.

_This just ISN'T my day… _Suzaku groaned as he weaved right to avoid a ruined fighter jet that had been shot out of the sky.

* * *

Cell phones began going off like crazy at the Clovis Memorial Museum as one by one the reporters at the opening ceremony got calls about the attack by the Black Knights. The projector over the stage switched over to a camera feed of the battle going on.

Tara looked up and saw the Lancelot frantically dodging and weaving around the Gran Bits, while simultaneously working to attack Granlif. Princess Euphemia, who also noticed this, watched in awe at the bravery and skill Suzaku was displaying, as did Shapiro and Emperor Charles, though more with mild interest than with awe.

Suddenly, a new Knightmare Frame, a GEKKA, zoomed in suddenly and sliced Lancelot down the middle. It was so fast, even Suzaku's Frame couldn't evade it in time. Unsurprisingly, it was piloted by none other than Kyoshiro Todoh himself.

The cockpit suddenly opened up, and for the first time, Suzaku could be seen by his opponents.

* * *

Lelouch tensed up in shock at this. Of all things he never anticipated, it would be that Suzaku, his dearest friend, was the thorn that had been in his side from the beginning. For the first time since the incident with Mao, the prince was overcome with fear and doubt, even as Kyoshiro and Chiba fought in concert to take down the Lancelot. Both being highly skilled Knightmare pilots and fighters, even Suzaku's advanced Frame wasn't a match for them, especially with the GEKKAs being just as agile. Kallen stood by Zero's side.

"Zero, what are your orders?!" Kallen cried. "We have the Lancelot in our power!"

"Kallen, doesn't the pilot look familiar to you?" Lelouch said, trying his hardest not to give his identity away to her. The red-haired girl looked over at the Lancelot, and in fact did recognize the pilot.

"Suzaku Kururugi?! HE'S the Lancelot's pilot?!"

Lelouch couldn't stand it. He wasn't going to sacrifice Suzaku; he was too vital to the plan. He HAD to become Nunnally's Knight – no one else could possibly fill that role.

"…Kyoshiro! Chiba! That's enough! We're leaving!" he ordered.

"Understood," Kyoshiro said, pressing a button on his console. "…Deploying chaff smoke."

Both Kyoshiro's and Chiba's Knightmares began to emit massive, thick clouds of dusty chaff, covering the escape of the entire group, even Janus' Granlif, which warped away using a portal.

* * *

"Everyone, I would like to answer that question you had asked me earlier," Euphemia said as she turned back to the audience, who had been watching the battle. She had been asked who her Knight, her personal guardian, would be at one point, and now she knew.

She raised her hands up towards the screen, where Suzaku was dusting himself off.

"I choose the man you see before you…Warrant Officer Suzaku Kururugi!

* * *

Shapiro's rage blazed white-hot after the ceremony when they had returned to the Emperor's private, secluded villa in the hills. He almost never lost his cool, but this was an indignity he would not suffer quietly. To be pushed aside for an Eleven boy was something he, a god to be, could not understand. Charles on the other hand, seemed amused to watch his pink-haired son-in-law-to-be rant and rave as he paced back and forth like this. He knew all too well of Shapiro's god complex, and never turned down a chance to see him humbled, even if he enjoyed the man's company most times.

"…HOW DARE SHE…HOW DARE SHE CHOOSE THAT ELEVEN BOY OVER ME! I AM HER KNIGHT! YOU PROMISED HER TO ME!"

"Shapiro, since when did I promise her to you?" Charles replied. "I merely said you would be the best possible husband for her. She obviously does not know what is best."

The raging man stopped pacing and took a deep breath, and resumed his calm, collected self.

"Well, it seems I must TEACH her who is best. I will crush that upstart, even if I have to rip his throat out with my bare hands!"

Charles grinned. This is what he lived for. A young, brash intruder breaks into an older, more established individual's territory; they duel, with the winner claiming the territory he rightfully earned and the loser either dying or slinking off to find a new territory. It was the natural order of things.

Shapiro's pride, his willingness to be ruthless to achieve his ends was something he admired. Granted, Charles preferred to settle matters through diplomacy and bargaining, but if push came to shove, he would always shove the hardest, and in his mind, anyone who could not deserved to be trampled underfoot.

"I'll tell you what, Shapiro. How would you like to be the new Viceroy of Area 11?"

The would-be god's cold frown turned to a smirk.

* * *

Kira spent the rest of the evening in the shower on the _Archangel, _trying furiously to clean his body, as the memory played back again and again in his mind...

_Left._

_Right._

_Left right._

_These planes are moving way too fast! _

_They're way too small!_

_I have to aim carefully. I can't kill the pilot!_

_Whoa! _

_There!_

_What? No!_

_I-I'm sorry! I didn't intend to!_

_Blood...it's all over me..._

He was all too aware of the consequences of war. To anyone else, it would have just been another faceless enemy. But to Kira, he knew that someone, somewhere was deprived of a son, father or brother because of his actions. Is this what being a soldier was about? Destroying others' family members to achieve some end?

No amount of scrubbing will clean bloodstains off your soul.

* * *

_Eh, it's not one of my days. I hope that last part didn't seem tossed in there.  
_


	24. Chapter 15 Teppelin

_Next up, some semi-original plot! Ready your tissues, ladies and germs!_**  
**

* * *

**Chapter 15 (Teppelin) - It's Good To See You Again! Tears Both Bitter and Sweet!**

"Of course we'll go with you! It'll be nice to have some more company again," Rain Mikamura, Domon's companion and mechanic, answered when asked by Yurika about whether they would join up with the _Nadesico. _

"Rain, unless I fight a certain number of matches, we won't be able to get into the Finals! And I have to defeat the Devil Gundam; No way am I staying on this ship full of lunatics to go to some stupid backwater like Kamina City!"

"He's right about the lunatic part..." Ruri muttered.

"BACKWATER?!" Simon exclaimed when he overheard this, getting right in Domon's face. Insulting the city Simon so loved was tantamount to insulting his bro, and that was something he would NOT brook. "Say that again! Say that again to MY FACE!"

"KAMINA. CITY. IS. A. STUPID. BACKWATER." Domon said sardonically.

Simon's expression turned wrathful, and he raised a fist to slug Domon in the face.

"That's enough, you two!" Rain yelled as she stamped her foot and pushing the two hot-blooded pilots away from each other before Simon could lash out. "I won't have you two fighting like spoiled children. I swear, you men sometimes can be so...Urgh!"

Both Simon and Domon backed off, the former walking away, as he had somewhere else to be. Yurika, now having some information she could use to convince the stubborn Gundam Fighter to join their group.

"Well, Domon, we'd be more than happy to keep an eye out for the Devil Gundam in our travels, and if need be, engage him. If it's as terrible as you say it is, it wouldn't be right to let such a monster run around and hurt innocent people. And we'll see if we can find you some Gundams to fight."

"Fine, since you put it that way. But I'd rather room either alone or with Rain. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go meditate. Rain will fill you in on anything else I might require if you want to keep me here." With his cloak swirling behind him, Domon walked out and began his search for a quiet place to meditate, while Yurika and Rain looked on, wondering how Domon could be this way.

* * *

Domon did find a place to meditate - in fact, it was a small chamber specially outfitted for such a purpose. It blocked almost all sound from the outside, and anything that did make it through would be reduced to a very faint murmur, which would then be blocked out by a special disc consisting of nothing but different kinds of relaxing sounds. A few of them included the sound of a quiet stream, the crash of waves on a beach, or even the sounds of crickets on a summer evening. Any feelings of being in a small room were overcome by the addition of a screen attached to the ceiling that projected a view of the void outside.

The martial artist sat down in the center of the room, closed his eyes and tried to empty his mind of thoughts, and focus entirely on his internal processes. Of course, it was difficult for such a hot-blooded, short-tempered man like him to achieve.

What he did not realize was that this room was very close to the kitchen, and that Akito was whipping up something extremely fragrant and delicious for dinner. The smell wafted its way into the chamber, and right into Domon's nose.

He took a few quick sniffs and opened his eyes. It was a very familiar smell, actually. Roast boar, his favorite dinner from his days training in the Guyana Highlands under Master Asia. Domon got to his feet, both frustrated in being unable to attain that serene state of mind he so sought, and curious as who could be making such a scrumptious dish.

He entered the door just next to him, and saw Akito cooking an entire young boar, along with some unidentified game birds, on a spit inside a large roasting oven. He looked up and saw Domon, and smiled awkwardly, knowing the Gundam fighter was a rather forceful individual.

"Oh, you must be the guy who just joined up...I-I hope you like meat, because Viral was able to catch us some prime game this afternoon while we were preparing to leave."

"You're the cook on this boat?" Domon asked. "I'm surprised they'd leave a runt like you in charge. You look like the kind of guy who couldn't order a pizza without burning it." He went over to the roast boar and looked it over. The color was nice and even, and the smell of burnt wood mixed well with the smell of the meat...not to mention the thing was gargantuan. Even big eaters like Simon would have trouble devouring all of it at once.

"It's gonna take another fourteen to sixteen hours or before it's done, so I'm preparing it in advance for tomorrow. But if there's anything you want now, I'll see if I can make it for you."

Domon was surprised this individual was being so generous. Either that or he was overconfident, and the latter didn't seem to fit him at all. The fighter felt his stomach growl...that battle with the Devil Gundam did make him hungry.

"Alright. I want something that's a complete meal in a single dish. Grains, meats, vegetables, the works. Something a martial artist would eat before a big tournament. Go with whatever spices you think will work. Got it?"

Akito knew he could, and had just the dish in mind. With agility rivaling that of a Coordinator, the cook began whipping up one of his famous (on the _Nadesico_) Martian Bowls. Domon raised his eyebrows, impressed with Akito's skill and attention to detail. A mere five minutes later, thanks to the ship'ssuper-microwave cookery, Akito laid the Martian Bowl before Domon. It was a mix of ramen noodles, big chunks of meat, equally big chunks of vegetables, and a mix of unusual spices that had been grown on the PLANTs. A pair of chopsticks and a large spoon were laid next to it.

"One Martian Bowl, freshly made! Eat up!"

Domon took a few sniffs of the food and smiled a little. With chopsticks in hand, he got a bit of the noodles, the vegetables and meat all at once, and ate them, taking care to actually taste it as opposed to shoveling in his mouth as Rain always scolded him for doing.

It was heavenly...a small taste of nirvana. Just a single bite seemed to calm Domon's tempestuous mind. Akito smirked a little when he saw the look on the martial artist's face. He had yet to meet anyone who didn't like his Martian Bowl.

"This...this is incredible! Oh wow, oh wow..."

Domon immediately began stuffing his face full of it, so eager was he to have more. In two minutes, the Gundam Fighter had completely cleaned out the bowl (even drinking the liquid), and just as quickly, Domon was overcome with a sensation of being completely full, so filling and nutritious was the food. He put down the bowl, his face seemingly drunk from the deliciousness of Akito's specialty.

If this was the sort of grub available, he could put up with anything.

* * *

"Captain, we're picking up another massive battleship not far from us," Megumi said as the _Nadesico _was flying over the wasteland, continuing towards Kamina City. "It's within visual range. I'll put it on screen."

Yurika looked up and saw that indeed there was a battleship. But Yoko, who happened to be on the bridge to see how things were going, recognized it.

"Captain, I know that ship! It's _Tower_! We met the Getter Team on that ship! Contact them and see if they'll answer! And get the Getter Team and Janus up while you're at it!" Minato called the four while Ruri attempted to make contact with _Tower_. In a minute, an image of Hayato and Benkei came on-screen, the former looking as grim as usual.

"This is Captain Hayato Jin of _Tower_. State your business."

"This is Captain Yurika Misumaru of the _Nadesico_. Some friends of yours are on our ship and have requested for us to rendezvous with you."

"Friends?" Hayato said suspiciously. "What do you mean, friends?"

At that moment, Janus, Go, Kei and Gai entered the bridge. All of them saw Hayato on the screen, and rushed over to get in the camera's view, wide-eyed with excitement at seeing another familiar face.

"Hey, Hayato! Dad! We're okay!" Kei said happily, excited to see her adopted father again after so long. Benkei saw Kei, and shook his head and rubbed his eyes a bit in disbelief.

"Kei? Kei, is it truly you?!" he said, his heart racing with excitement and joy.

Normally, Hayato would have been suspicious. But Go, whom he found was immune to Invader infection, was there as well. If that was the case, then there was no reason to mistrust them.

"Very well. I'll meet with you. If Go can trust you, I'll at least give you the benefit of the doubt."

* * *

The _Nadesico _and _Tower _landed side-by-side as the two ships met for the first time. The Getter Ray levels here were danger level 2, safe enough for anyone but the weak, sick and infirm to traverse in to remain in for extended periods.

Yurika and the rest of the crew (including Domon, much to his chagrin) went outside to meet Hayato, Benkei and Schwartz. As soon as Kei saw her adopted father, she rushed up to him and embraced him. Overcome with emotion, Benkei embraced her as well.

"Welp, that's one happy family reunited!" Janus quipped, happy to see Benkei and Kei together again, as family. Tara sighed. She missed her parents already.

"Boss!" Gai said as he rushed over to the stout ex-Getter pilot. Benkei smiled and nodded, acknowledging his pleasure at seeing Gai again too.

But what happened next would shock the two.

Nervously stepping forward was Michiru Saotome, who was seeing Hayato and Benkei, even if they weren't the ones from her world, for the first time in so long. Hayato, of course, had not seen her since that tragic accident.

He stared in utter disbelief at the woman. Was he truly seeing Michiru, or was this some sort of look-alike, or even an illusion? Michiru turned her gaze away, nervous about seeing Hayato again. To everyone's (especially Janus') surprise, Hayato turned angrily back toward Yurika.

"Captain Misumaru, answer me this...Michiru Saotome is dead, and her death sparked the Getter Ray Armageddon almost ten years ago. How can it be that she is standing right there, alive?"

"Hayato, wait! I can explain!" Janus said before Hayato could go for his gun.

"Then start talking," _Tower_'s captain said. "For all I know you could be Invaders. Ones that have gotten very good at hiding your true selves."

"Hayato! It must be them! I can say for sure...this is, without any doubt, my daughter Kei!" Benkei added. "Please, Janus, explain. I want to know how you survived that horrible...I don't know what that was!"

"I'll have to give you the abridged version explanation, but all the same every last word of it is true," the young man continued.

"Well, start talking," Hayato said coldly.

"We all got sucked into a dimensional vortex, and then we were spat back out in the orbit of an alternate version of Earth...that Earth is where the _Nadesico_'s crew and this Michiru comes from. We came back through ANOTHER dimensional vortex, called a Threshold, facilitated by the technology of that world."

"Yes," Michiru said, finally looking straight at the two ex-Getter pilots. " I wanted to come here so I could see all three of you again."

"What? You say that like..." Benkei said.

"You two, along with Ryoma Nagare, were killed in an explosion while you were testing our world's Shin Getter Robo," Ruri, who had tagged along, said. "The explosion destroyed the entire Getter Ray Laboratory, as well as Dr. Saotome himself." Michiru started to sniffle and sob a bit at having that story brought up so bluntly.

Hayato looked back at Michiru and saw this. He had never seen an Invader express grief, even when attempting to pretend to be human. It wasn't the Michiru he knew; but it was definitely the real deal.

"Well, I suppose I can believe your story, but I have one last question." He turned towards Go. "Go...did you encounter any Invaders after crossing back to this world?"

"No, but we did meet something else that Dr. Saotome helped make."

"What?" Benkei asked. Go furrowed his brow.

"Devil Gundam."

* * *

Domon nearly spouted steam from his ears, such was his rage when he heard that Dr. Saotome was involved in the creation of the monstrous Devil Gundam. After the meeting was over, he demanded to speak with Hayato in order to get any information he could out of him. Hayato and Benkei had decided to come aboard the _Nadesico_ for the time being, which gave the Gundam fighter the perfect opportunity to interrogate the captain.

Hayato sat in one of the lounges with Loran, Dianna (who had been staying in _Tower _ever since Loran and Harry's disappearance) Janus, Benkei, Kei, Yoko and Gai as the four pilots who traveled to the other Earth were regaled with stories of their adventures. Suddenly, Domon barged and walked straight up to Hayato, even grabbing him by the collar and hoisting him up to his face. Not being one to panic even in moments like this, the captain of _Tower _remained stoic.

"You! Tell me everything you know about how Dr. Saotome helped in the Devil Gundam's creation!" Domon demanded.

"Hey, cut it out, Domon!" Kei said angrily. "There's a time for that sort of thing, but it isn't now!" With a scowl, Domon put Hayato down. The man readjusted his collar and gathered his thoughts for a moment.

"I can't say I know everything, but if you have a grudge against Dr. Saotome, then we obviously have a common enemy. I'll tell you what I know."

"So, spit it out!" Domon yelled.

"All I know was that Dr. Saotome, along with many other renowned members of Neo-Japan's scientific community, were called upon to complete this project. How much they were involved, I can't say."

"Names, man!" the Gundam fighter yelled.

"There's only two others that I know: Dr. Juzo Kabuto and Dr. Masaki Kihara."

"Kabuto?" Yoko exclaimed. "That crazy old fart? He was involved in it? I knew he was a mad scientist, but to get involved in something like that..."

"Wait, Dr. Kabuto is alive?" Tara exclaimed. "You know where he lives?"

"I don't know exactly where," Yoko replied. "All I know is that he came one day soon after Kamina City was officially formed, and asked for a place to stay. I bet Rossiu would be able to tell us, since he keeps records of these sorts of things."

"Since Saotome probably won't talk, we'll have to find old man Kabuto," Domon said decisively. "Well, it seems our destinations are the same."

* * *

Juzo Kabuto slumped on the ladder he was on, his old lungs heaving. He was exhausted beyond all measure, and hadn't gotten more than an hour of sleep a night in the past four weeks. But now it was finished. His pride and glory, and his atonement for allowing the Devil Gundam to exist, was complete.

Soon, Mazinger Z, the avatar of the god Zeus, would rise and defend the world.

* * *

No one knew it, but Kamina's burial place was different from where they thought it was. Only Simon knew exactly where his big bro was laid to rest, for it was he himself who buried him. And it just so happened that this was where it was. Whenever Simon was having trouble or had something incredibly awesome happen to him, he would go to Kamina's grave and talk to him, if one believed such a notion. Joining him was a small, brown pigmole with miniature sunglasses over its eyes and a tan star on its rear end, sitting neatly perched on his shoulder - Boota, his pet and companion. The only time the critter ever willing left his friend's side was to hitch a ride in Yoko's substantial cleavage.

Sitting in a small nook in between two sheer cliffs, just barely large enough for a person to fit through, was a humble grave site where Kamina's incredibly long sword was thrust into the headstone. Simon knelt before the grave.

"Hey, bro. Sorry I haven't come back in a while. Things have really gotten crazy. First, you know my girlfriend, Nia? The one I met just after you died? Well, it turns out she's been working for some group called the Anti-Spiral, and they're going to drop the moon on us in five months. A whole bunch of other stuff happened, and I got thrown in jail. But now I'm out, and Viral's still my co-pilot. Hope you don't mind him sitting in your old seat. Oh, and Team Dai-Gurren just got a LOT bigger. We've got more than double the members now, not to mention a battleship that's as awesome as the Dai-Gurren was! You'd love the captain...she's a real cutie!"

And so he went on, knowing full well that Kamina couldn't hear him, what with being dead and all. But it was comfort enough for him.

Unbeknownst to him, he had been followed. Of course, there was no malicious intent in it, merely curiosity.

"Excuse me, Sir Simon?" said the one following him. It was Dianna Soreil, attended as always by Harry Ord, whom Simon had not met yet.

"Oh, hello...um...Dianna, right?"

"Yes. She is Queen Dianna Soreil, rightful ruler of the Lunar Kingdom," Harry said in his usual manner. "You'd best pay the proper respect."

A small beetle landed on Simon's bare arm, and buzzed away again as he casually swatted it.

"Alright...um...I guess you want to know what I'm doing out here, huh?" Simon said, looking back at the grave.

"Yes. It looks like you were visiting someone's grave. I assume it is someone near and dear to you; A parent? A friend? A sibling?"

"He was kind of all three at once for me," Simon replied, surprised that a queen would be so interested in him. "Although we weren't related, he's the closest thing to a brother I ever had, so I called him my big bro. It's because of him that I am who I am today."

Boota scurried around and stared at Harry, or rather, at his sunglasses. Harry paid the creature little heed.

"My Queen, we should return. We shouldn't be out here for longer than we have to," Harry warned her.

"I was just on my way back too. I'll walk with you," Simon replied. The three started back towards the _Nadesico_.

"Please, tell me more about this person you called 'big bro'."

"Well, he was tough...he was hot-blooded...he never gave up...and he always believed in me. Oh, and he wore shades kind of like yours, Harry. His were a lot pointer, though. Could I try them on?"

Harry was silent, but that was all the answer Simon needed. The conversation soon moved to other things.

But as they left, the beetle, now covered in tiny dark green blotches, landed on the ground and began to dig straight down...right toward Kamina's exact location.

* * *

"Tell me, Agrippa," Gym Ghingnham said with a hint of disdain over his dome-tent's long-range communicator, "how fares the Moon? How fares the seat of the new Lunar Empire?" Agrippa had the unfortunate timing of getting him while he was having a nice steam bath.

"Ever since Dianna's flight, the people have been asking too many questions. Nothing I seem to say satisfies them! They cheered for you, Ghingnham! Please, return to the Moon and rally the people with your words! If our empire is to be born, we must get the people on our side!"

"Our empire will not be eternal until we have the Turn A!" Gym roared. "How many times must I tell you that, you pompous fool! Now go away!"

Before the chancellor could speak any further, Gym cut the connection, mouthing curses at the man. Gym had been waiting on Earth for the Turn A's return, his warrior's sense telling him that the silver-haired boy would return soon enough. In the meantime, he had been getting target practice by shooting at any Invaders unlucky enough to cross his path, and running training exercises with his men, which had been reinforced by the Moon.

But for the moment, he was alone - well, until he got a visitor.

Somehow, Kushiel had simply materialized near him without any sign of his appearance, startling the general. Thankfully, for Gym, his privates were covered by a rather small swimsuit, the type usually worn by competitive swimmers.

"You! What right have you to barge into MY private quarters?" he roared.

"You were speaking with that treacherous chancellor over a communicator," Kushiel said calmly, (although he probably would be grinning from ear to ear if he had a face) "So I thought I could come in and speak to you myself."

"Well, state your business. I am trying to relax and cleanse myself," Gym said with a scowl.

"I see you are frustrated by the Turn A's disappearance. Well, you would be happy to know that the Turn A has returned."

"Of course it has! My warrior's sense has never betrayed me!" Gym replied haughtily. "Tomorrow I will have my men go after it, and once Loran Cehack is either dead or in my service, the Lunar Empire, the empire of war, will begin!"

Kushiel nodded silently. Everything was going as he had hoped.

* * *

The _Nadesico _and _Tower _crewsawoke the next morning to an awkward silence, the calm before a torrential storm. Though everyone was able to go about their morning routines, they all felt that the peace would be shattered. It always did on mornings like this.

Michiru wandered about _Tower_, having spent the night there getting acquainted with this world's Hayato and Benkei. As she was walking outside, she spotted Hayato leaning on the rail, quietly watching the wasteland go by as Yamazaki handled things on the bridge.

"Good morning, Hayato," Michiru said awkwardly, still not used to talking to someone who was supposed to be dead.

"Michiru. Did you sleep well?" the scarred captain asked politely, also feeling awkward about someone he watched die engage in conversation with him. She walked up to him.

Words failed them both. Both knew what they wanted to say, but neither knew how to say it. So all they could do was stand in silence, watching the wasteland go by.

However, their hearts had other ways of saying it. Michiru's right hand and Hayato's left slowly began to draw closer to one another. And before either consciously knew it, Hayato had laid his hand on top of Michiru's.

Their cheeks began to blush a deep red. But this quiet moment was shattered by an alarm. Hayato quickly looked up and saw some old faces he had hoped not to see again...Lunar Kingdom troops, led by the Turn X Gundam.

Michiru looked up and saw the incoming enemies as well. She immediately turned to go and ready Getter Q, but Hayato suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"Hayato, what are you doing?" she said, annoyed as she tried to tug her arm away. "Let me go!"

"No! You're staying here."

"I'm perfectly cap..."

Suddenly, Hayato pulled her in and deeply kissed her, much to her shock. He was never this forward with her...even Ryoma wasn't so brash.

"Hayato..."

"It's my fault that I lost you once. I don't want to lose you a second time."

Michiru silently nodded. The fact that he cared so much was enough to make her stay. She wished the Hayato she knew was more like this.

* * *

Char wasn't expecting any visitors on Axis today; but when he heard a representative of the Lunar Kingdom was coming, the Supreme Ruler of Neo Zeon was at least willing to let him have his say.

Sauntering in came Agrippa Maintainer himself, a dark-shinned man with a small afro, dark blue and purple robes with a puffy white collar and sleeves, followed closely by two bodyguards, who openly carried small firearms. Not that Char minded that, but he immediately wondered whose idea it was to let this circus reject into his office.

"Ah, you must be Lord Char Aznable; I am most pleased to meet you!" Agrippa began, bowing politely.

"Enough with the pleasantries," Char said coldly. "Tell me why you're here. Why does the chancellor of the Lunar Kingdom seek an audience with the likes of me? Your nation has been neutral for two centuries."

"I come to offer help in your fight against the Federation," Agrippa replied. "We of the Lunar Kingdom have for far too long watched those wretched Earthlings oppress those who live in space, and no longer can we stand by and let it happen."

Char wasn't fooled at all by this display of false sympathy, but if he could use the Lunar Kingdom's forces, so much the better. He decided to play along and see what he could get out of the deal, and what they wanted in exchange.

"So, in what way can you help us?" Char asked. "I heard your queen abolished the majority of your military, based on information we discerned from Federation reports."

"Queen Dianna fled like a coward when our brave soldiers rose up in defiance of her decree. She was leaving us wide open to attack! But now our military is established and growing in strength once more, and we have a weapon that is more powerful than any ever developed! More powerful than a nuclear warhead, or the Colony Laser, or even those Super Robots!"

_A machine more powerful than a Colony Laser or a Super Robot? _Char thought. _Now this is I have to see_.

* * *

"Ha-ha-ha! You've truly gotten better, Loran!" Gym laughed as the Turn X and Turn A Gundam clashed beam sabers. "I can feel your warrior's spirit burning white-hot!" The battle between Gym's forces and those of the _Nadesico _and _Tower _had been going on for nearly a half hour already.

"I'm only fighting to stop you! Whatever plans you've cooked up with Agrippa will fail!" Loran cried as he backed off and pulled out his beam rifle. "Our country prided itself on being above war! Why do you want it now?"

"Queen Dianna stripped us soldiers of our purpose; our reason for being!"

"So?!" Janus suddenly chimed in as he rushed in to help Loran, Gran Claymore drawn. "You can find a new purpose! Just because you can't do one thing doesn't mean you can't do another!"

"Foolish boy!" Gym roared. "When mankind is too peaceful, it begins to rot in its own comfort! As long as there is conflict, mankind will never forget how to struggle and truly live! Besides, humanity is born to fight! We can never escape our desire to do battle! It is what makes us great!"

"We can never escape...our desire to do battle?" Janus murmured as Granlif backed off for a moment, Gym's words somehow resonating in his mind.

"Janus, don't listen to him!" Loran yelled. "Ask yourself, what kind of world would one of endless conflict be? It would be nothing but a dark history of meaningless death and strife!"

Granlif's pilot paused just long enough for Gym to knock the Turn A away and then begin its next attack: the mech split off into different parts: its head, torso and limbs all began to move independently, much like the Funnels used by Newtypes. They began to zip about, ramming into the Super Robot, with Gym laughing all the while.

Tara saw Janus' predicament and quickly flew up to save him. Quickly taking aim, she fired a few rifle shots at the Turn X's scattered parts. She managed to strike the torso and head, but not the limbs. Still, it was enough for them to break off and reassemble.

Suddenly, Gym spotted the _Nadesico_ moving closer. With a fiendish grin, he spurred the Turn X toward it and readied the Turn X's Shining Finger attack. But Domon was already on the scene, not about to let the Turn X get away with attacking the ship...especially not with a hand that glowed with awesome power. He put himself right between the _Nadesico _and the Turn X

"SHINIIIIIIING FINGEEEEEEEEERR!"

"What?! That thing has a Shining Finger as well?!" Gym exclaimed as the Turn X and Shining Gundam's Shining Fingers pushed against each other. While the Turn X was the more powerful mech, Domon's sheer determination and strength was enough to balance it out.

The Gundam fighter squeezed hard, and actually managed to destroy the Turn X's hand. Gym quickly retreated from this, and noticed that all but five of his men had been wiped out, and there wasn't a single casualty on the enemy side.

_Damn it...if only the Turn X was running at full strength...if only we had access to the Turn X's plans, we could...grrragh!_

Just then, the Turn X's scanners picked something else, and it definitely wasn't an ally. Gym would have stayed, but with his mech short a hand, he wasn't going to push his luck. Humiliated and angry, the Lunar Kingdom soldiers began to retreat just as the cliff where Kamina was buried began to crack and crumble as something began to break through it...or more precisely, drill through it.

Everyone turned around as the massive cliff crumbled and shattered as a massive drill pierced the wall.

"ENTER TEAM GYURREN'S BRAVE AND MAAAANLY LEEEADUR, KAMIENA!"

Simon felt his brain nearly snap in half when he heard that loud, boisterous voice. To hear the voice of his big bro again, yet somehow twisted and distorted...it shook him to his very core. Gurren Lagann shut down in an instant.

The cloud of dust started to settle, and everyone was shocked to see the thing before them. It was a copy of Gurren Lagann, but instead of a black, red, and gold color scheme, it was replaced with a sickly green color and mustard yellow to go with the black. Its face was half normal, half-skeleton, like someone tore the flesh off the side of its face, revealing only the bone. The drill on its arm was dotted with spikes, and the helmet it wore was more ornate, but demonic. Inside, Kamina's body was partially reborn – Not all of his flesh was there though...he was a straight up zombie, albeit with far more manliness.

"What in the world...is that?!" Yurika gasped.

"It looks like Gurren Lagann," Rain exclaimed, "but that color scheme, those eyes...it's the same as...Domon! Whatever that is, it's practically made of DG Cells! And it must have resurrected its pilot as well!"

"What? DG Cells? Are you talking about that thing we beat up a few days ago?" Viral exclaimed. "So that fake Gurren Lagann is made of the same stuff as the Devil Gundam..."

"And they've...resurrected Kamina..." Yoko gasped, just as shocked as Simon.

The zombie Gurren Lagann took a step forward and adjusted its jaw, which flapped in time with the undead Kamina's speech.

"HEY! YOU BUNTCH O PUNKZ THINC YOU CAN BEAT MEEEEE? JUS WHO THE HELL DYU THINK I YAM?!"

Everyone watched as it pulled an extremely long katana out of nowhere, and picked its first target: Akito. With a single swift move, it sliced off both of the Aestivalis' arms and then kicked it to the ground.

"What's the big idea, ya big bully?!" Ryoko yelled, angry at the DG Cell copy of Gurren Lagann for such a heinous act. "You asked for it! Girls, let's gun this S-O-B down!" The three other Aestivalis lined up and opened fire with their guns. But it simply held up its sword and parried every one of the bullets.

"OOOH, I LOVE IT WHEN LADIES GEYT SPUNKAY!" Kamina slurred as it ripped off the serrated sunglasses on its chest and tossed it at the girls. They scattered and managed to avoid the attack.

"Everyone! We have to stop this thing! We can't let another DG Cell abomination like this exist!" Domon yelled as he started forward, drawing its beam saber. He clashed with Kamina several times, unable to land a hit...the DG Cell-strengthened katana was able to resist Domon's energy blade. Others moved in as well, but even their strongest attacks were easily parried by the zombie Kamina's unheard-of swordsmanship, and many were heavily damaged by its blade.

All the while, Simon stood there paralyzed with despair. He couldn't feel anything or move any part of his body. He just stared in disbelief. His bro, the young man who virtually raised him and defined him, was doing all this.

"Damn it, you stupid human, snap out of it!" Viral yelled, struggling to get Gurren Lagann to move. Our allies are getting cut down like crazy and you're just going to sit there doing nothing?!"

"But...that's my bro..." Simon said weakly.

"No...Simon...that's not Kamina..." Yoko grunted, feeling herself slowly succumbing to the taint of DG Cells, her mech having been struck by DG Gurren Lagann's blade. "Please...you have to stop him..."

"Yeah...the Kamina we knew would never...pull crap like this..." Kittan grunted, resisting the control of the DG Cells with all his might. "Don't you...remember?"

"Simon! Help! M-make it stop!" Janus cried out.

"Get out of...my head..." Tara sobbed.

Everyone else cried out in agony to Simon, knowing that he alone could end this madness.

"AH KWUIT YER YAPPING! HIZZZATZU!"

DG Gurren Lagann raised its arm, and a massive drill with fearsome spikes formed on it. But instead of aiming for Gurren Lagann, it turned towards the two battleships.

"GIGA! DRWILL! BREAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKUUUUUUUUUU UUU!"

It rocketed towards the _Nadesico_, but _Tower_ managed to get in its way, and the _Nadesico _immediately upped the Distortion Field.

DG Gurren Lagann drilled straight through _Tower_, though the _Nadesico_'s field was able to repel him. Everyone, even as they resisted the infection of DG Cells, gazed in horror at the now massive, gaping hole in _Tower_. They looked and saw the blood dripping off of the robot's drill.

That act suddenly snapped Simon out of his funk. He remembered the screams of those he had unintentionally killed. And now his inaction was going to cost him more friends...and at the hands of the one person besides Nia who meant the most to him...or rather, it was the Devil Gundam using his bro's body to cause suffering and pain. It angered him beyond reason, beyond anything he had ever felt before. But Simon suddenly realized this, and, through sheer force of will, turned his sadness and rage into courage. Even as tears poured down his face, Simon's Spiral Power went into complete overdrive.

"FINISHING STRIKE!"

The Spiral gauge on Lagann's control panel increased nearly instantly. Gurren Lagann, now blazing green flame, raised its arm. A drill at least ten times its usual size formed and the massive energy emanated forth. The massive amount of Spiral Power swept over the battlefield like a tidal wave, immediately purifying the DG Cell infections everyone suffered.

"GIGA!"

The entire landscape seemed to shift and quake.

"DRIIIIIIILL!"

New rock formations formed as the earth heaved and shook. The others' mechs went tumbling away, so great was the wave of power the digger was emanating.

"BREAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKK!"

With one massive attack, Simon defeated DG Gurren Lagann. The zombie Kamina's DG Cell flesh was reduced to a fine, inert dust, as was the rest of the mech, but not before exploding spectacularly, as did the entire landscape ten miles in front of Simon.

Simon felt his heart scream in pain. He had once again lost something that could not be replaced...and for that, the Devil Gundam was going to pay.

* * *

_Okay, next time...  
_

_- It's a fine spring day, and G-Island City had decided to make a pit stop in Area 11, where both Britannian and Japanese citizens can enjoy a fun carnival! Kira, Flay, Mamoru and Hana meet a strange boy with red eyes and silver hair who seems to know more than he lets on. And trouble has its way of raining on these sort of things an Angel and a Zonder Robo attack at the same time! How will this all pan out? Find out next time in **Chapter 16 (Japan) - Roar, GaoGaiGar! He Enters Before His Cue!**_

**-**Tower _is a wre_ck, _and most of its crew has perished at the hands of the short-lived zombie Kamina, but the crew continues toward Kamina City regardless, and soon arrive. When a plan to get Simon inside forces Domon to step up to make a speech, will he be able to do it? And what of Master Asia and Neo-Zeon? What of Londo Bell, Judau and Christina's squadron? Find out next time on _**_Chapter 16 (Teppelin) -_ _Simon Redeemed! Enter Londo Bell!_  
**

_Until next time, Super Robot Wars fans!  
_

_Edit (09/19/12): Decided to change the intended plot for Chapter 16 Teppelin a bit.  
_


	25. Chapter 16 Japan

_I seem to be on an Evangelion kick as of late. Here's some GaoGaiGar and Evangelion plot. Also, I bring a character that really, REALLY deserves to be playable in the next SRW game Evangelion is in.  
_

* * *

**Chapter 16 (Japan) - Roar, GaoGaiGar! He Enters Before His Cue!**

"I understand your misgivings, Taiga Koutaro," Zero said calmly when Taiga reported that GGG was formally disassociating itself with the Black Knights and returning to its usual outward neutrality in world affairs. "If it is not in your nature to take human lives, then I will not force you to do so. I prefer my allies to work with me of their own free will."

"It's good to see you understand us, Zero," Taiga replied. "But be aware of this: should you become an oppressor when you promised freedom..."

Taiga dramatically pointed at the screen where Zero's masked face was.

"...YOU WILL FACE THE FULL MIGHT OF GGG!"

"I'll keep that in mind, Koutaro," Zero replied calmly before he severed the connection.

* * *

Janus dozed quietly at the library where Harry was teaching science. As he turned away from the whiteboard, he saw the young man dozing off. Not about to waste time trying to gently wake him, the bespectacled soldier-turned-tutor picked up a ruler and smacked Janus on the head, waking him up in a flash.

"Ow!"

"No sleeping in class. You can sleep when we're done. Now, if you read the chapter like I told you to, you should be able to answer this question. Get it right, and I might end our lessons a little early today."

Janus sighed with relief. He actually DID read the chapter, so he wondered what he would do with the extra free time.

"Now, here is the question: define and give an example of thermal shock."

_Holy cow, I actually KNOW this! _Janus thought excitedly. _It's the ONLY thing I remember from the chapter, though...ah, well._

"Thermal shock is when an object is heated and cooled far too rapidly and suddenly, and it breaks as a result. The rapid expansion and contraction applies stress to the object, and can break it if done over a great enough duration."

"Very good. Now tell me the equation of the thermal shock parameter."

_Crap, I don't know that one! _

"Um...Y equals MX plus B?"

WHACK.

"Ow!"

"You fool, that's the equation for a straight line! You didn't read the chapter, did you?"

* * *

"Kira! Flay! Hurry up!" Mamoru called out as the two _Archangel _crew members followed him and his female friend Hana. They were going to the opening day of Waterpolis, an aquatic amusement park just off of what was once Okinawa on this fine, unusually warm spring day. Sai was supposed to take his fiance to the park, but urgent matters forced him to cancel. Kira, in the meantime, offered to take her. Perhaps out of spite, she agreed to go with him. And with Mamoru's parents off on a sudden business trip until the next day, Flay's offer to chaperone them at the carnival couldn't have come at a better time.

G-Island City, the floating neutral city where GGG's headquarters were based, was making a pit stop in Area 11, just in time for its annual carnival, in which anyone, regardless of nationality or creed, could come for a fun and exciting time.

"It must be so nice to be a kid," Flay said with a sigh. "You don't have to worry about anything."

Kira silently nodded in agreement. He missed those idyllic days too; the days before he found the Strike and became the only personal capable of piloting it. He wondered how many other people shared this fate, and whether he would meet them or not.

Flay stopped when she saw a stand hawking a classic carnival game – knock over the milk bottles, win a prize. She grabbed Kira by the arm, hoping he would win one of the gigantic stuffed toys.

* * *

Kaworu Nagisa, a teenager about Shinji's age with the same silver hair, pale skin and red eyes as Rei, lazily walked about the amusement park, taking in all the sights, sounds and smells. He had been living a quiet, nearly solitary life on a NERV moon base for so long he had almost forgotten the joys of living on Earth.

For example, ice cream.

"Mmmm, everything looks so good!" he said with almost child-like excitement. "Oh, I wish I knew what to get...I don't have a lot of money, either."

He spotted something affordable: a creamsicle, vanilla ice cream covered with a thin layer of orange sherbert. He reached into his pocket and extracted some Britannian money, and handed it to the ice cream salesman.

"Thank you!" he called back as he waved, as if saying goodbye to a friend.

Kaworu knew the one he was looking for was nearby, but they would find each other in good time. Indeed, he'd be seeing a lot of people he knew. But until then, the lad decided to enjoy the warm spring afternoon and the carnival. He happily removed the wrapping from the ice cream and took a bite, while crumpling up the wrapper in his hand, making it disappear entirely as if it had never existed.

_Still delicious no matter where you go_, he thought.

He paused when he saw two faces he recognized. It was Kira and Flay. Of course, Kaworu knew these two people wouldn't recognize him, so it would be a whole new start.

Kaworu watched as Flay pointed out the prize she wanted from the milk bottles game: a huge plush toy of a green, cartoonish dinosaur with big red shoes and a tiny saddle on its back. He approached the pair to watch and see what the Coordinator would do.

Kira took careful aim, then wound up, and threw the ball, putting just the right amount of force into the toss. The ball sped along, and just as planned, knocked all the bottles down in one shot. The man running the stand enthusiastically applauded Kira's astounding feat before retrieving the prize and giving it to Flay, who hugged it gleefully.

"That's a good arm and eye you have there!" Kaworu said, deciding that it was the perfect time to jump in and introduce himself.

"Oh, thanks," Kira said, embarrassed slightly.

"C'mon, kiddo! Knock the bottles down, win a prize!" the man running the stand said after setting up a new batch of bottles. Kaworu reached into his pocket. He had just enough for one throw. He paid the man and took the ball in hand.

"Here's the windup...the pitch..." he said like a sports announcer before tossing the ball at full force. It whizzed forward, knocking down one set of bottles, bouncing off the back wall and smacking down the adjacent pile.

"Well, I'll be! I knocked down TWO whole stacks! That means I get two prizes, right?" Kaworu said with some excitement.

"Uh...um..." the man stammered, unsure of what to do, since no one had ever done what Kaworu had just done. Both Kira and Flay had looks of sheer astonishment as well. Even the Coordinator couldn't pull off a feat like that.

"I'd like that one, please! And that one for the guy who got the prize earlier!" He first pointed to a stuffed orange dragon toy with two horns and a tail that appeared to be on fire, and then to a burly turtle with claws, sharp teeth, red hair, yellow limbs and a spiky shell.

"Now we all have one!" Kaworu said with a slightly goofy grin.

"Um...thanks," Kira said. "What's your name?"

"Kaworu. Kaworu Nagisa. You are Kira, and your friend is Flay, am I correct?"

"Huh? How did you know?" Flay asked, suddenly suspicious of this new character. He was acting WAY too nice.

"What?" Kaworu said with a shrug. "I overheard your conversation. It's not like I'm a stalker or anything."It wasn't entirely a lie. He did hear the two say each others'

names.

"Let's go, Kira. We have to find Mamoru and Hana before they get lost!" Flay said.

"What? You're the one who wanted me to win you that big stuffed toy!" Kira exclaimed. Quickly, the two started yelling and arguing like a married couple. Kaworu couldn't help but shake his head at this in amusement.

_Lilim are truly baffling...I guess that's why they're so charming._

Kaworu loudly cleared his throat, which got the two to stop arguing.

"Now, if you two would stop acting like a husband and wife," the red-eyed young man said. "We can all look for your two friends."

Kira and Flay looked at each other, wondering what Kaworu meant by that.

* * *

Mamoru and Hana watched with excitement as a super-fast roller coaster went by yet again, carrying a full load of gleefully screaming park patrons. But what made this coaster unlike any other was that the track came to an end right at the edge of the water. The cars rocketed right off the ramp. But what could easily turn into a horrible accident was averted by the rising of a great mechanical fish that the coaster cars would land inside smoothly, without so much as a single hair on the heads of the riders harmed. Of course, one would have to sign a waiver to go on it.

"What?! We're too short to ride?!" Mamoru cried out when he saw the sign of "You must be this tall to ride". While Mamoru's huge and odd hairdo pushed him over the top, the top of his actual head was below the line.

"Don't worry, Mamoru," said Hana, a girl with pink hair like Flay's, but with a different style, most notably long braids that curved like a cat's tail; "there are plenty of other things to do!"

"Yeah, you're right," Mamoru said. "Besides, it looks kinda scary."

"And that line's looooong! It's longer than that cat I saw once on the Internet!"

"Hey! Mamoru! Hana!" Kira's voice called out to them. Hana looked around and saw Kira, Flay and Kaworu (who she didn't recognize) running towards them, the stuffed toys still perched on their shoulders as they clasped them by the legs.

"Oh, hey guys. You left us! That wasn't nice," Mamoru said.

"Oh those toys are so cuuuuute!" Hana said excitedly."I want one! Tell me where you got it!"

"Yeah, I don't think I really want mine," Kira said. "It's another thing to lug around all day. You can have mine if you want, Mamoru."

"Neat! Thanks!" Mamoru said with a cheer as Kira handed him the large dragon plush.

"Which one do you want, Hana?" Kaworu asked with a warm smile. "I honestly think Flay's is better for you."

"No, I like yours!" Hana said. "I have a lot of plush toys, but nothing like that!"

"Oh, then here. I don't think I could carry that around all day either." He put the plush down and let Hana grab it.

"Yaaay!" Hana squealed, hugging the spiky but soft turtle plush. "Thank you, mister! You're nice! Why don't you hang out with us?"

"You can call me Kaworu," he said, "And I'd be happy to. What ride do you all want to go on?" He was truly happy. Barely a day on Earth again and he had already made four friends.

* * *

Taiga walked down the halls of the Earth Alliance Central Council building with his fellow GGG members Dr. Leo Shishioh and Geki Hyuuma, along with Guy himself. As they approached the door, Taiga met a face he wasn't very excited to see.

The man was of medium build with orange-tinted sunglasses, a simple red shirt, a short, well-groomed beard that covered only his chin, and a constant frown. Also notable were his white gloves and dark coat with large faux green gems on the collar and cuffs. He was attended by another man with grey, slicked-back but thick hair and a simple dark purple uniform whose only decoration was a blue faux sapphire on the collar.

"Taiga Koutaro," the man said coldly.

"Gendo Ikari," Taiga replied, leering at him.

"Geki Hyuuma, good to see you again," the man with grey hair said.

"Kozo Fuyutsuki," Geki growled.

It was that time again for both NERV and GGG. In order for their existence to continue, they had to secure funding from the Earth Alliance government, in spite of their professed neutrality in Earth/space affairs. Taiga and Gendo had a sort of rivalry, seeing which of their organizations would receive the most funding. While NERV almost always got more funding due to Gendo's inside connections, Taiga's organization was more popular with the common people. Indeed, GGG and NERV were opposite in almost every way except for their purpose of protecting humanity from an alien threat.

"Normally, this would be the part where we exchange bitter taunts and insults, but I do have a more pressing matter I'd like to address with you before we commence our yearly song and dance for the fools in the council."

"Oh, so you finally admit that GaoGaiGar kicks your stupid Evangelions asses?" Geki taunted. "Ha! You always were a spineless worm, Ikari!"

Gendo said nothing, but beckoned Taiga to come aside. Geki started to follow, but Guy grabbed his shoulder, indicating that he shouldn't follow. The man with grey hair turned to Geki.

"Please forgive Gendo. He's not the type to let people overhear him," Kozo said.

"…Yeah, that sounds like the type of man who has a thousand skeletons in his closet!" Geki replied angrily.

* * *

Hidden safely on a cliff covered by thick forest were three robots: Volfogg and two others - one red, one blue: the Dragon brothers HyoRyu and EnRyu. Like Volfogg and Guy, these robots were agents of GGG. They were out keeping an eye on Mamoru, who was given the rank of Lieutenant in the organizations, due to the boy's vital role in the fight against the Zonder.

"So, what's he doing now?" EnRyu, the red robot, asked.

"Must you ask about everything Lieutenant Mamoru is doing?" HyoRyu, the blue robot, groaned. "We are his guardians, not his stalkers. If Volfogg senses that he is in trouble, we'll spring into action."

Volfogg raised his hand suddenly as if to silence the two brothers. He spotted a heavy-set gentleman with an unusually large pipe, a train conductor's hat, sunglasses, dark hair long enough to touch the ground and a thick beard and mustache. One hand was in his jacket, and Volfogg could immediately tell this fellow was concealing something. It wasn't a gun, but Volfogg's ninja senses told him that this man was a threat to Mamoru. The threat was soon confirmed when the gentleman approached a young fellow wearing a thick suit of Uppo-kun, the park's mascot. The bearded man pulled out a solid blob of purple material and jammed it in the man's face, and it quickly began to consume the poor man.

"HyoRyu, EnRyu…hurry down and protect Lieutenant Mamoru. I will notify Taiga and Guy of the next Zonder Robo!"

"Yes, sir!" the brothers said simultaneously. They quickly transformed into a mobile crane and a fire truck before taking off through the woods to Mamoru's location.

Suddenly, he heard an unearthly wail. He looked towards the horizon to see something even more threatening looming there...

* * *

Gendo and Taiga sat down in the small side room, a quiet, sound-proofed waiting room where guests of the Council could have some privacy.

"Well, I'll save the idle chitchat for another time and get straight to the point," Gendo said. "Based on recent events, I have come to understand that the GS Ride your group developed seemed to resonate with the Evangelion units my organization developed. It happened in the incident at Photon Power Labs."

"Yes. The G-Stone does radiate great energy," Taiga replied. "But only when it is in the hands of one that has great courage. It would not work for a schemer such as you, if you mean to have one for yourself."

"Is not the purpose of both our organizations to protect this Earth?" Gendo asked, hoping to appeal to Taiga's sense of justice. "You protect the world from the Zonder, and mine from the Angels."

Taiga hated to admit it, but Gendo was right. He could not deny the noble purposes of both their organizations, and pooling their resources would be to their mutual benefit. This potential alliance would be tested sooner than they thought as Gendo's cell phone began to ring, followed immediately by Taiga's special communicator.

The two stared at each other when they realized what was happening.

Flay was excited beyond belief when they finally got to the head of the line for the Shooting Coaster; Kira, on the other hand, wasn't terribly excited. Motion sickness was never an issue, of course, but his only experience he had with this sort of thing was in battle, and he didn't want to think about it. Kaworu opted to stay behind in order to keep an eye on Mamoru and Hana.

"Welcome. The Shooting Coaster will soon be departing," the recorded voice of a woman announcer said over a loudspeaker. "Please keep your hands and feet inside the car at all times. Enjoy your ride here at Waterpolis!"

"Oh boy, here we go, Kira!" Flay squealed as the safety restraints automatically moved and locked into place before it started to move. The Coordinator continued to look less than enthusiastic. Of course, when the roller coaster actually began, he found himself closing his eyes and gripping onto his safety restraint for dear life, while Flay squealed and laughed with unbridled excitement.

After about forty seconds of twists, turns and loop-de-loops, the cars shot off the ramp (as intended) and neatly swooped into the mouth of the mechanical fish. Kira finally opened his eyes, and looked around. They were underwater, and projections of mermaids and other fictional sea critters moved about, waving and giggling.

But then trouble came around.

A large, evil-looking dark pink lizard vaguely resembling Uppo-kun, the park's mascot, suddenly appeared right on the front car where Kira and Flay sat. They had no way of knowing, but the fiend was actually the poor mascot, Zonderized.

"…HE-HE-HE-HE-HE! HAVING FUN, KIDS?! WELL, YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHING YET!"

To Kira's and Flay's horror, the monstrosity then began to meld and fuse with the entire track, and essentially became the car itself, and then fused with the entire track, into the form of a monstrous red serpentine dragon.

"ZOOOOOOOOOOONDEEEEERRR!"

* * *

"Tara, how ya doing?" Janus said into his phone as the _Archangel_, fresh out of its latest round of maintenance, sped off toward the location where Taiga had warned them the Zonder had shown up. All of Kira and Flay's friends feared for their safety, and had offered to join up as the new bridge crew.

"The civilian doctors say I'm fine, but I'm just gonna take it easy and avoid combat for a little while until I know I'm completely better," Tara replied.

"Don't worry, Granlif and I are gonna work twice as hard to pick up your slack!" the young man reassured her. He waited for an answer, but didn't get one.

"Janus..."

"Yeah?"

"Please come back alive."

"Why are you so worried about me all of a sudden?" Janus laughed. To his surprise, the girl on the other end suddenly started yelling.

"You...you IDIOT!"

Then the call ended.

"Uh-oh, someone's having girl trouble," a familiar voice said as Janus put his new phone away. It was Mu, who had a bemused look on his face.

"None of your business, Mu," Janus replied as he started to walk away. "I'm going to get ready." Without another word, Janus slipped into an elevator and headed for the hangar before Mu could catch up.

Just then, Ryo of the Dancougar team popped in, having heard part of the conversation.

"Let me guess. Girl trouble?" he quipped.

"Yup." Mu replied.

"Man, it's just like when Shinobu and Sara first started dating. It already brings back memories, and they've only been going steady for the past three years!"

* * *

Mamoru, Hana and Kaworu were having fun inside the Hall of Mirrors when suddenly everything started shaking. The young boy and Kaworu suddenly felt the presence of something massive and dangerous.

"A Zonder? Kaworu, we gotta get out of here!" Mamoru said as he made a run for a nearby emergency exit. But the building shook as the destruction outside reached the house of mirrors, and sharp glass started falling everywhere.

With a mere thought and an upward glance, Kaworu projected a barrier around him, Mamoru and Hana, protecting them from the falling pieces of mirror. But it wasn't just any barrier...it was an AT Field, and an extremely powerful one at that.

Mamoru and Hana, who had been crouching down to protect their faces and holding their plush toys over their heads, suddenly looked up and saw this feat, which Kaworu was doing with his hands in his pockets.

"Kaworu...you saved us! But...how are you doing that?" Hana asked.

"I'll explain some other time. It's too early in the tale that is your life for you to know. For now, let's leave this crumbling place; an old friend of mine that I want to introduce you to is waiting outside for us."

Hana wondered just what she had gotten herself into...

* * *

"Attention to all crew members," Murrue's voice came over the _Archangel_'s loudspeaker. "We have received orders from Earth Alliance headquarters. We are to follow the orders of both NERV and GGG's commanders. Work together with GaoGaiGar and the Evangelions to stop the Zonder Robo and Angel!"

"That's a plan I can get behind!" Shinobu said eagerly. "Cyber Beast Force, you all know how to deal with these Angels!"

"Captain," Natarle suddenly said. "I've spotted the Zonder Robo...but you're not going to believe who is attached to it..."

A zoomed-in shot of the serpentine dragon revealed an unconscious Kira and Flay melded into the body of the monster.

"Attention! We've spotted Kira and Flay attached to the Zonder Robo. Its destruction takes immediate priority! Anyone capable of..."

But then they spotted something else.

* * *

Gendo looked at the screen, with images being fed from the battle lines. Suddenly, one of the operators called out something.

"Sir, a massive AT Field just appeared in the boundaries of the park! Blood type has been confirmed for blue! It's another Angel!"

_Two Angels at once? Those old fools couldn't have predicted that_, Gendo thought.

"Wait...I'm also picking up the signature of an EVA from the Angel! Based on our databases, it's Evangelion Unit 04!"

"What?!" Kozo exclaimed. "But I thought that wasn't due to be finished for months now! What is it doing in the hands of an Angel?! "

* * *

_Tabris! What is the meaning of this?! You go against our plan yet again?_

_I'm no longer interested in marching to your drummer anymore. At this point, I am no longer Tabris, son of Adam. I am Kaworu Nagisa, son of man. Goodbye, 00._

* * *

Shinji, Asuka and Rei deployed in Units 01, 02 and 00 from an Earth Alliance battleship, attached to extremely long extension cords. And it didn't take long for them for them to notice Unit 04.

It was white, and resembled a slightly shorter-nosed version of Unit 01. In its left hand it held a massive red, two-pronged spear, and in its right it carried a massive shield. It also lacked any sort of external power source.

"Hey, I've never seen that EVA before," Shinji said. "I guess that's Unit 04, just like Misato said. I wonder the pilot is."

"Hello, Shinji-kun," Kaworu's voice came over his communicator with a slightly seductive purr. "I've been waiting for you."

"Um...do I know you?" Unit 01's pilot said, unsure of who this fellow was and why he was coming on so strong.

"Maybe, maybe not. You can call me Kaworu. I hope we can be friends...Unit 04 wants to be your friend also."

"Hey, guys! Who's the weirdo?" Shinobu's voice came over the EVAs communicators. "According to our temporary superiors at NERV, this punk here is an Angel, and that makes him our enemy."

"Wait!" Mamoru, who was sitting with Hana behind Kaworu inside Unit 04. "He's not a bad person at all! He saved me and Hana when we were inside the Hall of Mirrors!"

"Uh-huh, Kaworu's really nice!" the little girl added, hugging . "He even gave me a neat plush toy!"

"And if that still doesn't make you want to trust me, I will free Kira and Flay from that Zonder Robo's grip."

"Taiga, what do you suggest?" Guy said as he overheard this conversation. "If Mamoru says he can be trusted, we at least ought to give him the benefit of the doubt."

"I agree," Taiga replied. "Besides, it's too risky to use Hell and Heaven to free anyone caught in a Zonder that isn't its host."

"Yeah. I mean, if he saved Mamoru, that's gotta count for something," Janus added.

With that, everyone agreed to trust Kaworu for now. He felt a warm feeling in his core; joy that he was being accepted. For the first time since he had begun all this, he truly wanted to help humans. Silently, the Angel vowed to never squander this trust. Too much was riding on the coming conflict to do something like that.

"Let's go, Unit 04," Kaworu said to his EVA rather calmly, though he would have likely said it in a hot-blooded manner if he was capable of it. The white Evangelion started forward, raising its spear and shield to engage the Zonder Robo. What was immediately notable that it was walking on top of the water's surface, rather than submerging as one would expect.

The Zonder, designated by GGG as EI-13, turned around and lashed out at Unit 04, only to meet the blunt end of its spear face-first. As the Angel-turned-EVA-pilot turned his mech around, he spotted Kira and Flay on the monster's back. With both great care and great force, he took hold of the two teens and ripped them out of the Zonder's body, which reeled back in pain, even though it immediately regenerated the damage.

"All right, new guy!" Janus cheered. "Now we can cut loose on these jokers! Let's split up for now, since we're dealing with two of them!"

"Yes. Hyoma, Kenichi, Mu, Volfogg, come with me," Guy said. "Janus, Shinobu, HyoRyu, EnRyu, help the Evangelions with the Angel! Whatever group deals with their threat first will come to assist the others."

"Kaworu, I need to go with Guy's group," Mamoru said. "Will you watch over Hana for me?"

"Of course. Stay well, my little friend," the Angel replied. To Hana's amazement, Mamoru suddenly began to glow bright green and gained wings of light as Kaworu let him out of Unit 04's Entry Plug.

"Mamoru...he's...he's..." Hana gasped, overcome by Mamoru's sudden transformation.

"Your friend is a very special boy, Hana-chan," Kaworu said. "That is all you need to know. Now hang on, here we go!"

* * *

"TENKUU KEN!" Kenichi yelled as he pulled out Voltes' sword. He rushed forward at EI-13 and delivered a mighty slash, immediately severing its head.

"Don't let your guard down! It won't be destroyed until we remove its core!" Volfogg called out. Indeed, even decapitation wasn't enough to stop the Zonder, but it did weaken it somewhat. The dragon started to shrink and compress, forming into a monstrous, robotic version of Uppo-kun.

"ZOOOONDEEEERRRR!"

It immediately struck Voltes, knocking it backwards into the water. Combattler rushed to its aid, only for it to get rushed by the Zonder, and they began to push against each other like a pair of sumo wrestlers.

"A contest of strength, huh?" Hyoma grunted. "Okay, let's see what..." But to his shock, the Zonder quickly grabbed Combattler and tossed it over its head, into the water. It let out a rather unnerving belly laugh, only to be interrupted by Mu in the Moebius Zero, which peppered it with gunfire

"Hey ugly, over here!" the ace yelled. But as he tried to steer the Moebius, he miscalculated the amount of momentum he had, and the ship began to spin out. The Zonder raised its hands and fired a pair of pink lightning bolts from its hands.

"Crap...I forgot! This thing isn't designed for air combat..." Mu grunted. He quickly hit the eject button, no longer able to control the Moebius as the bolts struck his ship, which exploded and crashed into the sea.

That just left GaoGaiGar to deal with. It quickly rushed forward to deliver a devastating right haymaker to EI-13. It countered with its own fist, but GaoGaiGar was far stronger. It shattered the Zonder's arm and struck it square in the jaw, knocking it in the water as well. Quickly, Guy raised his fist.

"BROKEN MAGNUUUUM!"

The whirling projectile fist dove into the ocean, then came back up, sending the Zonder flying. Combattler and Voltes got up and wasted no time in getting their revenge on their rather humiliating defeats.

"CHOUDENJI SPARK!"

"VOLTES BA-ZOO-KA!"

The electric bolt and projectile struck the Zonder dead-on, and it dropped back into the drink. To everyone's surprise, Guy then immediately followed it. From within the water, they could hear the echoes of GaoGaiGar's Hell & Heaven attack.

GaoGaiGar emerged from the water with Zonder Core in hand, victorious at last.

Mamoru quickly did his purification ritual, and the man possessed by the Zonder was restored to normal, overjoyed to be free of his monstrous shape.

"I'll be okay, guys!" Mu called out from the shore as he picked up Kira and Flay, who were both starting to come around. "Go help the Evangelions!"

"Right! Let's go, everyone!"

* * *

The battle against the Angel wasn't going quite as well as the battle against the Zonder did. It was a massive, arthropod-like creature, with a long cylindrical body, a shovel-shaped head with two eyespot-like markings and eight segmented limbs, and two short arms. Unlike the previous Angel, this one's core was easy to spot, just below its head.

But striking it was another matter entirely.

"Man, I can't believe we can't beat up this oversized shrimp!" Shinobu grunted as it recovered from another energy whip attack the Angel, codenamed Shamshel, utilized to deadly effect in spite of being attached to a pair of stubby arms.

"Damn you! I won't be defeated by SEAFOOD!" Asuka yelled as it drew a massive machine gun the size of a small building and begin firing rapidly. Shamshel whipped its arms about, sending all the bullets flying away as the motion strengthened its AT Field. They catastrophically crashed into various already wrecked buildings, leveling them entirely. Meanwhile, HyoRyu's ice and EnRyu's fire couldn't penetrate its barrier either.

Even Kaworu was surprised with how much of a fight the Angel was putting up. His spear kept missing its core as it squished and squirmed to avoid being struck, or putting up a shell made of its AT Field around the core like Sahaquiel did when it looked like he would land a solid hit.

But along came the cavalry as GaoGaiGar, the Super Electromagnetic robots and Volfogg, who immediately sprang up into the air, raised his arms up to his side, and opened up several loudspeakers on his chest.

"MELTING SIREN!"

The sonic blast coursed through the air. But to his surprise (due to his inexperience in fighting Angels), his barrier-breaking siren was only so much noise.

"Dumbkopf!" Asuka yelled as she drew Unit 02's Progressive Knife. "A little noise isn't going to break an Angel's AT Field!"

"Then how about this?!" Janus roared. He rushed forward, Gran Claymore drawn and struck at the Angel's core. Suddenly, he heard something speak to him in his head.

_Stop...please...can't...breathe..._

But he was already mid-slice, and struck hard at the Angel's core. It screeched wildly and began flailing like mad, knocking everyone (even the sturdy GaoGaiGar) except Granlif and Unit 00, who managed to duck in time. Shamshel lunged at Granlif with its tentacles with the intent to impale it...

Only for Unit 00 to take the hit.

Janus and Shinji watched in horror as the prototype Evangelion wrestled with the Angel, obviously suffering from great pain in spite of its valiant effort to hold off the beast. Even Kaworu was impressed with this...he knew Rei quite well, and wondered what made her do this, especially for someone like Janus. He then noticed that Shamshel couldn't yank its tentacles out. Unit 00 was somehow keeping the energy whips in its own body. Shinji had managed to get up, and saw the struggle

"Janus...Shinji..." Rei gurgled over the communicator.

"Rei!" Janus cried.

"Hey, we gotta help her!" Shinji called out.

"Hurry...you two and Kaworu...finish it..."

Janus and Shinji heard her cough up blood.

"Shinji-kun; Janus; let's finish it while it's vulnerable," Kaworu replied rather calmly, readying his spear.

"Yes!"

Unit 01 reached for its Progressive Knife, and Granlif readied its Gran Claymore. While Shinji and Janus rammed their weapons into the Angel's core, Kaworu took a few steps back, whirled his lance, and tossed it like a javelin. It whizzed by Unit 00's head and impaled Shamshel's core and went right out the other side, dissolving into light before it could land and do any damage to the city.

The Angel shrieked, and finally perished. But unlike Sahaquiel and Gaghiel, Shamshel did explode...but into a great bloody mist as opposed to a fireball. Waterpolis was soon covered in its blood, and the oceans of Okinawa were polluted by the same mist.

* * *

Rei awoke in a hospital bed a few days later, all bandaged up with a patch over her right eye. Shinji sat by her bed, reading a book and hoping she would wake up while he was visiting. A basket covered with gold-colored foil was on the chair next to him. She turned her head to him, and he smiled warmly, happy to see that she was okay.

"Rei, you had us all worried back there. You didn't have to jump like that."

"I-I'm sorry," Rei replied, looking away rather shamefully. "I just...wanted to protect him."

"Janus? Why?"

Rei shook her head. "I...don't know."

Shinji had a vague idea why, and the reason was contained in his basket. He removed the foil for her, since her arms were too weak. It was full of small orange fruits that Rei recognized.

"Tangerines...I heard they're your favorite."

Rei couldn't find the words to express her gratitude, but after so long, she found another way.

For the first time in her life, she smiled.

* * *

_I was originally going to use Ramiel as the Angel of the day, but he's kind of passive, and I couldn't think of a more awesome way to do him in without the canon way. So I decided to use Shamshel. So anyway, see you on the other route!_


	26. Chapter 16 Teppelin

_Wow, it's been a while. Time for some more fun in the Ruined World!  
_

* * *

**Chapter 16 (Teppelin) Simon Redeemed! Enter Londo Bell! **

_Tower _was little better than for scrap now. The one tiny silver lining in this otherwise horrific scenario was that the _Nadesico _would not have to carry many more passengers - only Hayato, Benkei, his two flunkies, and Schwartz survived the wreck - and even that was of little consolation.

But all the same, the _Nadesico _continued its journey to Kamina City, hoping to convince its governor, Rossiu, to clear Simon's name (and perhaps Janus' as well). On top of that, they had hoped to find Juzo Kabuto and get him to spill the beans about his work with the Devil Gundam.

And amazingly, they reached the city without further incident.

Tara and those native to the Flourishing World gazed out in joy and awe at the city. It was like a jewel in the wasteland, in spite of undergoing repairs. Even the imposing Spiral King's keep was a sight to see.

But Ruri brought everyone back to reality with a single statement.

"I have a question. Does anyone know how we plan to sneak three convicted criminals, two of which are escaped, into the city? On a battleship? We're not going to fight our way to this Rossiu's place, I take it?"

Rain was quick to come up with a solution.

"Hey, isn't Kamina City technically a part of Neo-Japan? Maybe you can get an audience with him, Domon, since you're Neo-Japan's Gundam Fighter?"

"Fine," Domon said. "I'll do what I can, but only because I have my own questions for this Rossiu guy."

"Actually, I have an even better idea!" Kittan said. "I'll go on ahead and tell Rossiu that you're coming here, Domon, and that unless you get a hero's welcome, Neo-Japan is going to...I dunno, double their taxes or something. He'll fling the doors wide open for us, and we can just waltz up to him and make our case."

"Wow, I didn't think you could be that crafty, Kittan," Yoko said half-jokingly.

"Heh-heh-heh, yeah, you're not the only one with brains, lady!" Kittan laughed. "I'll go get King Kittan ready! Domon and Rain, I'm gonna need you two for a sec."

* * *

"Mail call, bozos!"

Kittan kicked down the door to the new laboratories inside the Spiral King's former tower, holding a hand-written letter addressed to Rossiu. Leeron and several other members of Team Dai-Gurren turned around and saw Kittan enter. Of course, the blond bachelor's plan involved him keeping them in the dark as well until the time was right.

"Kittan! You're back, you hunk of man you!" Leeron exclaimed, getting right in his face.

"Yeah, hey, Leeron, nice to see you too," Kittan replied sarcastically as he nudged Leeron away. He then raised the letter high over his head.

"Listen up, you lunkheads, I've got a real important letter here! Where's Rossiu at, 'cause this is for his eyes only!"

It just so happened that Rossiu was in that very room, somehow avoiding Kittan's notice at first. He walked up to him and snatched the letter from his hand.

"Yes, thank you, Kittan...and welcome back," he said coldly. Kittan suddenly realized something: Rossiu's voice kind of sounded like Zero's. He shook the thought out of his mind and watched as the governor opened up the letter, which had official Federation letterhead and typed up by Rain (who knew all of the Federation mumbo-jumbo) and began to read it:

_Governor Adai:_

_We are writing to inform you that Domon Kasshu, the representative of Neo-Japan in the Gundam Fight, will be coming to the area under your jurisdiction as a gesture of goodwill with respect to the tragedy that occurred recently. He will be arriving on the _Nadesico, _a new Federation battleship, and wishes to meet with you directly and then address the people, and perhaps stay for a night. Neo-Japan's government will not hesitate to levy the maximum penalty upon you for disregarding such an important individual. Assuming this letter is not delayed, he will be arriving between 24 and 36 hours after the time this letter reaches your hand._

_Regards,_

_Chairman Karato_

Rossiu calmly folded up the letter and turned to the scientists.

"Stop everything you're doing. Domon Kasshu, the Gundam Fight representative of Neo-Japan, our mother country, will be coming to Kamina City. I want a full clean-up crew mobilized, and all the major thoroughfares cleaned up. I also need an announcement of this event broadcast across the city!"

"Oh my, I've heard about this Domon guy," Leeron replied with a small swoon.

"Yeah," said Gimmy, a young teen with orange hair and a blue uniform with a single gold star on it. "They say he's a real champ! A martial artist like no other!"

The chatter went on like so, while Kittan chuckled as he walked out.

The plan had gone off without a hitch. He didn't mind playing a trick like this. After all, every word in that letter was true, except for the punishment part. Indeed, Rain had convinced Domon to give a speech to the angry people of Kamina City, who were looking for a new hero to turn to now that Simon had betrayed them.

* * *

Right on schedule, the _Nadesico _slowly approached to the gates of Kamina City. The guards, having anticipated its arrival, quickly opened the gates, which were wide enough for the great ship to slip through.

"We're inside," Ruri said. "Opening the lower exit hatch to half position."

"Okay, Domon, just smile and wave!" Yurika said to him. "I know you aren't the kind of person do that, but please try."

The martial artist sighed and stepped out into the open, standing at the edge of the _Nadesico_'s exit hatch. Sure enough, a massive crowd had gathered in the main thoroughfare to greet their new hero.

"Domon!"

"We love you!"

"Win it, bro!"

"Yeah, Domon!"

"Long live Neo-Japan!"

"Go get 'em, big guy!"

"Glory to the School of the Undefeated of the East!"

The crowd yelled these and many other loud cheers. Domon just kepting smiling and waving, trying his best not to go crazy from this fake display. It was no surprise that he didn't notice Kouji and Juzo Kabuto standing amidst the cheering parade-goers watching the ship go by.

* * *

The _Nadesico _arrived at the Spiral King's keep, now the major government building of Kamina City. It was also the apartments for most of the government workers, including Rossiu himself, though guests of the city were given the use of the refurbished Spiral King's bed chambers, which were luxurious beyond belief.

The next stage of the plan was underway. Using Omoikane as a scanner and Christina's own uniform as a reference, the group was all able to wear fake Federation military uniforms that looked, felt and even smelled like real ones. Only Yoko and Kittan (who Rossiu still trusted) and Yurika (who already wore a captain's outfit anyway) didn't need them.

"Pardon us, comin' through! Heavy crates comin' through!" Ryo said as they lugged the crates containing the three fugitives inside. Rossiu was outside to greet Domon. Rain, of course, planned to speak for him, since she was a better talker than he was.

"Hello, and thank you for coming, mister Kasshu," he said somewhat eagerly. "I am sure the people share my sentiments when I say we are humbly grateful you could come here and provide some consoling words."

"As soon as we heard about the tragedy that happened," Rain replied, "we knew we had to pay our respects to those who died. You're just as much a part of Neo-Japan as the colony up there is." Domon silently nodded, knowing well enough to keep quiet and let Rain handle things.

"Yes, it was tragic. Countless people died because of a single man's thoughtless act. I had no choice but to imprison him, though I hear he's escaped."

"Oh my. I hope he's captured again soon," Rain replied. Being sincere came naturally to her, so it was easy for her to fake as well. "Well, you can count on Domon's support in your efforts." Again, Domon nodded.

"Hey, you clowns!" Kittan yelled. "Careful with those!"

Viral quietly grumbled as he was bounced around inside the crate. Just getting the opportunity to give Rossiu a good dressing-down would make this all worth it.

* * *

The time was now. Simon, Janus and Viral marched rather brazenly through the halls of the government building to where Rossiu's office was. With security being rather lax due to the concentration of it being around Domon's room, they didn't need to worry about getting caught.

With little ceremony besides a nod between the three of them, Viral kicked the door to the governor's office so hard it flew across the room and slammed into a bookshelf before coming to a stop, causing the black-haired Rossiu to nearly leap out of his clothes with fright.

"ROSSY, WE'RE HOOOOOOOOOME!" Viral bellowed. "AND BOY, DO YOU GOT SOME 'SPLAINING TO DO!"

Simon and Janus looked at each other, wondering where that came from.

The governor looked visibly panicked. "What?! Simon? Viral?! How'd you get in here?!"

"Hey, you forgot me!" Janus quipped, somewhat annoyed at being ignored. But Simon nudged Viral aside, hoping to talk things over rationally.

"We had some help," Simon replied with a small smirk. It dawned upon Rossiu, and he slammed his fist onto the floor.

"So then...damn it all, you TRICKED me!" Rossiu got to his feet and pointed accusingly at Simon. "I bet that wasn't Domon Kasshu at all! And I bet that letter was fake too."

"Yeah, so? How else were we supposed to get in here without hurting people?" Simon retorted. "I already have enough innocent blood on my hands as it is, I don't need more."

"So why are you here then? If you're expecting forgiveness," Rossiu replied, assuming his usual cold, aloof demeanor once more, "I can't give you any. As part of a nation of laws, Kamina City has a duty to punish wrongdoers, and furthermore..."

Viral suddenly trudged in and slammed Rossiu against the wall and then held him by the throat, but not tight enough to choke him.

"You shut up, and you listen good, little man..." he growled.

"Viral, let him go." Simon said loudly. Viral, with a scowl, released the governor and backed off.

"Listen, Rossiu. I'll stop the moon from falling, if that's what it takes to get people's trust back. Me, Gurren Lagann and Team Dai-Gurren will keep that giant ball of rock from hurting anyone! You just need to give me a chance."

"Yeah, just like you gave me a chance," Janus added.

Rossiu growled. He had already invested so much time and money into the shelters. He wanted to fit into the Federation, and truly feel like he had a purpose to his rule. But deep down, he knew that Simon was right.

"Fine. Do what you want," the governor answered, defeated.

"Thanks, Rossiu, I knew you'd understand," Simon replied. "But you can still move people to the shelters when the time comes. They look to you for hope and reassurance. And as long as they have that, the city's lights will never grow dim."

* * *

The _Nadesico _group cheered when the good news of Simon's crime being cleared from the records came. However, Rossiu forbade Gurren Lagann's pilots from leaving the government building, more for their own safety than as punishment...after all, the people still hated him. Janus was also cleared of his crimes, since he had reported defeating Saotome. He was allowed to leave, since he was no celebrity and would not be recognized by people.

But so it passed that Janus decided to give Tara the grand tour of Kamina City, since he knew it so well, before they would go and watch Domon deliver the speech Rain had forced him to give. And it so happened that he took her to the very same open-air market he had come to on the day he and Granlif were brought together, and his weird adventures began. It also happened that Ruri wanted him to pick up some fresh supplies for the road ahead, and he knew just the merchant to make the purchase from.

He immediately made a beeline for the crow Beastman he had always gotten his food from, and in spite of the crowd, the vendor recognized his regular patron on sight.

"Hey, if it isn't Janny-boy! I haven't seen you in weeks...thought you bit the big one when Gurren Lagann went and wrecked the city!"

"Man, you would not BELIEVE what I've been through," Janus laughed.

"So, the usual?" he said.

"Not today, but I do have this."

He presented a list of supplies on a formal looking sheet of paper. The crow's eyes widened when he saw the order.

"Holy moley, are you expecting me to feed a Federation platoon?" the merchant exclaimed. "Sure I can provide, but where did you stumble on this kind of money?!"

"Don't worry, it'll get paid," Granlif's pilot answered confidently. "For a military organization, this is chump change. And in case you don't think it's legit, that signature is of Christina Mackenzie from Londo Bell."

The crow perused the document carefully. Janus had tried to pull something like this once before, and he had nearly fallen for it. Now he wasn't going to take any chances.

"Well, it looks legit; But I ain't providing any goods 'til the lady who signed this shows up at my stand with the money in cold hard cash, ya hear?"

"Sure, fine," he replied dismissively. "I'll see you around!"

* * *

Domon was satisfied with his answer. Having spoken to Rossiu, he managed to get an exact address for Juzo Kabuto's lab. With Rain in tow, he wove his way through the city to a rather isolated part of town. He wanted to keep to the back alleys, since he would be less likely to be seen or recognized that way. After all, he was kind of a celebrity.

Finally, at the very edge of town, he came upon the address. To anyone from the Flourishing World, it would be instantly recognizable - Photon Power Labs.

"Looks like a place a mad scientist would hole himself up in," the Gundam Fighter said as he pocketed the scrap of paper that contained the address. "Let's go, Rain." The two walked up to the lab and walked up to the entrance. They noticed a button next to the door, with a speaker just above it. Domon looked ready to just kick down the door, so Rain quickly pressed the doorbell. After a minute of no response, the mechanic sighed.

"He must not be there right now. Let's come back another time."

But before they could leave, the small metal door opened, by none other than Kouji Kabuto, who immediately stared wide-eyed.

"Holy cow...you're...you're...Domon Kasshu!" he said excitedly.

"Hey kid, is this where Juzo Kabuto lives?" Domon said coldly. This rather rude gesture snapped Kouji out of his starry-eyed stare.

"What? Hey, what do you want with my grandpa? You don't just go around demanding to know where the great Juzo Kabuto is!"

"Kouji! Who's that at the door?!" the voice of an old man called from not far away.

"Just another salesman, grandpa," Kouji called back. Domon had enough with this kid's lip, and pushed him aside, knocking him over. Rain stepped inside and helped Kouji up.

Domon found the old man sitting in his living room near the fireplace, tinkering with a remote control. As he immediately went to grab him, the old man turned quickly towards Domon, glaring daggers at him, enough to momentarily fluster even the hardened martial artists.

"What's the big idea barging into my household and workplace, you no-good snake oil salesman?!" he ranted before pulling out the poker for the fireplace. Domon instinctively readied a fighting stance.

"Dr. Kabuto! Wait!" Rain called out as she and Kouji entered the room. The scientist lowered the poker, and Domon lowered his guard.

Seeing that the situation was calm, the mechanic walked up to him.

"Dr. Kabuto, it's me, Rain Mikamura. I don't know if you remember." The scientist's expression immediately shifted to a grandfatherly smile.

"Oh, you're Dr. Mikamura's daughter! Last time I saw you, you were a darling little thing! My, how time flies!"

* * *

Janus and Tara returned to the government building, where their mechs were undergoing routine maintenance. Leeron was particularly excited to see Granlif again, since it was restored by his own two hands. Also present were Kittan, Dayakka, and Attenborough, each at work working on maintaining Gurren Lagann, the Gunmen and the Grapearls. Kei and Gai were also there, working a few kinks out of Shin Getter.

"Hello, hello, helloooooo Janny!" Leeron said with a slight swoon. "I was just finishing up my inspection of little ol' Granlif. The way you've shown it soooo much loooove just gives me goosebumps!"

_Man, if this guy was any more flaming, he'd burn the place down_, Tara thought. _He must have some sort of great skill if Simon can put up with him_.

At that moment, Leeron saw Tara, and grinned even more.

"And SOMEONE'S gotten himself a nice little squeeze!" he said joyously before practically swooping in and gliding right up to her. "So, what's your name, sweetheart?"

"Tara. Now could you, I dunno, scoot back a bit?" the girl said, rather annoyed at being approached so directly. Leeron casually did so.

"Leeron. Pleasure to meet you. You already know Kittan; the fellow with the nice chin is Dayakka..."

Dayakka waved hello.

"...And FatLips McMuppet up there is Attenborough."

"Hey! Who are you calling a Muppet?!" the large-lipped man yelled down.

"Oh, Janus, I just remembered...did you ever get a chance to work on your awesome pre-ass-kicking phrase while you were in the other universe?"

"Pre-ass-kicking phrase?" Tara said, slightly excited at the idea. "You never told me you had something like that! C'mon, show me!"

Janus swallowed nervously. He had almost forgotten about it since he had first gotten Granlif. Thankfully, he quickly remembered it. He noticed Kei and Gai looking down, interested in this tidbit of information. After taking a deep breath and clenching his fists. he began, letting all of the passion and hot blood he had in him come roaring forth.

"When dreams take wing in the face of a hostile universe…my battle cry will shatter all foes and light the way to the future! I am the guardian…mighty colossus…Graaaan...LIF!"

He thrust out his chest and held up his fists as a final awesome pose and awaited everyone's judgment.

"Not bad," Kittan said with a nod. "But...there's still something missing. Your mech's name needs a few more syllables or something."

"That, and a lot more explosions and flames!" Attenborough chimed in.

"Yeah, you just end up looking like a total fruit without it," Kei quipped. Janus sighed, disappointed at the lackluster reaction.

"Don't feel down. You just need more practice. Maybe Simon could give you a few pointers!" Dayakka said. He looked at Tara, who just smiled and gave a small nod of approval. That was enough to lift his spirits again.

* * *

"I see..so you're looking for the Devil Gundam," Juzo said grimly. He and Rain had been chatting, and the conversation finally turned to the subject Domon was here about. "And you obviously know that I was part of the team that created it, otherwise you wouldn't have been looking for me in the first place."

"Can you tell us anything? Maybe, why Kyoji Kasshu stole it in the first place?" Rain asked.

"Steal it?! He was keeping it out of the wrong hands!" Juzo replied, his usual vim and vigor returned. "Zeon, among others. But Saotome and I realized that we could not allow that kind of power to fall into the hands of any one group...he was the only one we could trust."

"Then why is my brother running around destroying innocent lives?!" Domon yelled.

"Shaddap and let me finish!" Juzo yelled back. "You see..."

But before Juzo could explain, the entire city began to shake, as if something huge was tromping its way through rather quickly. Rain lost her footing, but Domon instinctively caught her as she fell. Both blushed a little bit.

"What? Is it the Devil Gundam?!" Kouji exclaimed.

_No...I can't believe he's managed to sniff me out already...and Mazinger Z isn't ready yet!_

* * *

But it wasn't the one Juzo assumed it was. Rather, it was something else entirely. They were Invaders, yet they were a lighter shade of grey than their jet-black counterparts, though they were no less gruesome for it. Commanding them was a massive battleship of unknown make.

And sitting at the captain's chair was an unusual figure - a human of sorts, wearing a tight-fitting iron mask and a crested helmet.

"General Death Gaia, the Invader squadrons have begun the destruction of the human city," a soldier on the bridge. "However, we are detecting a large human battleship descending into the planet's atmosphere. It will soon be in visual range."

"Prepare the aerial squadrons," Death Gaia replied. "We will overpower that ship with our superior numbers!"

_Truly, it was a genius idea of mine for our Emperor to gain control over these creatures_, the general thought._ They will more than make up for our machines' inability to enter this world. _

"The ship is entering visual range!" another soldier called out.

"Release the flying Invaders! Glory to the Muge Zolbados Empire!" Death Gaia ordered.

* * *

_Ra Calium _approached Kamina City from the atmosphere. They were here on the distress call of Rossiu, who was mobilizing the Grapearls as well. But Londo Bell's somewhat more immediate concern was ensuring that Judau and Christina, as well as the rest of the _Nadesico _crew, were all right.

"Double Zeta! ALEX! Come in!" Amuro called out from the radio of his MP Gundam MK II, the original Gundam's successor. The ReGZ was undergoing heavy maintenance, and the Nu Gundam was still under construction. But Amuro had defeated foes that used mechs more advanced than his own, so he was fine using the Gundam MK II.

"This is Gundam ALEX," Christina replied. "I gotta say - your voice is music to my ears right now!"

"Hey, Commander Ray!" Judau said excitedly. "Glad to be back with the team! The _Nadesico _is preparing to deploy!"

"Good. We're heading for your location. Try not to just run in by yourself, Judau!" Amuro replied.

"What do you make of them, Hayato?" Kei radio'd the two from inside Shin Getter to the _Nadesico_'s bridge, where Hayato and Yurika shared captain duty. "I don't remember any Invaders being that shade of gray. It looks like whoever is piloting that battleship is controlling them."

"That makes them worse," Hayato replied. "At least on their own, Invaders weren't capable of much coordination beyond a mass attack. But if they have an experienced general giving them orders, the damage they could deal is far worse."

"I don't think I've ever seen anything so hideous," Minato said, almost averted to even looking at them. "It's like being in a horror film, but it's for real!"

"Or one of those cosmic horror stories," Izumi quipped. "I love those books, ya know."

"Pipe down, Izumi, and let's blow these guys to bits!" Hyoma said. "By the way, where the heck did Domon go? Shining Gundam's still inside the _Nadesico_, right?"

"He can take care of himself," Kenichi replied. "Right now, we gotta take care of these creeps!"

"Everyone, follow Shin Getter's lead. They have the most experience fighting Invaders," Hayato ordered. "We have to hold out until Londo Bell arrives."

"No need, Hayato...they're already here," Ruri replied. Indeed, Londo Bell had arrived. The Gundam MK II and several Jegans swooped out of the _Ra Calium _and landed in the city streets, which had long been cleared of people. Several Invader corpses crashed down nearby, casualties of the _Ra Cailum_'s mega-particle cannons.

"Shin Getter, Turn A, ZZ Gundam, Gundam ALEX, Voltes, Combattler, and Dancougar all ready to deploy. The Aestivalis are also standing by," Megumi said.

"All units, LAUNCH!" Hayato ordered. Yurika frowned, not used to having someone take over her captain's duties. The robots launched out spectacularly, while three land-bound Invaders charged in, hoping to get the two ground-based Gundams.

"V LASER!" Hyoma yelled. The combining robot aimed its head down, and fired waves of V-shaped energy blasts from the symbol on its head, striking down two of the attacking aliens.

"CHOUDENJI TOPS!" Kenichi bellowed. Voltes shot a pair of tops out of its feet, which were grabbed by a pair of yellow metal whips and sent flying, slashing the third into pieces.

"GETTER BEAM!" Go cried as Shin Getter fired a green beam from its head, zapping another half-dozen, with Amuro shooting down another three without missing a beat.

* * *

Elsewhere, Janus and Tara were running like crazy away from an Invader that had caught sight of them and began to give chase. It was wreaking havoc in the nearby marketplace, which had also been cleared of people. But it was capable of far greater strides than they, and when the two found themselves caught in a dead-end alley, it quickly trapped them within. It bent down and began to squeeze its head into the alley, its sharp, misshapen teeth bared. Even hot-blooded pilots knew when they were doomed.

"Janus?" Tara said as she and Janus huddled into the corner, fearing what seemed to be an imminent end.

"Yeah?"

"Listen...can we do one thing before we get eaten alive here?" she asked meekly.

"Sure, but make it fast..." Janus said, wondering what the hell Tara wanted to do at the moment before their demise. But to his surprise, Tara lunged on him and began kissing him deeply. To die in the arms of a dear friend...neither of them really minded. Both closed their eyes, kept their lips locked and waited for the end...

But instead of feeling their Invader's teeth pierce their bodies, they only heard a man yelling loudly, then the Invader's screech as something dealt massive damage to it, then a loud thud as it crashed to the ground.

Janus and Tara looked up and saw the Invader lying dead, with its blood oozing out of its body. They both stood up, only to be grabbed by an unknown figure, who had bounded in from the rooftops and then up to the next one.

Once they had gotten their bearings, they saw their savior: Master Asia, disguised in a cowl and cloak. so that they could only see his eyes and the top of his nose. He had appeared in the nick of time and severed the Invader's head using only a long sash, which he had discarded now that it was tainted with Invader cells. What he was doing in Kamina City was only to his knowledge, nor did he know who they were, and neither did they.

"Um...thanks for the save," Tara said, suddenly realizing that she would have to deal with the repercussions of her sudden act of passion.

"These Invaders are a menace to the Earth," Master Asia replied. "I could not allow such a monster to exist. But I am not in this town to deal with them...tell me, do you happen to know where I might find Domon Kasshu?"

"Um...last I checked, he was headed for the northern end of the city," Janus replied.

"I see," Master Asia replied with a nod. "Take care of yourselves, young ones, and perhaps we'll meet again." With that, the martial artist rushed away, bounding to the next rooftop. He was eager to get to Domon, so that he could move his own plans forward...

* * *

The battle was not going well for General Death Gaia. With this many Super Robots fighting, the Invaders were being driven further and further back, and their numbers decreasing steadily. Even the lowly Jegans were doing well against the Invaders, though the Super Robots were able to keep the majority of them at bay, leaving them to deal with them one or two at a time. Meanwhile, the _Ra Calium_ and _Nadesico _hovered in the distance, providing cover fire.

Suddenly, one of his men spied Dancougar rushing in through the melee to attack their ship.

"Open fire! Stop that machine!" Death Gaia bellowed. But the massive ship was too slow, and Dancougar leaped high into the air, Dan Kuu Ken glinting in the sun. With one massive slash, the black and silver mech sliced one of the ship's engines clean off.

"Damn them! Get us out of here! Retreat!" the general roared.

"Ha! That's what you get for messing with Dancougar and the Cyber Beast Force! Now clear out, punks!" Shinobu taunted them over their public channel.

"Dancougar..."Death Gaia replied. "I will remember that name, and nor will I forget it until the day the Muge Zolbados Empire crushes you and this puny world beneath its heel! Here, have a sample of our master's judgment!"

The masked general pressed a button on his console. All at once, the remaining Invaders stopped and screeched in pain before exploding into a bloody mess, splattering hundreds of still ruined buildings with their flesh and blood, rending the entire southern quarter of the city all but uninhabitable.

With that, the ships opened up a black Threshold below it, and slipped into it.

* * *

_"I see that you have begun operations, Emperor."_

_"Yes, and as I had hoped, we have gotten a good estimate of their current strength thanks to my idiot general. I have taken a particular interest into that black robot from the world Shapiro inhabits. _

_"Dancougar? Yes. It too, poses a threat. Any machine piloted by humans poses a threat to the stability of the infinite realities. Such is my master's opinion."_

_"Come now, I have done his dirty work on countless Earths, and we have defeated them at every turn. Why are these two any different?"_

_"If you wish to understand that, toy with them as you please. But you will wish you had never done so. You have exactly 175 Earth days to achieve your ends before my master activates the Human Extermination System. That is all. Farewell, Muge Zolbados."_

_"Farewell, Nia Teppelin."_

* * *

_Unfortunately, I won't be writing any more of those blurbs. As you can sort of tell, this didn't end up quite like I planned there. So, yeah. And anyway, see you next episode!  
_


	27. Chapter 17 Japan

_Well, this is what happens when you get writer's block. Thankfully, I have summaries for the next 10 or so chapters, so they should be coming a lot quicker! _

* * *

**Chapter 17 (Japan) – The Winged Ones Named! Fight For Survival!**

Tara let out a cry as her eyes flashed open in the dark of her room.

The nightmare was back. Tara hadn't had it since the day her home world's Getter Team was pronounced dead, but now it was back, and more vivid than it had ever been. She needed to talk to someone.

She looked at her clock.

…Two in the morning.

No one was going to be up at this hour, nor was she one to unnecessarily wake people up. Instead, Tara lay back in her bed and tried to close her eyes again.

No dice.

She couldn't understand why she couldn't get back to sleep. School yesterday was exhausting…three big tests that she spent the past week studying for, yet something kept waking her up.

Tara flicked on the lamp next to her bed and reached under her bed, groping around and pulled out one of her favorite manga – a rather steamy male-love hentai. It was her favorite genre next to mecha, and this one combined the two into one.

But as she settled in, the feeling that someone was watching her almost immediately came over her. She looked over to her window and saw what appeared to be a winged figure in a Santa Claus-like coat, a black mask and red wings, wearing a leering expression on his face.

They locked gazes for a second, and then the figure disappeared. Too freaked out to say much of anything, Tara closed the blinds, tossed the book back under her bed, and got back under the covers, now haunted by whatever intentions that winged man had.

At least she had already gotten her term paper done...

Janus awoke to the sound of someone banging on his door at five in the morning. He rolled out of his bed and went to the door, rubbing his eyes, as he was still half-asleep. Of course, having a gun pointed at his face was enough to fully wake him up. There were two soldiers before him, garbed in uniforms resembling those of the _Archangel_, but they clearly weren't part of its crew. They also wore helmets.

"Um...can I...help you?" he said nervously, taking a few steps back.

Before the young man knew it, he felt a massive electric current run through his body, and he immediately fell unconscious. The soldier with the tazer put some cuffs on Janus' hands and feet before picking him up and dragging him along.

"I guess this is the last one other than that Kozuki girl," the other soldier said with a sigh. "But did you really have to taze him? He was still half-asleep!"

"Command said to subdue them," the soldier carrying Janus replied. "Considering how much of a fight the purple haired girl put up, I could see why...hey, get his legs, will you?" The other soldier lifted up Janus' legs and they both began to carry him along. Students in Janus' dorm began to peek out of their bedrooms, wondering what these soldiers were doing here and why they were taking the new kid away.

They soon arrived outside, where a large transport craft was waiting. Emblazoned upon it was the symbol of the Earth Alliance, more specifically the Atlantic Federation. Sitting inside the craft was the restrained Boss, Nuke and Mucha, all out like lights. Tara, also unconscious and restrained, was propped up against the inside wall.

What the Alliance wanted with them was yet to be seen...

* * *

"This stinks! Whose idea was it to taze us and drag us into this dump?!" Hyoma ranted to himself as he paced back and forth in his small cell. He kicked the wall in frustration, but all he accomplished was knocking himself over as he lost his balance, landing on his rear end.

"Calm yourself, Hyoma," Harry replied from the adjacent cell. "I am sure we will get an answer once we are released." As if on cue, several armed guards appeared in the hall, with Murrue and Natarle of the _Archangel _in tow. And behind the two officers were a large number of bags containing what appeared to be some sort of clothing.

"I'm sorry about this, everyone," Murrue apologized. "I had hoped they wouldn't do it so roughly. But I'm sure you'll understand what's going on once you open these bags." Hyoma suspiciously opened the bags. He recognized it as a uniform used by Alliance soldiers, particularly those who work on the deck of a battleship.

"Uniforms? You're MAKING us join, Captain? You said you were gonna bail us out!"

"I'm sorry, Hyoma, I tried. But the situation got a lot more complicated than I initially made it out to be. I'll explain everything once we're back at the hangar."

They walked out of the prison cells and to the hangar where their machines, and the _Archangel_, were waiting. Guy, Taiga, Misato and Gendo were also present. It seemed only the Black Knights would be required to complete the group, but they were technically terrorists,1 so getting the cooperation of the Alliance would be next to impossible.

"Ah, everyone! I'm glad to see you're okay!" Guy said when he saw them all come in. "Taiga, these are all the people we fought alongside recently. Everyone, this is Taiga Koutaro of GGG. He will be working as co-commander of our new group."

"New group?" Daisuku asked. "What do you mean?"

"During our recent funds meeting," Gendo answered, "the Alliance Council has decided that the various disparate organizations that fight to protect the Earth be joined under one roof, as part of the Alliance military."

"So we're going to have to answer to some guy in a suit? Count me out!" Boss said angrily, clenching his fists.

"We will have a great deal of autonomy, actually," Guy said. "You will all be answering to Taiga and Gendo, and we'll be operating much as we did before."

"There's gotta be a catch, though," Kenichi replied. "It sounds way too good to be true. C'mon, spit it out, you two!"

"Our objectives will be given to us by the Council," Misato answered. "While we'll be compelled to complete them, we'll be free to decide how to go about it. I think it's a decent setup, if I say so myself. And to top it all off, everyone who once lived under Britannian rule will be free to become citizens of the Atlantic Federation, Euro Universe or Chinese Federation."

"Getting out from under the heel of Britannia, huh," Tara answered happily. "I can go with that!"

"As appealing as that sounds, I can't help but find it fishy," Loran said in disagreement. "But I guess I can go along with it, at least until we find a way to counter the Moonlight Butterfly."

"But in any case, I guess we don't have much choice at the moment," Chizuru added. "Besides, I wouldn't mind fighting alongside all of you more. It's a lot easier to get in there knowing you have others you can depend on to help."

Everyone expressed their agreement in this statement. Murrue smiled as she noted everyone's varying levels of approval of their news situation. At least Kira wouldn't be fighting all alone again...

* * *

Lacus didn't think she would be back at _Macross_ so soon. But now the situation was getting worse and worse. ZAFT had already launched its campaign to destroy the Earth Alliance, even against her father's surprisingly futile protests. Any hope for true peace seemed to be slipping further and further away as Alliance and ZAFT forces began to skirmish more and more frequently, on top of the destruction of Heliopolis. But with Basara Nekki gaining notoriety amongst the PLANTs thanks to Fire Bomber's first ever tour up in space, perhaps if they combined their messages of peace, the people would turn their backs on ZAFT and demand an end to the war.

"So, that's how it is, huh?" Basara said as he and Lacus sat in Fire Bomber's top floor penthouse while she told him the situation. "Man, you'd think that between us we'd be able to at least get some of our message across."

"So you think it's hopeless?" Lacus asked with a sigh. Basara looked at her and laughed at her like she was the stupidest girl in the universe.

"Just who the hell do you think I am? I'm Basara Nekki! It's when things seem bleakest that I sing my hardest! Me, Fire Bomber and our song...we're with you all the way!" Lacus smiled widely as her pink Haro hopped up and down with glee.

"YAY! YAY! SING IT! SING IT! SING IT ON TOUR!" Haro chirped.

At that moment, the other members of Fire Bomber came into the room, having just missed Basara's little speech. Mylene had a quizzical look on her face when she saw the two together.

"Basara? What's going on?" she asked.

"Guys, we're going on an EMERGENCY tour, right now!" Basara declared.

"What? But we just got back a week ago!" Ray groaned. "Give us more time to rest up!"

"Please, everyone," Lacus pleaded. "It would mean so much if you would tour again now. We must stop this useless conflict between the PLANTs and Earth, and I feel like we're the only ones who can."

"Well, Basara does have that ability with his music," Ray replied. "It's a tall order, but maybe we can do what the Zentradi did sixteen years ago when they came and stopped the last one!"

"Wherever Basara goes, I go," Mylene replied. "We're a band, and we stick together!" Veffidas, the drummer, nodded in agreement.

"It's settled then," Lacus said, clapping her hands together. "I'll tell my father to announce that you will be coming. Our first stop will be the remains of Junius Seven - where my father will be holding a memorial ceremony. I was hoping you could come and pay respects to those who lost their lives."

"Of course we will!" Mylene replied. "We were actually planning to go anyway...it's a long story." Veffidas nodded with a sad look on her face. Lacus needed no more to know the abridged story of why their paths might have crossed all the same.

* * *

Kira, when he heard the news that the people he had fought alongside not too long ago would become his fellow crew, he felt great joy and an aching regret. On the one hand, the Coordinator was happy that he would not have to bear the entire burden of defending the _Archangel _alone anymore. At the same time, he hated having to drag these people, who already felt like close friends, into his battles.

Still, Kira watched with great anticipation as the five transport craft carrying the numerous mecha, along with their pilots, to the docking bay near the _Archangel_. Standing next to him were Flay and Mu. Sai, Tolle, Mirallia and Kuzzey were still aboard, working on preparations to return to space. Guy and the Evangelions would be coming in their own battleships.

The transports landed, and out of them came the new recruits, all dressed in their new uniforms and looking rather snazzy. Even Boss couldn't help but strut around in his fancy new outfit.

"Hey!" Kira called out excitedly as he rushed to greet them, even barreling right past Boss, knocking him over.

"You're awfully enthusiastic," Hyoma quipped, remembering their previous exchange. "But I suppose it'll be nice having someone else to hang out with." It was then that Kira finally noticed - Kallen, the entire _Nadesico _crew, and the entire Cyber Beast Force were nowhere to be seen. Had they escaped conscription? Or were they in hiding with the Black Knights? His thoughts returned to the situation at hand.

"Ah, so you're Kira," Kenichi said with a quick bow. "Hyoma told me about you; I expected you to be a lot more...I dunno, sour." Kira chuckled at this. He did remember his first conversation with the Combattler team's leader - he wasn't in the best of moods, but now he was used to piloting the Strike.

"Hey, what's the big idea plowing over me, ya crazy idiot?!" Boss yelled as he finally got to his feet. "If you weren't gonna be my new buddy, I'd pound your lights out!" Kira paid no attention to him, so occupied was he with getting reacquainted with his friends, and in particular, meeting Harry and Janus for the first time.

"Okay, that's enough small talk for now," Mu said. "We've already got a mission, so everyone on the boat so we can head for space." Tara couldn't help but smile at Mu's choice of words.

* * *

"Woah! We're floating!" Tara exclaimed as the _Archangel _broke out of orbit. This was her first real experience in zero gravity, having gone out to space for the first time in the _Nadesico, _which had artificial gravity, something this new ship lacked, and since Lifthrasir always keep her well-secured.

"Hey, I may not know much, but I do know this whole zero gravity stuff made our bones and muscles real weak." Boss quipped as he lazily hovered near the ceiling, eating floating popcorn. "But you guys didn't have any probs returning to normal life on Earth after all those months in space."

"Well, the _Nadesico _had artificial gravity," Kosuke of the Combattler team answered. "But I do remember that Professor Yotsuba gave us this special food when Combattler V went to Mars."

"Yep," Mu confirmed. "The food is actually laced with special nanomachines that constantly exercise our muscles at the cellular level, making our muscles still work as if we were in normal gravity, but they only activate in low or zero gravity conditions. That way, our muscles don't atrophy while out in space."

"Courtesy of Nergal Heavy Industries!" Izumi chimed in.

"Does it affect how the food tastes?" Nuke asked, watching his nosedrip hang horizontally.

"Sai's not half-bad as a cook, so it doesn't really affect the flavor much," Kira replied. "Though that Akito guy is much better!"

"Alright, enough goofing around, kids," Mu said. "Let's head to the briefing room, so we can learn about what we're doing up here."

* * *

"Hello, Guy Shishioh."

Guy, who was watching over preparations of Galeon, the GaoMachines and the other GGG robots for their trip to space, turned to his left and saw Kaworu suddenly standing next to him, when only moments ago, no one was doing so at all, as if he had simply materialized there.

"Oh, you're Kaworu Nagisa. You're with NERV, right?" the cyborg asked. Kaworu nodded a bit.

"Yes. We met on that day when the Angel and Zonder attacked at the same time," the boy replied. "I've wanted to ask you something since that day, but never got a chance until now." Guy smiled and nodded, as if giving Kaworu permission to ask.

"I want you to help Shinji-kun," the EVA pilot requested. "I fear he may be guided away from the right path if he lacks a hero like you to look up to; just as the G-Stone gives strength to EVA as the source for its artificial S2 Engine, so can you give him strength and courage."

"Well, you did help Mamoru," Guy said thoughtfully. "And he is certainly fond of you. I suppose I can see what I can do for your friend."

"Thank you, Guy," Kaworu said gratefully. "I look forward to working with you, as does Unit 04." But as the boy started to walk away, Guy placed his hand on his shoulder, as he had his own questions for him. After all, Kaworu was an Angel, and the only one capable of speaking to humans in a normal fashion.

But whatever Guy asked, Kaworu gave the same answer:

"I can't tell you now, it's not time yet."

Realizing that he wasn't going to get any answers from Kaworu, Guy relented. He watched as the boy walked away, seeming to fade away as he left. The cyborg shook his head in bewilderment. How such a character could fit into the group was beyond him.

* * *

Gabil wasn't in the mood to collect Spiritia. He wanted to explore a bit, and see what Lord Gepelnitch had declared to be their new home world: a tiny blue planet called Earth, where the Zentradi who carried the secret of Spiritia apparently fled. He also wanted to take a gander at the machines that had beaten back Gilgile.

He flew effortlessly on white wings through the void of space, fiendish eyes looking around for something interesting.

Suddenly, his gaze caught something: the _Archangel_. It was an Earth vessel, all right - that much he could tell. But it looked to have legs...

_A legged ship...those humans sure are odd. _

The Protodevlin flew silently and undetected toward the vessel, and landed on a platform on its outside. Immediately he began to examine it. Its shiny body allowed him to see his reflection, and he pulled a bit of space debris that had caught between his teeth out and flicked it into the void.

Gabil made his way to the front of the ship, where the ship's Lohengrin positron cannons were located. He looked around, and saw what appeared to be an emergency valve of sorts, with a pipe nearby.

_Ooooh, this looks interesting. I wonder if it dispenses something. Maybe it's a store of Spiritia! Boy, Lord Gepelnitch will be so overjoyed!_

He took hold of the valve and eagerly started to turn it. He heard a hollow rumble coming from within the vessel, but nothing was coming out. He peered into the tube...

…And was promptly struck by thousands upon thousands of gallons of water. His grip on the wheel was great, so he was able to hold on to it in the massive surge of liquid. However, the valve could not hold, and the wheel snapped off, causing Gabil to rocket out into the void again. The water quickly froze, encasing him in ice.

Gabil grumbled out of the inconvenience of being sealed in ice again, though it was hardly like the bonds that held him before. Water continued to blast out of the pipe like a high pressure hose...

* * *

Murrue was baffled. She wondered how anyone could have gotten right up to the _Archangel_ without being detected, and how they figured out how to deal such a crippling blow without actually attacking the ship. Mu was outside examining what had happened, and soon enough she got an explanation.

"It's just as the systems said...the valve wheel is literally not there anymore. It looks like whatever got close ripped it clean off after opening the valve up."

"It's a good thing we have that automatic override," Murrue sighed.

"Yeah, we still have enough water to keep the ship's systems cooled for the remainder of the trip, but not for anything else. We seriously need to find more or we may not come back alive."

"Captain, it looks like we're about to enter some wreckage," Kuzzey said. "Looks like a destroyed PLANT. Hang on, I see something floating our way...it looks like...farming equipment..."

Murrue's heart sunk.

She knew of only one PLANT that would meet both criteria of having farming equipment and having been destroyed...

"Junius Seven..." Murrue said uneasily.

There was silence across the bridge. Only the hum of the computers and the quiet roar of the engines could be heard.

"Hey, hold on a second..." Mu suddenly said as he made his way back in, an idea coming to his head. "Am I not the man who's made the impossible possible?"

"Yes, Mu, but what are you..."

"Just hear me out for a second, Natarle. You too, Captain."

* * *

"Never thought we'd have to see this again," Hyoma sighed despondently as he gazed at the wreckage of the destroyed space colony. "Just looking at it makes me feel awful...and now we have to actually go IN there!"

"Yeah...and just how are we supposed to get water from space?" Janus added.

"…Probably from the ice that resulted from the water being rushed out into space. If it's been this long, it's got to be frozen solid," Megumi of the Voltes team replied.

"Bonus points for the smart student!" Mu said rather jocularly, trying to lighten the mood. But all he got was a glare from everyone present.

"Look, I know a lot of you came back from Mars to see this...and you probably don't feel very good taking something that belonged to so many people," Mu continued in a more serious tone. "Well, I don't either - no one on this boat does. No one here is jumping for joy, saying "Hooray, we found water!" But our survival is at stake here. We're alive right now, and we'll do whatever is necessary to continue to live."

Everyone nodded uneasily.

"Alright, troops. Our mission is to get out there and get that water back here. There's a hundred million gallons worth, which will be able to cover our needs if we ration it carefully. This ship's systems take a lot of water to cool, so we can't afford to waste a drop. Alright, let's move out!"

* * *

The group already had inklings of what kinds of horrific testaments to the monstrosity of war they might find in the ruins of Junius Seven, but even with that sense, they weren't fully ready to face them.

…Especially not when Janus opened the door to a ruined home.

Floating there was the corpse of a woman, still clutching her baby's body even in death. She looked so peaceful, in spite of having died of suffocation. Mirallia cried out and grabbed hold of Tolle, while Kira, Tara and Kenichi just stared in shock. After a moment of this, Kira, Tolle, Mirallia and Kenichi continued, the image now burned into their minds.

Janus noticed a piece of paper floating around in the back of the room that appeared to have some writing on it. As much as he knew it wasn't right to poke through the belongings of the dead, he was curious to see what it said. He began reading it out loud.

_Dear Danbei and Hikaru._

_I hope you're having a good time at Martius Four. Everyone here misses you and hopes you come back soon. Not much has changed here – the horses are doing well, and Daisuke popped by not long after you left. He says hello, though I do wish you had let him know you had lef_

But that was it. But the names sounded awfully familiar to Tara, who knew about Daisuke's friend already.

"Guys, I know it may not seem like much, but I think we may know one or two residents of Junius Seven who got out alive," she said. "Janus, if we ever see Daisuke again, we should give that letter to him."

"Guys, can you move it? We only have so much air, you know," Kira radio'd them. "Let's keep moving. The ice chunks have got to be close by."

* * *

"Captain, I'm picking up a large number of energy readings," Sai called out as he quickly scanned his monitor while the _Archangel_ was waiting for those they had sent out to return. "They match the strange winged beings we fought at Heliopolis! They appear to be attacking a PLANT transport vessel...the vessel doesn't look like a ZAFT one, though."

"They're not part of our mission. Let's try to avoid getting involved," Natarle immediately suggested. "Our mission is to..." But just then, Sai looked at the screen again.

"Wait...an escape pod just ejected...and...I think it's a Variable Fighter! I can't tell the make, though. It's got no call sign, either." But the identity of the pilot of the red Variable Fighter quickly became apparent when his voice sounded over the communicator.

"Hey! Whoever's the captain of this boat! Mind giving us a hand?!"

"Hey, that sounds like..." Sai gasped.

"Basara Nekki!" Mirallia exclaimed, squealing with glee. Like Tara, she was also a Fire Bomber fan who idolized the man as a sexual icon. "Basaaaaaaaara!"

"Quiet, Haw," Natarle said in a rather annoyed tone. Mirallia frowned.

"Yeah, I'm Basara Nekki, big deal. I hope you planned on helping me out even if I wasn't. One of my fellow travelers just ejected in that escape pod. I'll retrieve her if you can keep these punks occupied for a bit."

"Your orders, captain? Natarle asked Murrue.

"The winged beings have started moving in our direction, from 10 o'clock!" Sai suddenly said. "Distance is fifteen kilometers and closing."

"They obviously leave us with no choice," Murrue said. "All hands to battle stations! Get the new pilots back here! Our mission: protect Basara Nekki and repel the attackers!"

* * *

The call went out, and the various pilots returned to their machines and hurried back towards the _Archangel_. Tara was especially frantic, what with getting the chance to save the sex god that was Basara Nekki. She was followed by Granlif, Combattler V, Voltes V, the Strike, Turn A Gundam and Boss Borot, equipped with a tiny jetpack and a comical fishbowl helmet to keep air inside.

But her excitement turned to dismay when she saw them – the winged beings she had encountered several times now. First, Gai Daigoji lost his life – then Koji was nearly sent to his own demise, saved merely by dumb luck, not to mention the thousands who died in the destruction of Heliopolis. She feared who she might lose this time.

She then noticed and recognized their leader - the one from three nights ago. But Xemmey loudly cleared her throat, which snapped her back to attention.

"Concentrate on our task, Tara! Don't you want to prevent Basara's beautiful face from being marred by these winged…"

"Okay, I get it!" Tara yelled as she readied the beam tonfas. "Listen up boys; we've got a sex god, a battleship and an escape pod to guard, and a whole bunch of angels to beat up! Kira, you and me are gonna keep up that red Variable Fighter there. The rest of you, hold the baddies off…let's gooooo!" Lifthrasir rocketed forward, with Kira hot at her heels.

"Um…who died and made her the boss?" Ippei quipped. Hyoma nodded in agreement.

"Let's not argue now; we have people to protect!" Loran said as he started forward, readying the Turn A's beam rifle. A pair of Principalities rushed in, only to be blasted by beam shots. Combattler and Voltes readied their melee weapons of choice and followed close behind.

"Let's move, you guys…Chaaaaaaaaaaaarge!" Boss yelled as he pulled hard on a lever. Boss' jetpack sputtered for a second, and then went into overdrive, causing Boss Borot to zoom forward. It barreled into a Virtue as it zipped past the two electromagnetic robots.

* * *

Tara and Kira quickly managed to catch up to Basara, who had already reached the small escape pod. They then saw two other Variable Fighters, one pink and one dark green, flying around.

"Oh hey, you must be the cavalry! Man, am I glad to see you guys!" Basara quipped.

_Oh my gosh, he's actually GLAD TO SEE ME! Ohmigosh ohmigosh ohmigoooooooooooooosh! _Tara rambled excitedly to herself. She was ready to take on the whole army of angels just to save her idol.

"Yes, thanks a lot! Can you cover us while we get back to your ship?" Mylene, the pilot of the pink fighter, asked. This snapped Tara back to her senses.

"Kira, take care of the twerp," Tara said rather sardonically. "I'll take care of Basaraaaa!" The rock star could just hear the creepy fangirl in Tara's tone of voice. He immediately considered risking going alone. When a Power rushed in, Tara was quick to defend him, slashing its head off with a beam tonfa.

"Yessiree, none of these jokers are getting at you, my darling!" Tara giggled as she pulled out her rifle and shot the heads off of two more Principalities. Basara quickly shifted his mech into its fighter plane shape and rocketed off after Kira.

"…What?!" Hey, wait up!" Tara called out as she followed after them.

* * *

"BATTLE CHAINSAW!"

"FINGER MISSILES!"

Combattler and Voltes launched their projectile weapons, striking down a small group of angels. Granlif swooped between them, Gran Claymore drawn.

"VISOR BEEEEEAM!"

Granlif's eye laser shot forth, striking down another five, but was struck by a pair of lightning bolts from two Virtues. But he didn't have to struggle long, as both Electromagnetic Robots charged in and absorbed the electricity.

"You owe us, Jan! CHOUDENJI SPARK!" Hyoma yelled as Combattler shot the lightning back at one of the Virtues.

"I-FIELDO BARRIER!"

Harry's golden SUMO rushed into the melee, firing its arm cannon, striking down a half-dozen Principalities.

"I'll take that as repayment," Harry said as he drew the mech's tomahawks. "But now we must deal with the general. As long as he remains standing, the enemy will not cease its attack."

"Yes!" Loran said. "The one in red looks to be the commander."

"Come in, everyone!" Kira declared over the radio. "We've safely moved Fire Bomber and the escape pod into the _Archangel! _Let's take out the commander and get out of here!"

"We were just getting to that!" Janus said eagerly. He rushed at the general, who seemed to be paying absolutely no attention whatsoever to the battle, so absorbed was he in the book he was reading.

But at the last second, the robed angel flipped the book around, and a massive energy blast shot out of it, roughly twice as strong as the _Archangel_'s Lohengrin positron cannons.

It sent everyone spiraling away and struck the _Archangel _with deafening force. Its Laminate Armor, designed to defend against beam weapons, was barely able to keep the blast from blowing a hole in the _Archangel_'s hull. Everyone except the _Archangel _and Tara (who was too busy waiting for Basara to get out of his plane. They were all flung into nearby pieces of debris. Oddly, Boss didn't appear to be among them. The blast rocked Tara back to her senses. Suddenly, she heard the voice of the angel commander in her head:

_You foolish girl…you allow your worship of that which is superficially pleasing to the eye to blind you to the true nature of beauty. _

"What?"

_I, Raziel, shall bring about your punishment. Like Samael, I shall make you suffer for your arrogance and misplaced lust._

"Not on our watch!" Boss yelled suddenly. He was piloting Boss Borot and its jetpack with ease now, and was headed straight for Raziel. The angel turned around, with barely enough time to exclaim that this was impossible before Boss tackled him and wrapped its limbs around the angel's.

Tara had seen this sort of thing before in her manga and anime. The comic relief suddenly zooms in at the last second, grabs hold of the bad guy, and then…

"…Boss! Nuke! Mucha! Don't do it, you idiots!"

"You wanna punish us, ya Santa Claus wannabe?!" Boss laughed, not heeding Tara's advice at all.

"Well, that's not gonna happen, ya jerk!" Nuke taunted.

"Not when we haven't had our most awesome moment yet!" Mucha yelled.

"AND NOW…SECRET TECHNIQUE! SUPER FINAL IMMORTAL HEROIC BIG BOROT BANG ATTAAAACK!"

Boss slammed a big red button that said "DO NOT PUSH" on it.

Tara, the Archangel crew, and Fire Bomber could only watch in shock as Boss Borot glowed a brilliant white, and then exploded catastrophically, a Photon Energy bomb implanted within its body for just a desperate occasion.

But when the light faded, Tara saw that Raziel was still there. He didn't even look hurt.

…_A meaningless effort. I do wonder why is it that humans are in such a hurry to die. All they did was throw their lives away and get my robe dirty. I guess that it's in your nature to welcome oblivion. _

Tara began to twitch all over.

_Then again, they don't realize that it's you and your machine we want, Tara Zifell. _

_Me? Why me?_

_We are Zohar, and to accomplish our goals, we need you. Now stop wasting your time with these creatures and come to us. We will bring an end to meaningless death. _

_An end…to meaningless death? _Tara thought, too stupefied to keep his words from affecting her.

Mu, seeing that something was going on, rushed to the radio.

"Tara, whatever he's telling you, don't let it get to you!" he yelled. "You're seriously going to join this guy when Boss just gave his life to try and stop him?! You're seriously going to take what he's saying at face value?!"

"But I…"

"You of all people oughta know what happens in this sort of situation…"

Tara was silent.

"You're going to get so incredibly angry, so grief-stricken at the loss of your dear friend that you're going to go berserk, pull out some new power that's been sleeping within you for your ENTIRE life, and KICK…HIS… SORRY…ASS!"

Tara twitched again, and then allowed all the emotions she was feeling to come out at once. She began start letting out a long, loud scream. Wings made of light extended out of her shoulder blades.

"…Yeah! That's it! Scream your head off! Let the beast out!" Mu said, egging her on.

"Mu, what are you going on about?" Natarle said, rather annoyed. "You're not seriously expecting her to…"

"You thought I was a guy who made the impossible possible?" Mu laughed excitedly. "Well, watch this! C'mon, kiddo, let all out!"

Tara's scream somehow echoed through the void as the wings of light inserted themselves into a pair of slots that Xemmey had opened as a result of this sudden influx of energy. Lifthrasir's accents began to glow blindingly white, and the golden fibers that formed its wings formed a second pair. Tara was now entirely white, with her eyes as pools of liquid gold, and her hair slowly shifted between the colors of the rainbow.

Tara raised Lifthrasir's two rifles, and opened a portal in front of her.

"LIFTHRAAAAAAAAAAAAAA….DIVIDEER!"

She fired both shots into the portal. Suddenly, the empty space suddenly spawned four dozen portals, and a beam of equal size blazed forth out of them, consuming Raziel in one attack.

Tara suddenly dropped out of her berserker state and immediately felt sore all over, such was the strain it exerted on her body.

Basara, who saw the whole thing, was now terrified out of his wits of this girl. Not only was she a crazed fangirl…she was a crazed fangirl with terrifying powers even he couldn't grasp…

* * *

_Next time, more stuff with the Ruined World side of things!  
_


	28. Chapter 17 Teppelin

_I hope I didn't rush this one too much. I feel like I did a little. I had fun with it, though. Also, a cookie to anyone who gets the reference here. Also, Akatsuki Nagare gets a little showtime, since he hasn't even been mentioned since Interlude 1!  
_

* * *

**Chapter 17 (Teppelin) – Rise, Mazinger Z! Enter Arubboth!**

"And so, as your representative in the Gundam Fight, I promise I will win and give this city the glory it deserves! No longer will the Federation stand by and do nothing as you come under repeated attack!"

Domon surprised himself at just how good a speaker he was. The audience gazed rapt at him, he who would represent them in the Gundam Fight. With Simon no longer the hero he once was, the Gundam Fighter's promise to take up that mantle was like sweet music to the citizens of Kamina City's ears. They let out a great cheer. The sun started to peek out from behind one of the buildings on this somewhat dusty morning.

"I always thought of Domon as the non-talkative type," Amuro said as he watched a live broadcast of the speech from the _Ra Cailum_. He had met the Gundam Fighter once in the past, but only heard about his doings through anecdotes.

But suddenly, a different voice pierced the morning air.

"DOMON KASSHU OF NEO-JAPAN!"

The camera automatically turned to the source of the sound. It was Master Asia.

"Ladies and gentleman, I can't believe my eyes!" the announcer, a woman in her twenties with long blonde hair, exclaimed. "It appears to be the current champion, representing Neo Hong Kong...Master Asia, pilot of Kowloon Gundam! Wow...this is...genuinely unexpected!"

Domon, on the other hand, had an expression of almost child-like excitement on his face.

"…Master!"

* * *

On the _Nadesico_, Akito, Izumi, Hikaru, Simon, Janus and Tara were watching the broadcast as well. The latter two recognized the voice of the old man.

"Tara, that's the guy who saved us yesterday! Man, no wonder he was able to jump like that!"

Master Asia tossed his cloak aside and leaped down.

"ANSWER ME, DOMON!" the old man bellowed.

Domon readied a fighting stance.

"…THE SCHOOL OF THE UNDEFEATED OF THE EAST!"

"…THE WINDS OF THE KING!" Domon replied just as loudly.

As soon as the old martial artist landed, both Gundam Fighters rushed at each other, their fists flying, but each was catching the other's strikes with dazzling precision and grace.

"…ZENSHIN!"

"…KEIRETSU!"

"…TEMPAH KYORAN!" the two said in sync. They struck each other's fists as they posed in a rather awesome manner. Just as it happened, the sun peaked over the horizon, as if perfectly timed. Flames seemed to erupt behind them, so great was their fighting spirit.

"LOOK, THE EAST IS BURNING RED!"

"Wow, now THAT is awesome!" Hikaru quipped. "You could get a few pointers from that guy, Simon! Even _Gekiganger_'s characters don't say 'hello' like that!"

"I give it a rating of M...for 'Manly'!" Izumi said with a cheer.

The crowd cheered wildly at this display. Over the din, Master Asia spoke to Domon.

"How are you, Domon...or rather, the man who I acknowledge to be the King of Hearts?" Neo-Japan's Gundam Fighter looked in rapt awe. His old master, acknowledging him as the successor to that most venerable title...it meant a lot.

But Master Asia backed away and pointed accusingly at Domon.

"Neo-Japan Gundam Fighter Domon Kasshu...I, Master Asia of Neo Hong Kong, have come to formally issue a challenge! I challenge you, Domon Kasshu, to fight all the way to the Finals, so we can meet in single combat and determine the true master of the school of Touhou Fuhai!"

Domon grinned and raised his fist, the crest on it beginning to glow.

"I accept your challenge, Undefeated of the East! I'll win this not just for that, but for all the people of Neo Japan, both in space and here on Earth!"

"Excellent!" Master Asia bellowed joyously. "I look forward to our match! Until then, FAREWELL!" With another leap and bound, he was out of sight. The crowd cheered yet again for Domon.

* * *

The _Ra Calium _was much like the _Archangel_ in Tara's world – it had few if any luxuries, but had all the necessities for military life on a battleship. It was of little surprise that the various members of Londo Bell wanted to hang out on the amenity-filled _Nadesico _for a while.

But Tara and Janus were interested in seeing the ship for themselves. Simon and Rossiu were also on board, negotiating with Bright about something. But the two wandered about, examining the rooms. But soon they happened upon a room that was occupied. A young woman and young man sat on chairs. The young woman, a girl with thick, neck-length black hair, sat on their left. The young man on their right had dark teal hair, and blue eyes as well, but his eyes looked somewhat vacant, as if he wasn't entirely there. The young woman was pressing her fingertips on his forehead and temples, and their eyes were closed, as if one was trying to peer into the other's mind psychically. But their sudden entrance broke the concentration of the two.

"Oh, sorry...I didn't know you were in here," Tara apologized. "I guess I ruined whatever you were doing." The young woman shook her head.

"No. It's quite all right. We've been at this for long enough today anyway. I take it you're with that ship from the other world, the _Nadesico_? Judau and Christina told me and the rest of Londo Bell all about it."

"She's from the other world," Janus answered, pointing his thumb at Tara. "I'm from Kamina City. I'm Janus, and this is Tara."

"Fa Yuiry," the woman replied. "This is my friend, Kamille, and we were next-door neighbors before we joined Londo Bell."

Tara looked over at Kamille. She couldn't help but sense that the young man wasn't all there. The usual glint of light that was in a person's eyes when they had all of their mental faculties wasn't present in this young man. He also seemed to be talking to himself. He wasn't unhappy, and yet she felt a little sad for him. Fa immediately noticed that Tara had picked up on this. Fa looked over at Kamille as if to silently, or perhaps telepathically, ask him something. He smiled, and Fa looked back at him.

"A few years ago, prior to the formation of Londo Bell, Kamille and I fought with a group of Federation extremists known as the Titans. In the last battle, Kamille fought with a horrible man named Paptimus Scirocco. He defeated Scirocco, but...after the battle, his mind began to deteriorate, and I still don't know why."

"How horrible!" Tara gasped. "You sure he doesn't mind you discussing this? I don't think I'd be comfortable with that."

"Please, do not worry about it," Fa replied. "If he didn't want me to talk about this, he would let me know."

"So, I guess what you're doing is some sort of Newtype mind-fixing technique?" Janus asked. "I heard a lot of Londo Bell members were Newtypes."

"Yes. Both Kamille and I are Newtypes. You could say we have...psychic powers. Anyway, I've spent every day the past few years putting the broken pieces of Kamille's mind together."

"Aw, that's sweet!" Tara said before turning to Kamille again. "You've got a wonderful girlfriend, Kamille!"

"Th-th-thanks..." Kamille stammered, that glint appearing in his eyes once more. Fa leaped three feet in the air when she heard this.

"Kamille...you can speak again?!" she exclaimed. "That's the first word you've said in so long...at least...wow..."

"Um...uh..." Kamille stammered, embarrassed a little. He tried to say something else, but couldn't form the words quite yet. He sighed, and silently gazed at Fa with a warm smile on his face as he spoke to her telepathically.

_Fa, thanks for all you've done. It really means...everything to me. If you hadn't been by my side since that day, I'd still be lying in that bed, existing...but not truly alive. Thank you._

Fa started to tear up, and the two embraced.

"Let's give them some privacy," Tara whispered to Janus. Without another word, the two left.

* * *

"I must say that was well done, Domon Kasshu," Akatsuki Nagare said when Domon had returned to the _Nadesico_. The man had been keeping away from the rest of the group, but now he couldn't help but approach Domon. "You truly have them believing you'll win. Getting people to trust you on an emotional level...that's the way to sell things, including yourself. And you, my friend, would make a fine salesman."

"I'm a MARTIAL artist, not a SCAM artist," Domon replied in an annoyed tone as he walked away. Erina Won couldn't help but giggle a little at this comment.

"I don't think he'd be very good," Erina then said with a shake of her head. "He's far too honest for that...you and I both know you sometimes need to stretch a truth a bit to sell something."

Akatsuki chuckled. "True...still, he certainly believed what he was saying. It's easier to actually be sincere than to fake it, it seems. That goes for everyone in this outfit."

As Domon turned down a hall, Amuro, on his way to the bridge to meet with Yurika and Mr. Prospector, walked by. Akatsuki had heard stories about him from Judau, and thus he knew of his mechanical genius. Perhaps he could secure some of his inventions...

"Ah, you must be Amuro Ray...might we have a moment with you?" the dark-haired man asked. Amuro paused. He remembered that Yurika never gave an exact time that she wanted to meet with him, so there was no harm in shooting the breeze a bit.

"Yes, I'm Amuro Ray...but I don't believe we've been introduced," the Newtype pilot replied.

"My name is Akatsuki Nagare, and this is my secretary, Ms. Erina Won. We represent a company from the other Earth, Nergal Heavy Industries. I understand you're quite the mechanical designer, and I am interested in seeing some of your work."

Amuro immediately sensed Akatsuki's true intentions and leered at him. He was no fool, and the man was so occupied with guarding his identity externally, that anyone with Amuro's gift could read him like a book.

"I'll have to pass. I don't sell my work, especially to someone who sold out his entire nation to an oppressive power...mister Chairman."

"What? Me? Chairman of Nergal?" Akatsuki laughed, not at all flustered by Amuro's accusation - which happened to be spot on. "Don't be ridiculous! Why would the chairman of a major corporation throw himself into battle?"

"I didn't see you out on the battlefield fighting those Invaders," the pilot replied coldly. "If you think you're such hot stuff, next time we get into a battle, I want to see you there. Otherwise, I blow your secret to everyone here. I doubt any Japanese would take too kindly to you if they knew who you were."

"Blackmail...you've got guts, Ray. You'd be great as a part of my executive staff."

"I'll pass. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

* * *

Masato Akitsu was just an ordinary fifteen year old boy living in the Neo Japan space colony...at least that's what he thought until today. Now he found himself sitting in a jail cell after getting thrashed by Neo Japanese government agents. And all that strange girl had to say were three words:

"Zeorymer is awakening."

Masato wondered why that name sounded so familiar, and why he and this girl, Miku, were needed to...he didn't know what Zeorymer exactly was. Of course, he wasn't willing to cooperate, not until he got some answers. He had heard snippets of information from listening to the conversations of his handlers –International Electronic Brains, Tekkoryu, Hakkeshu, Hau Dragon...somehow they were all connected to this Zeorymer.

But right now, all he wanted was out.

Suddenly, the slot on the door opens. It's Miku, the man with sunglasses...and his parents?

"Mom...Dad...what are you doing here?" he asks, shocked at why his father were staring at him so coldly. His father opened up a briefcase.

It contained money. A lot of it. In cold, hard, Federation cash to boot.

"You're...selling me?!" Masato exclaimed.

His father looked up at him. "Selling you? This is our payment, for raising you up until now." Masato is stupified. He looks at the woman who was apparently NOT his mother. She looks away, ashamed. His not-father closed the lid.

"We were strangers to begin with, and we will be strangers once more." Without another word, the two adults left. Masato could see the slightest shimmer of a tear running down his adoptive mother's face. The man with sunglasses was still looking at him.

"Satisfied?" he asked with virtually no emotion.

"So I'm adopted...why do you have keep me in here?!"

"Can you kill?" the man then asked. Masato shook his head, not understanding the meaning of the question.

"Exactly," the man concluded before shutting the slot.

* * *

Dr. Hell, the mad scientist, had waited long for his chance. With the Federation preparing to square off with Neo Zeon, the Gundam Fight in full swing, and the Invaders running amok all over the Earth, the scientist knew the time was right. No one would be able to take the time to oppose him.

Ever since the Ultimate Gundam project had gone awry and Saotome went off his rocker and plunged the world into a Getter Ray Armageddon, the scientist had been madly pursuing his true interest – the lost civilization of Bardos Island, located in the Aegean Sea. He had been pilfering and resurrecting the mighty machines that, just as the legend said, spewed fire from their chests...but that wasn't the only trick they had. Oh no, he had a huge army of them now, capable of conquering the world.

"Baron Ashura, come to me!" he bellowed. "Come to your master, Dr. Hell!"

The two-faced figure appeared within seconds, as if those words were a magical spell to summon it, bending one knee in servitude.

"Oh, Dr. Hell, what is your bidding?" the two halves said simultaneously.

The scientist rose to his feet from his throne, and dramatically raised a scepter he was holding. "Take with you my army of Talos, as well as the Mechabeasts Garada K7 and Doublas M2. The time has come at long last to begin our march to dominate all mankind!

Baron Ashura grinned.

"What is our first target, my lord?"

Your first target is Kamina City! Make those who worship the Spiral know that I am their master!"

"I would lay waste to the entire Earth for you, Dr. Hell!" Ashura replied with a wider grin as it got to its feet and left the throne room.

All was quiet again, but then a white portal appeared in the floor of the room. Rising forth from this portal was an angel-like figure, but this wasn't like those previously encountered. It was clearly made of flesh and blood, though its skin was mostly a milky white, its wings and eyes seemed to be made entirely of light-colored amethyst, while its shocked up hair seemed made of purest gold.

"I see you've finally chosen to make your move, Dr. Hell," the angel said.

"Ah, you've returned," Dr. Hell said, absentmindedly scratching his head with his scepter as he sat back down. The scientist laid the scepter on a nearby table, and picked up a bell, then rang it. "Come, and dine with me. It is supper time, and I do enjoy the company of a mind such as yours."

"I do not require food for sustenance, Doctor, but your offer is most generous," the angel said as he watched a squadron of Iron Masks file into the room, the front two carrying a table, and the rest carrying plates of delicious-looking food. "I merely came to deliver this warning to you. It concerns your campaign to rule all mankind."

Dr. Hell raised one of his bushy eyebrows as several Iron Masks set the food down before him. "What ill tidings do you bring me?"

"The avatar of Zeus will rise from the city of the Spiral to stop your conquest, and he will have the aid of two great heaven-sailing ships, one of which is not of this reality."

Dr. Hell laughed, and Raphael frowned a bit, though it was hard to tell, as the angel looked stoic in the first place.

"The avatar of Zeus?! You must be joking! Besides, the Federation will be helpless against the armies of Bardos, and even their Gundams are useless against my Mechabeasts!"

The angel sighed at the doctor's obvious hubris. "I have delivered my message to you, man of dark science. Farewell." He slipped back into the portal, leaving the scientist once again alone with his thoughts, and his dinner.

* * *

Kouji and Shiro walked through the back alleys toward the market, looking for something to give Domon. They really appreciated the goodwill and resolve to win the Gundam Fighter exhibited, and wanted to show their gratitude.

But only if the three bullies blocking their way through the alley would move.

Boss, Nuke and Mucha, all dressed in black clothes and sporting mean grins, were not yet Kouji's friends as their Flourishing World selves were, and relished the chance to intimidate the young man, or pummel him if he wouldn't back down.

"Hey, Kabuto. Any cash you've got...hand it over," Boss said with a mean scowl.

"Seriously, guys. This is the second time this month, and I'm almost out. I'm using the last of it to get a parting gift for Domon Kasshu."

"I said hand it over, Kabuto," Boss said again.

"No!" Kouji yelled. "I'm tired of being your punching bag, Boss! Today's the day I kick your ass!"

"Your funeral, punk," Mucha mocked as Boss rolled up his sleeves. Shiro took several steps back, terrified of the brutish thug. Kouji stood his ground, knowing all too well he was about to receive a real thrashing.

But suddenly, the entire city began to rumble and shake as something massive, much larger than even a Federation mobile suit, started to approach. Boss was thrown off balance and fell flat on his face.

"Oh no! Big bro, look!" Shiro cried. Kouji looked up. A massive bronze statue with a spiked headband, a cold, emotionless human face and a muscular body stomped by.

"Holy cow! ANOTHER attack?!" Kouji exclaimed. "Man, it just doesn't end!"

Suddenly, a red aircraft passed by overhead, just behind the walking statue. It was the Pilder. Kouji approached the red vehicle, wondering what it was and how it knew his location. He looked down the road, and saw another one of the bronze statues. It was looked down a perpendicular street. Another robot, this world's Aphrodite A, leapt into combat against the mechanical monstrosity.

"Kouji! Get in! Get inside Pilder!" his grandfather's voice came from the craft.

The bubble canopy of the aircraft popped open. Without wasting any more time, Kouji and Shiro hopped into the craft.

"Okay, grandpa, I'm in. What do I do now?!"

"See the big handlebars? Pull those back to make the Pilder rise."

"Just like your video games!" Shiro said. "You know how to fly that starfighter, right?"

"Yeah...I guess..." Kouji said. He pulled back on the bars, and the Pilder rose, just as Juzo said it would.

As he rose into the air, he saw the _Nadesico _and _Ra Calium _moving into position...

* * *

"You don't mind sitting this one out, Simon?" Judau said as he sat in the cockpit of the ZZ Gundam. "This is your town, you know? I'd think you'd want to defend it."

"I believe in you guys," Simon answered. "Besides, I'm not exactly welcome here at the moment."

"Don't worry," Hikaru chirped from inside her Aestivalis. "I'm sure Domon will pick up your slack, right Mister Celebrity?"

"If it means I get another of Akito's Martian Bowls, I suppose I can do that," Domon replied from within the cockpit of Shining Gundam, trying not to drool at the mere thought of it.

"Wow, I guess the way to a man's heart really IS through his stomach!" Yurika chimed in. "Too bad my darling Akito's a far better cook than I am."

"Stop it, Yurika..." Akito groaned from within his own Aestivalis. Just then, he saw the Pilder fly by, in the direction of Photon Power Labs.

"Hey...doesn't that red plane look familiar?" he said.

"Concentrate on the enemy, everyone," Amuro said from the cockpit of the Gundam MK II. "We may not know what they are, but we won't lose to them!"

Suddenly, Tara, from within Lifthrasir saw Garada K7 and Doublas M2 tromp forward.

"Hey, Xemmey! It's those two junk piles again! This is gonna be a piece of cake."

"My scanners indicate that..." Xemmey began, trying to warn her about them.

"Aw, quit it. There are more of us now and less of them!" Tara interrupted. "We'll down them in the blink of an eye!"

Voltes V, Granlif, King Kittan, Shin Getter and Fa's Methuss, equipped with repair functionality, rounded out the group; Several Grapearls and Jegans were ready to battle as well.

"All right, everyone, let's blow these relics back to the Stone Age!" Janus cheered. "Yurika, Captain Bright, we're ready when you are! Just give us the word!"

"All units, your orders are to defend the city!" Bright ordered. "Destroy all the unknowns while minimizing civilian casualties!"

The force charged in, ready to tackle these powerful foes.

* * *

The Pilder safely landed inside a darkened chamber. As it landed, Kouji heard a clunk and a whirring noise as if the aircraft was connecting to something under it. The plane's interface also changed, flipping over to do so – there were now more dials and buttons, while the Pilder's initial layout had more meters and levers.

"Kouji, do you remember that I told you and your brother never to enter that metal door in the basement?" his grandfather's voice said over the plane's radio. "Well, you are about to learn the reason why."

The lights went on with a clank, revealing a massive hangar...and the Pilder had attached itself to a giant robot – Mazinger Z.

"I have hoped never to make you use this," Juzo continued solemnly. "But now that my former colleague Dr. Hell has made his move, I must now place this burden upon your shoulders."

"Grandpa, what are you talking about? I'm gonna pilot this giant robot?" Kouji exclaimed, looking around.

"Yes!" Juzo cackled. Kouji finally looked down and saw his grandfather there, laughing hysterically like the mad scientist he was. "You now possess the ability to become a god or a devil with that machine...MAZINGER Z!" He slammed a button on a nearby console, and Mazinger Z activated, its eyes flashing brilliantly. At the same time, the slightly elevated platform it was on slowly started to rise...

The Talos were falling easily enough to the combined forces of the _Nadesico _and Londo Bell, but it seemed their numbers were endless! One by one, the legions of statues marched out of the sea, each to be cut down.

And then there were the two Mechabeasts.

A lightning bolt from Doublas M2 struck Lifthrasir, and then a boomerang horn from Garada K7 quickly cut into it. Domon tried to strike it with a beam saber, but it merely glanced off its body.

"I tried to warn you, Tara," Xemmey scolded. "The Garada K7 and Doublas M2 in this world are 550% more powerful than the ones in our world."

"Yeah, there I go again, leaping before I look..." Tara grunted. Shin Getter dropped down in front of her, in the form of Getter 2.

"Tara, we've got this," Kei reassured her.

"Yeah, Lifthrasir's looking in bad shape," Gai added. "You might wanna pop over to Fa for repairs, or even to the ship."

"Hey, ugly! Over here!" Kei yelled, attracting Garada's attention. Getter 2 raised its drill, and it began to spin wildly, creating a whirlwind that ran parallel to the ground.

"PLASMA DRILL HURRICAAAANE!"

The vortex grabbed the Mechabeast and tossed it into the air. ZZ Gundam was quick to move in, charging its Hi-Mega Cannon.

"Eat this, ya creep!" Judau cried. "HI-MEGA CANNON, SHOOT!"

The blast fired from ZZ Gundam's forehead, consuming the Mechabeast. But it landed hard on the ground, crushing a building beneath it. Judau winced, hoping there was no one left in it.

Both beasts got up and banded together again, and it quickly became obvious that these beasties were tougher than anything they had faced. But Akito then noticed something rising out of the ground a good distance away. He recognized the mech instantly, but couldn't believe it.

"Guys...since when were there TWO Mazinger Zs?"

Suddenly, from the ground, another familiar voice cried out in rage.

"ZEUUUUUUS! YOU TRAITOR!"

It was Baron Ashura.

"Zeus? Traitor?" Janus said quizically. "What's that two-faced freak going on about?"

"Garada! Doublas! Destroy Zeus! The rest of you! Destroy the two flying ships!"

Doublas and Garada's attention turned to Mazinger Z and Kouji. Frantically, Kouji looked for something to attack with.

"KOUJI!" Juzo called out. "With the big green button, you wield the proof of absolute power!"

"Proof of absolute power?" Kouji said, not knowing what his grandpa met, but he quickly pulled. Mazinger raised its right arm, and held it stable with its left.

"Yes! And its name is..."

"Its name is?" Daijourou quipped.

"Its name is?" Sleggar exclaimed.

"ROCKETO PUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNCHIIIEEEEEE EEEH!"

Mazinger's trademark attack fired off with deadly accuracy, smashing one of Doublas' heads in with ease, though the two continued to approach.

"They're still coming, Grandpa!" Shiro cried out.

"Kouji!" Juzo yelled again. "Now, use the large grey button to use the dark wind that pulverizes mountains!"

"Gotcha!" Kouji said, a little more confident.

"RUSTO HURRICAAAAAAAAAAAAANE!"

Immediately, Mazinger let out its deadly wind attack, aimed at Garada K7. It aimed straight down the road. Already weakened by ZZ Gundam's Hi-Mega Cannon, it was quickly reduced to a fine powder by the attack.

"Alright! We got one!" Shiro cheered. Doublas raised its remaining head to fire a bolt of energy. But unlike with Lifthrasir, it bounced harmlessly off of Mazinger's Super Alloy Z body.

"Finally, the yellow and orange lever to your left! Pull it to unleash the infernal fire that melts all things!"

Kouji grinned. He was really getting the hang of this. He made Mazinger take a step forward, and he pushed the lever all the way forward.

"BREASTO FIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

A massive blast of heat nearly as strong as Mazinkaiser's shot forth from Mazinger's chest, melting Doublas to slag in seconds.

"Alright, we did it!" Shiro said happily. "You're awesome, big bro!"

"Fine then, I'll destroy you myseeeeelf!" Baron Ashura roared. The two-faced being rocketed forward at a frightening speed, bounded into the air, and did a flying kick...that made Mazinger stagger backwards.

"What the?!" Tara exclaimed. "That freak just kicked Mazinger Z..."

"That's enough, Baron Ashura," the voice of Raphael suddenly echoed. Ashura turned around to see the angel hovering by the coastline, now standing a good twenty-five stories tall.

"You must be one of Samael's buddies!" Janus growled.

"Samael? I would not associate with him if he were the last being in all the infinite realities," the angel replied haughtily. "Besides, we of Arubboth far more powerful than he could ever be."

_Arubboth? _Janus wondered.

Raphael waved his hand fiercely, and a massive amethyst-colored wave of gravitational energy swept across the city. It didn't knock down any buildings, but it did send every mech except Lifthrasir, Mazinger Z and Granlif crashing to the ground in a moment, though these three were rendered immobile. It was

"Guys!" Janus cried. Suddenly, Raphael disappeared into a portal and reappeared right behind Lifthrasir, then grabbed it with one hand. The young man watched as Lifthrasir struggled to escape in vain.

"Tell me something, Janus Olendra...how much do you treasure this girl?"

"Let her go!" Janus yelled. Granlif took a step forward, but it took all of his effort.

"I see you will not listen to reason...in that case, I will snuff out that which gives you cause to fight," Raphael said. He began to squeeze, slowly crushing the mech like a soda can.

"No! STOP!" Janus cried. He felt his mind start to get hazy, as if something was trying to take him over. Tara screamed as she saw everything around her start to shatter and crumple. Electronics exploded, glass broke, and even Xemmey started to short out.

"Uh-oh...he really...shouldn't be...pushing him like that..." Simon grunted as he got to his feet with some difficulty. "He's...really asking for it..."

"What do you...mean?" Yurika groaned as she struggled to stand up.

"Yeah...he's really doing the last thing...he should be...doing," Akito chuckled, somehow knowing what was going to happen, even though he knew what would have to happen first.

Tara let out one last weak cry before she blacked out. But for all Janus knew, she was dead.

And that pushed him over the edge. He let out a long, furious scream of unfettered rage as his eyes turned to pools of liquid gold, his skin milky white and his hair slowly shifting colors of the rainbow. Wings of light grew out of his shoulders, and inserted themselves into slots on the roof of the mech. Granlif's golden wings added two more to their number bringing the total to four.

Raphael smirked. He had gotten the boy this far.

But he didn't have a chance to do much else as Granlif pulled out a Gran Claymore. As Janus raised it up, it got bigger...and bigger...and bigger...and bigger. Before long it was three times as tall as Raphael was.

"EAT THIS! GRAN CLAYMORE FINISHING STRIKE! SHIPPU DOTOU! I'LL SLICE YOU IN HALF!"

With a massive downward chop, Janus sliced Raphael in two. He disappeared into a cloud of feathers. Immediately after, the young man dropped out of his berserker form and started panting heavily.

The air was silent and still, but reeked of death and destruction.

* * *

_And so, Shin Mazinger's and Zeorymer's plots begin. The routes will be rejoining after this. So far, it looks like the Help Zero route is going to be canon, but if you want the Teppelin route to be canon, cast your votes now! _


	29. Chapter 18 Japan

_The route convergence draws ever closer. Here, have some more Gundam SEED plot! Also, if you're going to vote for something in your review, please have an actual review in it as well. Thanks!_

* * *

**Chapter 18 (Japan) - Songstress And Rock Star! Twin Armies Unite!**

"You idiots!' You stupid, stupid, STUPID idiots!" Tara screamed as Boss and his gang climbed out of the intact head of Boss Borot. As it turned out, the head of Boss Borot was designed to eject right when the bomb inside Boss went off. Kira was safely able to retrieve the head once all the angels had fled.

"What? You honestly thought we would actually blow ourselves up?" Boss laughed.

"Yeah, we're not THAT stupid!" Mucha added. "C'mon, calm down." But Mucha received a fist to the face from the still-fuming girl before she finally did calm down. The young man sat up, rubbing his chin and noticed the group gathering around the escape pod.

"Hey, let's go see who's in that pod!" Nuke said, sniffing a bit. Boss grinned and hustled on over.

The hatch door opened, and out came Lacus, who looked around at her saviors. She took a step out of the pod, but tripped and started to float upwards a bit, the momentum of her step pushing her toward the ceiling. Kira quickly reached up to grab her and gently pull her back to the floor.

"Oh, thank you," she said courteously. Following close behind was Haro.

"I WON'T ACCEPT IT! I WON'T ACCEPT IT!" Haro chirped rather happily.

"Hey, is that a Haro?" Loran exclaimed, recognizing the object. Even in the Lunar Kingdom Haros were hit toys, and to see one in this world was something unexpected.

"Oh, yes...this is Mr. Pink," Lacus said. "My fiancee made him and his friends for me. Say hello, Mr. Pink."

"HARO! HARO! I'M FINE AND SO ARE YOU!" the pink ball said in greeting. Tara couldn't help but smile at this adorable pink ball roll, dance and flap its flaps. Lacus stretched out her hand and the ball-shaped robot hopped into it.

"It's so adorable! I want one!" Megumi of the Voltes team cooed. The other girls in the group all gathered around the tiny ball.

"Okay, that's enough!" Mu called out. "If you don't mind, we'd like a word with our guest," the crowd dispersed, and Mu led Lacus to elsewhere on the ship, where she would be given a thorough interrogation.

* * *

Janus felt kind of jealous. Until Basara showed up, Tara acted mature and composed, and they both enjoyed the moments when they got to be alone together. Both the physical and emotional aspects were things he just couldn't get enough of. He guessed this was what it was like to be in love.

But now that Basara was around, Tara acted entirely different. Indeed, Janus was almost as terrified by this side of her as the rock star was. The way she looked at him with lustful eyes, the way she tried to stalk him everywhere, and worst of all, how she would call him "her darling" or "her beloved".

As he wandered the halls of the _Archangel _as it continued on its way, he overheard the sound of someone playing guitar. Considering there was only one real guitarist on the ship, Janus knew exactly who it was. He opened up the door, to reveal Basara playing away at his guitar.

The guitarist suddenly flinched, playing a rather sour note that grated at their ears. Granlif's pilot tried his best not to be hostile - it wasn't like the rock star was actively trying to steal Tara from him.

"Whoa, don't make me jump like that!" Fire Bomber's leader said after a sigh of relief, "I thought you were one of those crazed fangirls for a moment." Janus sat down.

"Man, you have no idea how scary they can be," Basara continued as he began playing again. "I've been stalked all the way home more times than I can count!"

"Fame isn't all it's cracked up to be, is it?" Janus chuckled.

"You got that right," Basara quipped. He picked up a piece of paper he had lying next to his foot. It was scribbled with various phrases, most of them crossed out or scribbled over. "I've been working on my latest song, and I have it all written up and composed. I just need to give it a title, and I want it to really kick ass. But nothing I try sounds natural. Think you can take a crack at it?"

"Me?" Janus exclaimed. "I'm the LAST guy you want to ask that! I'll probably come up with something cheesy and lame. You're a rock star! A musical genius! A god of talent!"

"...And a guy who isn't afraid to ask the masses for their input. C'mon."

"Okay, but if it ends up making your next album bomb, don't blame me," Janus warned him. He scanned the page. The lyrics were not unlike his other songs - stuff about love, passion, heroism, and metal. In fact, it sounded a lot like a tribute to _Gekiganger 3._

"You're a _Gekiganger 3 _fan, right?" Janus asked with a small smile.

"Yep; it's my favorite show ever." Basara answered with a nod.

"Then how about 'Hagane no Passion'?" the musically non-inclined robot pilot suggested. Basara pondered that a bit.

"Yeah...I already do have two songs that are 'Hagane no Something', but it just works. I think I'll use that!"

Janus recoiled in shock. "Really...wow...um...thanks!"

Basara gave Janus a hearty pat on the back. "Hey, if you ever need a kick-ass theme song, just say the word and I'll belt out this number!"

_Heh, man, I can't wait to try my awesome catchphrase with this song in the background. _Janus thought, smiling from ear to ear.

* * *

Chizuru, Megumi, Tara, and Flay were all gathered around the kitchen table, eating dinner, while Kuzzey leaned on the wall near the doorway. Getting up close and personal to the devastation wrought during the Bloody Valentine made them feel like they had to do something to pay their respects to the thousands who perished there. Mirallia was standing nearby, working on dinner for Lacus, who was now kept in a room on the ship that she was confined to.

"Well, I'm stumped. How the hell do you properly memorialize over 200,000 deaths?" Tara sighed.

"Um...I do have one idea," Megumi replied.

"You've been quiet this whole time - let's hear it," Mirallia said.

"I was thinking...um...paper flowers." Megumi said nervously. "It'll be like when we put flowers on the graves of those we care about. No one else would come out this far to do that, so...I guess we should be the ones to do it."

The other three raised their eyebrows in surprise. Why hadn't they thought of something so simple?

"Wow...and we were so obsessed with making some sort of monument!" Tara exclaimed. "Megumi, you're a genius!"

Flay wasn't all that impressed. Barring Kira, she couldn't stand Coordinators. Blue Cosmos' methods may have been extreme, but their hearts were in the right place, at least in her mind. Genetic modification wasn't right. It was toying with nature, playing god. Could anything created from a test tube truly be called human? A small part of her thought it would be okay for those who died to not receive any sort of memorial.

"There, all done," Mirallia said as she put the finishing touches on Lacus' dinner. "Flay, can you take to that girl's room?"

At that moment, Kira and Loran came in.

"What? No! I...I'm too uncomfortable being around Coordinators..." she said, slightly ashamed. Everyone looked toward Kira, who was a bit shocked to hear his friend say such a thing.

"Flay!" Mirallia said accusingly. Flay looked up and saw Kira standing there. She quickly began backpedaling, embarrassed at saying such things.

"Uncalled for, much!" Tara quipped as she stood up. "Let me guess...you're gonna say 'it's different with you and Kira.'"

"But it is!" Flay shot back, annoyed that this nobody was calling her out like this. "Besides, that girl's with ZAFT, right? And Coordinators are not only smart, but they're quicker, stronger and just superior to us Naturals in those respects! What if I get attacked?"

"Um, Lacus Clyne definitely doesn't seem like the type of person who would pounce on anyone like that," Loran interjected, "let alone the people who saved her life."

"And you!" Flay yelled, now focused on Loran. "You're not even from this universe! How am I supposed to know that you're not some weird tentacle thing from Rl'yeh or whatever, and just pretending to be human?" She then whirled around to Tara.

"And you! You've got those wings and freaky powers. Not to mention you're half-Britannian! Your country is all about superiority and how might makes right and..."

Tara did not like being reminded of her Britannian heritage one bit. She lunged at Flay, grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the wall, before getting right in her face.

"SHUT. UP. YOU. STUPID..."

"Tara, calm down!" Chizuru yelled. She, Megumi and Mirallia had to work together to pull the two apart. Right as this happened Lacus came in, a bit astonished to see what was going on.

"Oh, Miss Lacus! I'm sorry, but you're supposed to stay in your room," Loran said, trying to be nice.

"But I didn't want to have dinner alone. I wanted to sit with you all," Lacus replied with a slight frown. Tara looked over at Flay, who was already trying not to look the singer in the eye. She could instantly tell that any attempt for Lacus to break the ice with Flay would not end up well. She picked up Lacus' dinner and started to carry it out.

"Let's go. Kira and I can keep you company. You really don't want to be around Flay..." Tara said as she left. Kira looked back at Flay, sighed and shook his head and left, with Lacus in tow.

* * *

_Come in...Archangel...abort mission...return...to Lunar Base immediately...meet up...with...8th Fleet..._

That was the encrypted message the _Archangel_'s bridge received just moments after everyone returned from scattering the paper flowers. Even now, the lovingly folded flowers floated in the void, forever to remain there, never deteriorating.

The message, meanwhile, was like the finest symphony to their ears. They could return home, and they wouldn't have to spend a week doing it. Though everyone, even Natarle, couldn't help but wonder why they were being called back, and why they were sent out in the first place.

And that reason came soon enough once they were within six hours of the Lunar Base.

"_Archangel_, we're glad you could come back on such short notice," the captain of the 8th Fleet said. "Your friends from GGG and NERV are already here, eagerly awaiting your return."

"GGG? NERV?" Tolle said. "Never heard of them."

"You'll learn about them when we get there," Mu answered. They saw another man sitting next to the captain "Oh, you're..."

"George Allster, Vice Minister of the Atlantic Federation. I understand my daughter is on your ship."

"She is indeed," Natarle replied.

"Well, she was never to be on there in the first place!" the politician yelled.

"Sir?" Murrue exclaimed. "I was told she had your permission to go."

Minister Allster groaned as he leaned back. "She always was good at manipulating people...no, I expressly told her she could NOT remain on the _Archangel _after it returned to Earth. As nice of a boy Sai is, I won't have her risking her neck when you go into battle just to be with him!"

"Understood. We'll hand her right over once we get there," Natarle said, saluting the man.

"Just hang in there a few more hours, sir, and we'll have your daughter back safe and sound!" Mu added. With that, the connection was severed. The three officers faced inward, the same subject on each of their minds.

"So...what do we do with Clyne's daughter?" Murrue said, bringing the question out into the open.

* * *

Asuka sulked as she walked through a mall in the better part of the Settlement. While Shinji, Rei and Kaworu got to go to the MOON, she was stuck here on Earth, to be on Angel duty. Ironically, she had wanted so much to finally get time for herself, but now that those three were gone, Unit 02's pilot realized how lonely she was without them.

_No, I don't need them,_ Asuka would say to herself. _I don't need anyone!_

"Sara! For the last time, we're having Chinese!" a familiar voice yelled from behind a column; "What is it with you and German food?!"

Asuka recognized that voice. It was Shinobu, one of the Cyber Beast Force. She quickly assumed that he was with his girlfriend, Sara. Without really thinking about it, the EVA pilot approached them.

"Hi, guys," Asuka said in greeting. "What are you two arguing about?"

"Not a good time, Asuka," Shinobu said harshly. "Sara here wants to go out for German food when the last time we had it, I got food poisoning and nearly DIED!"

"That was alcohol poisoning, you dunce," Sara snarked back. "And it was because you HAD to go for a full mug of Reaper's Night Out brew at Oktoberfest last year."

Asuka couldn't help but giggle at how crazy that was. Reaper's Night Out had the highest level of alcohol by volume that was legally allowed in such a drink, and most people were instantly in a drunken stupor after just a shot of it!

"Asuka, there's this new German place right here in the mall," Sara replied. "It's gotten rave reviews, and I'm itching to try it. You want to come along?"

The EVA pilot's heart skipped a beat. Someone was actually ASKING her for her company. Other than Shinji, no one else had ever asked her to join them for anything. Even the part of her that cried out to be alone was silent. This was too difficult to pass up.

"Sure. If there's anyone that knows good German food, it's me!" the girl replied eagerly.

"You're outvoted, buster," Sara said smugly to Shinobu. "German it is." The Cyber Beast Force's leader grumbled and growled as he followed behind Sara and Asuka as they walked.

* * *

Shinji, Rei and Kaworu watched with interest as Geki Hyuuma put in a video tape people on the _Nadesico _would recognize: an episode of _Gekiganger 3. _Misato sat on a nearby chair, sipping a beer. Shinji had kept hearing about the show at school from the various members of the manga club, and wanted to see it. The trio, along with the rest of GGG and NERV were at Ptolemaeus Base, the Alliance's main base outside of Earth. For the moment, GGG and NERV remained on standby, protecting the 8th Fleet, the same fleet that the _Archangel _was preparing to meet up with.

"Kids, you're about to witness one of the best pieces of media ever created!" Geki said excitedly. "You haven't lived until you've seen at least one episode of this series, and this one was only aired ONCE before being released on video! You kids must have seen some scary stuff fighting those Angels, so this oughta be nothing for ya!"

"I've heard this show is extremely cheesy and melodramatic," Rei said rather bluntly, her hands fiddling with a tangerine that had been in a small bowl of fruit on the table in the middle of the room.

"It's one of those shows you have to turn your brain off to watch, I guess," Misato said with a slight giggle before taking a larger gulp. "Eh, I'll probably enjoy this after another can or two."

"Shhhh! Misato, it's starting!" Shinji said.

The episode was titled "The Sins of the Past! Joe's Bloodstained Hands!" Gekiganger fought a strange Kyoakk monster that resembled a massive eight-sided polyhedron made of crystal. Its armor was tougher than any the team had ever fought, and it possessed the ability to drive people insane with mind-rending beams of light, which struck the pilot of Gekiganger 2, Joe.

What followed made the trio realize why the episode was only aired once: the imagery was dark, the themes disturbing, and revealed a major plot point – Joe was originally a member of the yakuza (the Japanese mafia, which had been wiped out by Britannia), who committed many murders that had been unsolved, but he had joined the Gekiganger team to escape his old life and atone for his crimes. With his crimes out in the open, Joe pondered whether he would go to the police and admit the murders.

Just as Joe walked into the police station and prepares to admit the murders, the video tape player suddenly started to inexplicably crackle, pop and belch out smoke, and then it was visibly aflame. Misato, still sober enough to see the obvious danger, stumbled out of her chair, grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher, and shot several blasts of gas at the now ruined player, stopping the fire before it could spread.

"Well...looks like the rumors were real," Geki said with a sigh of defeat.

"Rumors?" Rei asked, rather unfazed from the whole ordeal. "Is the tape cursed?"

"Something like that," the spiky-haired man replied. "Welp, guess you kids will have to find out how it ends some other way!"

"I was expecting something a little more lighthearted, to be honest," Kaworu added, even less fazed. "Perhaps we can watch a different episode?"

Shinji just sat in his position, mouth open, eye twitching. Even everything he had seen as an EVA pilot had not prepared him for such an experience. Finally, he silently got up, expression unchanged, and left the room, with everyone watching.

"It wasn't THAT scary, was it?" Misato asked the group.

* * *

The _Archangel _was finally within sight of the 8th Fleet and Ptolemaeus Base. It was a sight for sore eyes for everyone on the ship. No more being cramped on the ship, as the moon was a fully functioning colony, with everything civilization had. The first to greet the _Archangel_ was EnRyu, who was out with his brother HyoRyu on patrol. They flew over using thrusters attached to them for the duration of the mission.

"Ahoy there, everyone! Welcome back!" EnRyu called out over his communicator. "Sorry we couldn't join you on your little outing!"

"Whoa, that robot is talking!" Sai exclaimed. "And that didn't sound like a prerecorded phrase, either!"

"What? Geek queen's robot talks!" Boss interjected dismissively. "It's not so fancy! Anyway, boy, am I glad to be back, too! I need me some REAL eats!" Suddenly, HyoRyu swooped in, a grim look on his face.

"Brother, I've spotted a large ZAFT fleet headed this way...and they appear to be accompanied by a whole bunch of strange mechanical monsters! They're definitely not Zonder, but at the same time they're definitely alien! Ptolomaeus Base has already been notified."

"Mechanical monsters! Oh man..." Tara groaned.

"Do you know something, Zifell?" Mu asked. "Anything you could tell us would be really valuable."

"No need," Daisuke's voice came over the communicator. "I've already filled Alliance Command in on the situation. Apparently, the Vega Empire has teamed up with ZAFT. What possessed the PLANTs' military to side with them is beyond me, though."

"We can figure that out later," Murrue commanded. "Everyone, battle stations! All pilots, prepare to deploy!"

Kira, Janus, and Loran were rushing down the hall toward the hangar, when Flay, who had just heard the call to battle stations, entered the hall. Janus and Loran silently wove around her, but Kira skidded to a stop.

"Kira? What's going on?" she asked him nervously. "Is the advance fleet okay?"

"I'm not sure, sorry," the Coordinator replied.

"Please, tell me my dad's ship is okay." Flay pleaded. "It is okay, right?"

"It'll all work out," Kira replied with a reassuring smile. "I promise I'll make sure it does." Flay smiled back, and Kira continued on his way, now hustling at full speed toward the hangar as Sai's fiance watched him leave.

* * *

Defending the lunar base and the 8th Fleet against such a large force was going to be a big job, so everyone involved in the group was out and about. The Evangelions were equipped with the same thrusters mounted on HyoRyu and EnRyu. But more importantly, this would be their first battle with the new S2 Engines as well as the first ever test of an Evangelion in zero gravity combat. How they would hold up was a question that was on everyone's mind. GaoGaiGar, while not suitable for long-range space travel as it was, made do with its regular flight setup.

"This doesn't feel right," Guy said nervously to no one in particular. "I'm not used to fighting actual human beings. Zonder, sure...but they're the same as us."

"The fact that they've joined forces with Vega makes me doubt they care about our world any longer," Daisuke said rather coldly. "I have no qualms with fighting those who share the same aim as those who ruined my home world."

"Yes, Daisuke is correct," Gendo said. "Anyone who threatens the Earth, human or otherwise, is our enemy. Remember that."

"Fine, but I won't like it," Guy replied as he readied GaoGaiGar for the incoming foes.

"They're here!" Taiga bellowed. "All pilots, forward! For our beautiful blue world!" Muruta Azrael, who happened to be sitting in the same room, smirked a little at Taiga's unwitting use of Blue Cosmos' motto. GaoGaiGar, the three EVAs, Grendizer, and Volfogg, followed by a battalion of Moebius mobile armors, rushed forward into the fray.

First blood went to the Alliance as Kaworu gracefully thrust its lance through a GINN, skewering both the robot and its pilot. Being an Angel, EVA Unit 04's pilot was more than a match for any Coordinator. Indeed, he could have taken on this entire armada himself, but if his goal was to be achieved, he couldn't be a crutch for his allies.

Shinji, trying to forget the horror of the episode he had watched, put his focus entirely on the battle, readying a pair of progressive knives. He lunged at an unaware Coordinator, but missed wildly when the pilot's instincts kicked in. The pilot whirled around and fired a beam shot at Shinji, but it bounced off the EVA's AT Field harmlessly. Shinji saw his chance, and slashed his knife at the enemy, this time striking the head, causing it to explode. Immediately, he realized how horrible it felt to kill his fellow man as his stomach twisted into knots.

But not so much that when a Saucer Beast lunged at him, he was able to grab it and crush its head in his hands.

_Maybe...maybe I should just concentrate on the aliens, _Shinji thought,_ and leave the ZAFT guys alone. Yeah, just concentrate on the aliens_.

But as this occurred, he noticed a ZAFT ship heading right for the _Archangel_, along with the Aegis Gundam, which he didn't recognize. But he did know that people from his school were on that ship. His mind began to race as the decision whether to take the life of another human or possibly allow his schoolmates to perish weighed heavily on it.

* * *

The legged ship...Athrun knew Kira was on it, so maybe he'd have a second chance. But without Yzak, Dearka, or Nicol, the Coordinator was slightly less confident about his chances; his encounter with that Super Robot some months ago could have just as easily gone the other way. But regardless, he had already downed one of the Alliance battleships on his own, and unless Kira agreed to join, this one would suffer the same fate.

Sure enough, out came the Strike, once again equipped with its Aile Strike Pack. But then out came the two white robots from before, as well as two huge ones, most likely Super Robots themselves, and the Moebius Zero. His odds were not good at all, even with a Nazca-class backing him up.

Suddenly, he got a call from one of the alien generals.

"Athrun Zala! You have not received permission to engage that ship!" Prince Heinel, the general from Boazan ordered from his skull-shaped castle ship. "I command you to return to the main lines!"

Of course, Athrun wasn't going to take orders from an alien. Commander Creuset, and maybe even his Natural friend Prince Clovis, but not something that wasn't even human. He continued forward, knowing full well what he was up against.

Setting his sights on the Strike, he hoped the others wouldn't go after him. Luckily, Rau brought a small attack force of his own, and they rushed into the fray right at his heels.

But as he dodged a few shots from the legged ship's machine cannons, Athrun noticed the three Supers break off and make a dash for the skull ship. He stared a bit too long, allowing Lifthrasir and the Strike to rush in, each landing a solid hit; Tara with her beam tonfas, Kira with his beam rifle.

"Hey, Aegis! You're gonna stare at Voltes' rear all day or something?" Tara taunted.

"Tara! Enemy at six o'clock," Xemmey warned her. Tara whirled around and blasted a GINN in the head section. The pilot ejected and fled back toward the Nazca-class battleship.

"Tara, leave the Aegis and these GINNs to me and Mu," Kira told her as the Strike drew a beam saber. "You go and help the others."

"Prince Heinel! I was wondering when you'd finally show your horned mug!" Kenichi said angrily as Voltes, Combattler and Granlif rushed toward the skull ship.

"Voltes team! I was told about you by General Zuril. I will take great pleasure in destroying you!"

"You know him, Kenichi?" Janus asked as he released a number of Gran Bits at an incoming batch of Saucer Beasts and Beast Fighters. As they got close, the Bits quickly tore into them, reducing them to scrap without the three ever having to attack.

"Heinel is the leader of the Boazanian army, and Voltes V was created to oppose his forces," Megumi said. "Kenichi, we're within range of the enemy ship!"

"Hold it! Three GINNs at two thirty!" Hiyoshi called out.

"We got it!" Hyoma answered as Combattler veered away to deal with them, leaving Kenichi and Janus to deal with the Boazanian general. Janus quickly saw another ZAFT ship approaching one of the Alliance's.

"Sorry, I gotta bail too...good luck, guys!"

Janus created a portal below him, doubled back and dove in, popping out again near the ship, which he quickly attacked with a Visor Beam.

"So, it's just us now," Heinel chuckled. "Ready the Skull Seeker Missile!" The massive ship's mouth opened up and fired a massive missile. The electromagnetic robot paused and readied itself.

"FIRE!"

The missile rushed outwards, but Voltes deflected it with a quick swing of its Choudenji Strings. However, while the missile was intended to home in on its target, but the missile ended up picking another target – EVA Unit 01.

"Shinji, watch out!" Ippei called out.

Shinji snapped back to attention and quickly dodged the missile, not having enough time to deploy an AT Field. Right behind him was another Alliance ship. The missile changed its target yet again, and struck the Alliance ship, destroying it in one hit.

Both Kenichi and Shinji realized what they had done, the latter feeling worse...that was the command ship George Allster was in.

All at once, the Alliance chain command fell apart, and their morale dropped like a rock. Only those of GGG and NERV continued to fight...

* * *

And unfortunately, Flay, wondering how things were going, had seen that ship explode when she stepped onto the bridge. She glanced around the window and saw Kira engaged in a duel with the Aegis. Meanwhile, several more ZAFT mobile suits started to close in.

Sai grabbed her as she floated backward from the shock of the sight. They all were too dumbstruck to notice that Lacus, also curious as to what was going on, had come up to the bridge.

"No...no...Daddy..." Flay gasped, her voice trembling as she tried to hold back tears of both grief and rage. "They...they...those...Coordinators...they..."

Flay noticed Lacus standing nearby, watching the battle with equal dismay. Flay noticed a small emergency pistol on the wall, to be used during extreme situations. She wrested herself from Sai's grip, smashed the glass, yanked the pistol out and quickly held Lacus in a headlock, shoving the barrel in her temple.

"Tell them to stop!" Flay demanded, her eyes showing that she had clearly snapped. "Tell those monsters to stop their attack or I swear, I'll blow this girl's brains out!"

"What the hell are you doing, Flay?!" Sai exclaimed, trying to yank the gun from her grip. Natarle, realizing that they had no choice at this point but use the pop star as a bargaining chip, went up to Kuzzey's console, yanked the microphone from his ear, put it in her own and began to speak.

* * *

"Attention, all ZAFT forces," Natarle's voice came over the radio aboard the ZAFT battleship Rau Le Creuset was in command of.

"It's a message from the legged ship, on all channels!" one of the Nazca-class operators exclaimed.

"We have on our vessel, the Alliance warship _Archangel_, the daughter of Supreme Councilman Siegel Clyne's daughter, Lacus."

"Miss Clyne?!" another operator exclaimed.

"We found her escape pod jettisoned in the area of Junius Seven's ruins, and saved her from a group of unknown enemies. We took her aboard as a humanitarian gesture, but if you continue your attack, we will have no choice but to take matters into our own hands."

A live feed showed Flay holding the gun to Lacus' head.

_Well-played, Archangel, well-played_, Rau thought. He had never imagined the _Archangel _would try something like this. It was glorious...another sign of the chaotic world he sought would be coming soon.

"All forces stand down and retreat," Rau commanded. "We cannot afford to risk Miss Clyne's safety."

"What?!" Heinel exclaimed. "What are you doing?! Victory was in our grasp!"

"You can take care of things, can't you, Prince Heinel?" But he saw Voltes V dash in and deliver a massive blow to the skull ship, and smirked.

"Oh...perhaps not," Rau chuckled as the skull ship started to fall apart. The operators turned the Nazca-class ship away and called Athrun back. They had failed for now, but Rau knew he would get his way in the end. Human nature was to fight, and it didn't matter who won.

* * *

_For those of who have been missing Code Geass plot, don't worry, it'll be coming back really soon.  
_


	30. Chapter 18 Teppelin

****_Next up, some G Gundam plot! I kinda rushed this one a little, but I think the concept worked out pretty well. I hope you like it too.  
_

* * *

**Chapter 18 Teppelin - Three Way Melee! Master Asia's True Face!**

It was becoming more and more clear that trouble had its way of looking for the combined crews of the _Nadesico _and _Ra Calium_, and the longer they stayed, the more Kamina City would come under attack. But in spite of it all, the citizens of Kamina City kept their spirits up, as each time their city was attacked, the ships came to its defense. But on the fourth day there, something else became obvious – that Domon needed to get out and win more Gundam Fight matches.

In addition, Juzo Kabuto wanted his grandson to join up and become stronger and more skilled as a Mazinger pilot. Kouji said his goodbyes to his little brother, Sayaka, and to everyone at Photon Power Labs. Pilder and Mazinger Z, the scientist knew, were in good hands...as was the last bit of story pertaining to the Ultimate Gundam project.

With much less fanfare than before (there are too much focus on cleaning up the southern part of the city), the _Nadesico _and _Ra Calium _departed Kamina City.

Almost immediately, Kouji sought out Rain and Domon, and found them in the _Nadesico_'s lounge, talking with Hayato, Benkei and the Getter team. It was oddly fitting...they could all probably benefit from this explanation - after all, Saotome was involved in the project as well.

"Um...excuse me, everyone..." Kouji said.

"Oh, Kouji, glad you could join us," Rain said. "You want to ask us anything?"

"Actually, I want to finish telling the story behind the Ultimate Gundam that my grandpa started," Mazinger Z's pilot replied.

"Yes, please tell us," Go said. He was interested in Saotome's work as well, as he had his own questions for the old man, particularly why he was so closely linked with the now-sleeping Shin Dragon.

"Well...let's see...oh yeah, he was going to explain WHY the Ultimate Gundam became the Devil Gundam...okay, it's sort of like this...somehow, my grandpa isn't sure exactly, but the impact garbled up some code in its systems, and as a result, it interpreted "kill the human race" as part of its mission to restore the Earth.

"Wow, talk about AI being a crap-shoot," Hayato quipped as he took a sip of a glass of iced tea, the same stuff Fukube had left on the ship so long ago, but Akito had kept in memorial of him.

Kei nodded. "You'd think they would have anticipated such an event. Then again, the same thing happened with Shin Dragon, right, Go?"

"Yes," Go replied.

"That's a load of crap," Domon said derisively. "I don't know much about computers, but I know that it can't possibly have happened! You guys honestly believe that?!"

"Domon..." Gai said. "I may not know much either, but we live in a world where hope and fighting spirit can fuel an entire city, giant robots can create massive drills a hundred times their size out of thin air, and shouting really loud makes your attacks stronger. If that sort of stuff can happen, why can't this?"

"I still don't believe a word of it." the Gundam Fighter replied, "Your old man is either intentionally lying or completely crazy. Even if Kyoji's intentions were good, he's now a psychopath and a monster, and I WILL put an end to him! If anyone needs me before dinnertime, I'll be in my room."

Domon got up and walked away in a huff.

"Man, and I thought Ryoma was stubborn," Hayato said after he was out of earshot.

"Kouji, you've provided some very valuable information," Rain said gratefully. "Thank you."

* * *

"There we go, good as new!" Leeron said as he wiped his forehead. He had spent the entire previous day working on repairing Lifthrasir after Raphael had nearly crushed it, and had offered to stay on the _Nadesico _to work on its new Spiral Engine, along with Yoko and Kittan. "I must say, Lifthrasir is just an amaaaazing piece of work! But I also couldn't help but notice that a lot of its features were very similar to Granlif's."

Tara, who was looking on, was confused. "Huh? How could you tell?"

"Why, I'm the one who found and restored Granlif, hon!" the mechanic replied as he climbed down the ladder. "And trust me, it was in much worse shape...we're talking crushed-under-a-mountain-of-scrap-for-centuries kind of shape!"

"What can we say?" Simon said, poking his head out of Gurren Lagann's head, since he was running a few routine system checks. "Leeron's got more brains than any five members of Team Dai-Gurren put together, myself included. He can build or fix anything he wants when he sets his mind to it."

"Stop it, Simon, you're making me blush!" Leeron said with a small swoon. Simon rolled his eyes, as did Tara. However, her attention was drawn back to Leeron when he presented her with what appeared to be a small makeup kit with a clamshell lid.

"I also took the time to make this remote access point for your mech's AI! Now you can talk to Xemmey whenever you want! The battery runs on Spiral Power, too, so as long someone here is in high spirits, it'll never run out of juice!" Tara curiously opened the lid, and the holographic body of Xemmey projected from the lower part. Her arms were stretched out at her sides, her fingers were splayed wide, and her breasts hovered rather unnervingly.

"Please wait, restoring systems from last known backup," Xemmey said in a highly robotic woman's voice, not at all like her normal voice. Tara and Leeron watched intently.

"System restored to state created two days, one hour, five minutes and forty-two seconds ago. Please wait, starting up personality matrix."

After a few more moments, Xemmey assumed a more natural posture

"Oh, Tara. It appears I underwent a rather serious crash. It's a good thing you're diligent with backing up my systems...wait, this isn't the cockpit of the XEM-00!"

"Well, aren't you gorgeous!" Leeron giggled. "I had no idea you were such a babe!"

"Tara, I'm detecting numerous unfamiliar programs in my systems...they don't appear malicious, though. Still, I received no authorization from you to install them."

"It's okay, Leeron here installed them," Lifthrasir's pilot reassured the AI. "He fixed you after Raphael nearly crushed us."

"Raphael?" Xemmey asked. "I know no such entity." Tara was about to get annoyed, but then quickly remembered that this Xemmey was a backup copy from a few days ago.

"Long story...maybe Omoikane can fill you in," Tara replied.

"Omoikane?" Leeron asked, curiously. "She sounds like a darling; tell me about her!"

"Omoikane is the name of the core artificial intelligence of the _Nadesico_," Xemmey said. "It is responsible for automating all necessary processes on the vessel, just as I do for the XEM-00 Lifthrasir. Ruri Hoshino is in charge of overseeing its operations."

"Oh, I'm gonna go see if I can have a look at Omoikane right now! I just GOTTA!" the mechanic said excitedly. "Ciao, you two!" With that, Leeron jogged out, hoping to find Ruri. With Leeron gone, it was just Simon and Tara.

"Tara...it appears that a few pieces of data I was attempting to repair during my system idling periods has been repaired."

"The data as to who made you?"

"Yes, but only a tiny part of it. It appears I was created by a group whose nature does not match any known records, even dating all the way back to the beginning of the Celestial calendar. That is all I can tell you. However, all the other data I had cleaned has become corrupted again. It appears I will need to start over.

_Man...I was hoping for more...maybe I could get an explanation to that weird dream_.

* * *

The _Nadesico _and _Ra Calium _never expected to find a Gundam Fighter so quickly, and yet they did. In fact, they found two.

On one side was a strong, burly-looking Gundam with two massive metal balls on its shoulders and heavily armored legs and chest; on the other, an equally strong-looking Gundam with thick shoulders, with three spikes on top, thick earth-red shoulder and chest armor, and a hatchet on each of its wrists. A smaller battleship, an old _Argama-_class bearing Neo Russia's flag, hovered nearby.

"Well, would you look at that," Bright quipped. "It looks like Neo Russia and Neo Canada are gonna go at it again. Yurika, launch Domon in Shining Gundam, and see if he can't jump in before the fight starts."

But the presence of the two battleships caught the fighters' attention, as it did the _Argama_-class.

"Attention, Federation vessels. This is Natasha Zabigov, head warden of the Neo-Russian government's penal system and captain of the _Saratov_," a stern woman's voice commanded over a loudspeaker, obviously from the Argama-class. "Your presence is interfering with this Gundam Fight. We demand that you leave the area until the fight is over."

"This is Bright Noa, captain of the _Ra Calium_ and co-commander of Londo Bell. We've brought with us Neo-Japan's Shining Gundam and its pilot, who would like to challenge BOTH Bolt Gundam and Lumber Gundam to Gundam Fights. I propose a three way match. If I'm not mistaken, there's no rules against that."

Inside the two readied Gundams were Neo-Russia's fighter, the former space pirate Argo Gulskii, and Neo-Canada's fighter Andrew Graham. The former recognized the name of Neo-Japan's fighter.

"Domon Kasshu? What's he doing with a Federation vessel?" Argo said to himself.

"Argo, I'm going to allow Domon to join in," Natasha said authoritatively. "We do owe him a good thrashing after our defeat last time. We'll make him regret not finishing off Bolt Gundam!"

"For once, you and I see eye to eye, ma'am," Argo replied with a slight bit of excitement, unusual for the stoic fighter. He watched eagerly as Shining Gundam launched out of the _Nadesico_'s catapult once Natasha had given the newcomers the signal.

"Go get 'em, Domon!" Kei yelled eagerly as the _Nadesico_'s screens started taking a live feed, which was being broadcast to Kamina City as well as every screen on the _Ra Calium _and _Nadesico_.

"I've yet to see one of these Gundam Fights," Viral commented to Simon. "I hope it's as exciting as you humans make it out to be." He watched as Shining Gundam landed on the rock floor below, and Bolt Gundam turned to face its past foe.

"Domon, I'm surprised to see you here, but I can't say I'm not displeased either," spoke the space pirate, an equally powerful-looking man with thick sideburns, sunken eyes and chiseled muscles. "After all, I'm going to get some payback for our last encounter. You'll regret not throwing me out of the running for the finals!"

"This is the Gundam that beat you, Argo?" Andrew exclaimed. "He's not quite as impressive as he's been made out to be."

"I'm a man of substance, not flash," Domon said. "Let's cut the chitchat and get this match underway."

"A fine idea," Natasha replied with a smile.

"GUNDAM FIIIIIGHT!" Andrew yelled.

"READY..." Argo bellowed.

"GOOOOO!" Domon cried. The three Gundams rushed at each other, and a furious melee broke out.

* * *

Master Asia watched from a prime vantage point at the fight going on below. No one had detected him, but he had correctly anticipated that the _Nadesico _and _Ra Calium _would come this way, and that Domon would fight. After all, it was he, through his connections, who had tipped off the Neo Canada and Neo Russian governments that the respective Gundams were heading for this area. It ensured that both would come.

But he wasn't here to simply observe...he was here to claim new servants for the Devil Gundam, for secretly, he was in league with it. The winner of the match would be possessed by DG Cells, and the losers would suffer an equally gruesome fate.

_Now, my student...will you be able to prove yourself worthy of becoming the Devil Gundam's core life unit? Or will you be ground into the dirt and made food for the worms?_

The three Gundams fought furiously, though Domon was clearly at a disadvantage due to the overwhelmingly superior strength and defense of his opponents. On the other hand, he was more agile, and was able to dodge his opponents better on this relatively even terrain.

Suddenly, Lumber Gundam dealt a heavy blow to Shining Gundam, smashing it against the wall. But the martial artist confidently watched Domon rise up and throw himself wholeheartedly back into the fray.

_Ah yes, it must run in the Kasshu family...Domon, I knew I was right to make you my student!_

Suddenly, Master Asia felt the ground beneath his feet rumble. He knew what it was, but not why it was happening now. He looked out into the distance...and saw a small army of Invaders, those jet-black monstrosities that were partially responsible for the Earth's current state.

He then looked down and watched as the Devil Gundam crawled from around the other side of the mountain, eyes glowing gold, followed closely by a small army of what appeared to be Zeon Zakus with points atop their heads, a single creepy organic eye, and a variety of different types of appendages. All of them carried spiked clubs that doubled as beam rifles. Master Asia grinned, and decided to get in on the fun. He dashed behind the mountain to where he was hiding his NEW Gundam...the devilish Master Gundam.

The two armies prepared to converge on the battle site, with those caught in the middle unaware of what forces were about to clash...

* * *

"Captain, two large armies are converging from opposite sides..." Minato said as the _Nadesico_'s scanners picked up the two armies; "A large Invader force from the west, with a group of Getter Robos, and an equally large force marching in from the east with energy signatures matching those of DG Cells! They're coming in extremely fast!"

"What? How'd they get this close without us noticing?" Yurika exclaimed.

"Unfortunately, it's probably because Omoikane has devoted its resources to broadcasting this Gundam Fight to Kamina City," Ruri said. "I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter," Yurika said. "All units, prepare to sortie! Stop the two invading armies from destroying Domon and the others!" But as soon as she called out that command, the two forces reached each other. The Devil Gundam lurched forward and grabbed Bolt Gundam, and quickly went to work in infecting him with DG Cells. While the nanomachines did corrupt Argo's mind, his Gundam was mostly unchanged.

The Invaders, meanwhile, swarmed Andrew and started to infect him with their own cells...and his Gundam was changed...very much. The machine began to convulse and shake as the Invaders rapidly took over its systems. It grew larger and larger, and its shoulder spikes extended into long tentacles. Its head mutated into something more like a carnivore...a bear in particular. The tomahawks integrated themselves into its arms, turning into lethal slicing claws, and it grew to one-and-a-half times its original the two forces converged, they suddenly stopped, gathering behind their two new champions. To add to Lumber Gundam's new terrifying visage, the faces of Cohen and Stinger, the two men who had aided Saotome in his attack on Kamina City, appeared from the Gundam's shoulders and began laughing. A few Getter Dragons landed beside it, and the two armies stood still, watching and waiting for the other to make a move.

Domon was about to yell at Kyoji, but his attention was quickly drawn to the Invaders and the horrific sight of Cohen and Stinger. This sight did not escape those who had launched to help Domon: Kouji in Mazinger Z; the Getter team in Shin Getter; Simon and Viral in Gurren Lagann; Tara in Lifthrasir; Janus in Granlif; Amuro in Gundam MK II; Christina in Gundam ALEX; Fa in the Methuss; Judau in ZZ Gundam, Akito in his Air-Frame equipped Aestivalis, and, just as promised, Akatsuki in his own improved Aestivalis model, bearing an Artillery Frame.

"At last, we meet with the so-called agent of restoration!" Stinger said with excitement.

"Indeed, Mister Stinger, this can only be Saotome's first sin, the elder brother of Shin Dragon...the Devil Gundam!" Cohen added.

"Agent of restoration? Elder brother of Shin Dragon?!" Domon exclaimed.

"Yes, Domon, the agent of restoration!" Master Asia's voice called out. Domon, Janus, and Tara looked up to see Master Gundam standing there, perched on tip-toe atop a pointed rock.

"Master Asia?!" Amuro exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for new warriors to fight for the cause of restoring the Earth, just as those two abominations stated, and it appears Argo has joined our cause. I would have liked to have Domon and Andrew as well, but it seems the Devil Gundam and the Death Army that serve him were too late to save him."

"Saved? Hardly a word I'd use," Simon said angrily, remembering his fight with DG Gurren Lagann. "That abomination turned my bro into a zombie!"

"If it's a fight you want, warrior of the Spiral, then I'll gladly provide," the martial artist taunted. "Troops! Destroy these Invaders AND these worthless humans!" Simon spurred Gurren Lagann into a charge while the army of zombie Zakus, with Argo in the lead, rushed at the Invaders.

"Domon, what do we do?" Janus asked. "It looks like the Devil Gundam's army and the Invaders are more interested in killing each other than killing us."

"It looks like the guardian of that backwater Kamina City left us no choice. Besides, if I can destroy Lumber Gundam's and Bolt Gundam's head sections, they'll both be disqualified!"

"Tara, let's help Simon." Janus said. "That old man owes us an explanation for why he saved us when he's out to kill the human race!" Granlif took off after Gurren Lagann, and Lifthrasir followed close behind.

"Looks like we've got everyone else, Tenkawa," Akatsuki quipped as he prepared to fire a couple of rounds into the crowd. "Think you can handle it?"

"I've handled a lot worse, Mr. Nagare!" Akito replied.

"Go, let's take care of those jerks Stinger and Cohen first! They really piss me off!" Kei said to Go. Shin Eagle's pilot nodded.

"GETTER TOMAHAWK! BOOOOOOMERANG!"

Go tossed a tomahawk into the crowd, slicing up a few Invaders and Death Army.

"BREASTO FIYAAAH!"

Kouji launched a blast of heat into the crowd as well, torching several Invaders, and catching Lumber Gundam in the blast as well. But to his shock, the Invader-possessed Gundam didn't so much as flinch.

"Looks like this requires some close range combat!" Judau said, drawing ZZ's beam saber. "Commander, Christina, let's do it!"

"Judau, be careful!" Amuro yelled as the Gundam MK II followed ZZ into the fray, with Christina close behind. Akito and the Getter Team also dove into the melee, the former plowing through foes with its Distortion Field deployed. Finally, Domon let out a cry, drew Shining Gundam's beam saber and waded into the melee, hoping to get close to Argo or Andrew. Meanwhile, the _Saratov _began to lift off, with Natasha scowling in disbelief.

* * *

Janus knew the old man was going to be tough to hit, but he didn't anticipate it would be THIS hard. Every attack the three robots threw at him, he dodged with incredible ease, often without changing his crossed-arms pose.

"Fools, you honestly think that you can stand against me, especially when I have the very will of the planet on my side?!" Master Asia replied. He drew a long cloth made of beam energy and swung it quickly, striking all their mechs in one pass.

"Will of the planet? What are you going on about, old man?" Simon yelled.

"Yeah, who are you to judge people?" Janus added with equal volume as he released a swarm of Gran Bits. "What makes you think the Devil Gundam has that right, either?"

"We humans are responsible for all of this planet's ills," Master Asia replied as he deftly dodged the zipping projectiles. "Our species, in its greed and hunger for wealth and resources, has all but razed this once beautiful world! Unless something is done, our planet is doomed to become a lifeless ball of rock!"

"Can it, you old fart! That's not gonna happen!" Simon yelled. "GURREN BOOMERANG!" Gurren Lagann yanked the sunglasses off its chest and hurled them at Master Gundam.

"And who's to say it will stop there? Humans will consume the resources of every planet they come across!" the old man roared as he kicked the projectile away. "Like a swarm of locusts we'll strip a planet clean of its beauty and move on to another! But the Devil Gundam will cleanse the world of our forsaken race, and then return this planet to its natural state! It is not merely the agent of restoration, but the preserver of life in the universe, and I am its messenger!"

Tara saw an opening and rushed in, managing to land a solid hit on Master Gundam's back with her beam tonfas.

"I don't know if you've been possessed with DG Cells, buddy," Tara growled. "But you really need to get off your high..."

But Master Asia managed to quickly counter with a flip kick, sending Lifthrasir flying and interrupting Tara's counterargument.

"We've argued for long enough," Master Asia said, readying an attacking stance. "I'll scrap your machines and make you servants of the Devil Gundam! JUNI OUHOHUA DAISHAHEI!"

Master Gundam whipped one of its arms around in front of it, and various symbols appeared, followed closely by numerous images of the Gundam, which all rushed in to attack, bombarding them with fists and power.

"Damn it...this guy's as good as Lordgenome..." Viral grunted.

"Heh, please..." Simon chuckled. "I beat Lordgenome with just my CAR KEYS!"

Gurren Lagann sprouted drills, forcing the images back and causing them to disappear, and he readied a Giga Drill Break. Janus and Tara sensed that Simon had Master Asia's attention, and quickly swooped around.

"Ah, so you're pulling out your trump card!" Master Asia said, his attention concentrated on Simon. "Very well, then you'll face mine! TOHOU FUHAI'S ULTIMATE SECRET TECHNIQUE!"

"GIGA...DRILL!" Simon yelled.

"SEKI HA!" the old martial artist cried, his Gundam glowing gold.

"BREAAAAAK!"

"TENKYOKEEEEEEN!"

As Gurren Lagann blasted forward with its drill, Master Gundam unleashed a massive torrent of energy. Incredibly, the energy attack was able to halt Gurren Lagann's own attack, but not enough to overpower it. It was two unstoppable forces colliding.

"Interesting...no one has been able to hold out against Seki Ha Tenkyoken before!" Master Asia laughed. "You're a worthy opponent, Simon!"

"Yeah, and no one's been able to stop a Giga Drill Break..." Simon grunted. "You're just as worthy! However, you forgot one tiny thing."

"What?" Master Asia exclaimed.

"RAGNAROK!"

"REQUIEM!"

Janus and Tara had managed to slip behind Master Gundam and deal a major blow to it with their melee weapons, sending it spiraling down. But to their shock, as it fell, it regenerated all the damage they had dealt. But what didn't recover so quickly was Master Asia's ego.

"Well...it seems I misjudged you. But you only won due to my momentary overconfidence; when we meet again, I will NOT make the same mistake!" Without another word, he took off. All four pilots were too spent to give chase, and decided to head back and see how the other battle was going.

* * *

"Ggh!" Argo roared as the three Londo Bell Gundams slashed their beam sabers into his armor, sending lumps of DG Cells flying everywhere. Meanwhile, Lumber Gundam was being pelted with fire from the _Ra Calium _and _Nadesico_'s missiles, and attacks from the two Aestivalis, Shin Getter and Mazinger Z, who had been holding off both Death Army and Invaders.

Finally, Lumber Gundam keeled over after getting hit by a Breast Fire/Getter Beam combination. Domon quickly saw his chances, and readied Shining Gundam's trademark attack.

"Impossible! This is impossible, mister Stinger!" Cohen grunted.

"Yes, this is most unbelievable mister Cohen!"

"HERE I GO! SHINIIIIIING FINGER!"

Domon rushed at the staggered Gundam and grabbed its head. With a hard squeeze, it crushed the Gundam's head, and it toppled over. Upon seeing their leader's defeat, the remaining Invaders broke combat, grabbed Neo Canada's Gundam and fled back the way they came.

Argo, heavily damaged as well, realized he was outmatched, and took after the retreating Death Army. The Devil Gundam, who had been watching the battle the whole time, roared once and then burrowed back into the Earth from whence it came.

"Damn it, why did you let him get away?! Idiots!" Domon yelled angrily. Everyone had pretty good excuses for why they didn't give chase, but they weren't in any mood to explain it to the Gundam Fighter.

* * *

_I can confirm that Chapter 19 of the two routes will be the last ones before the routes join again! And I think I'll do a sort of "meanwhile at the Hall of Justice/Legion of Doom" chapter, since there hasn't been a whole lot of that. Also, both route ended on a high notes, so I don't want to overload you all. I have an idea for the Teppelin route, but I need to ponder what I want to do for the Japan route. Suggestions are welcome._


	31. Chapter 19 Teppelin

_I thought I'd mix things up for the finale of the two routes by doing the Teppelin route chapter first rather than the Japan route! This is also shorter because it's more of a side chapter. Short as it is, I just LOVE how this turned out. Also, you may or may not notice that I've pulling a lot of stuff from other Gundam-related games. Well, I have been. Because some things are just too awesome to NOT use.  
_

* * *

**Chapter 19 (Teppelin) – Ryoma Comes Home! Getter and Gundam Unite!**

Everything was oddly quiet and sedate after the frantic battle with the Invaders and Death Army. Most of the two crews were relaxing. Domon was hanging out on the _Nadesico_'s bridge with Yurika and Ruri, who were making preparations to travel to their next destination.

"Domon, I have good news," Rain said excitedly. "I ran some numbers, and it looks like you've won enough matches to qualify for the Gundam Fight Finals!"

"…Seriously?" Domon said, completely surprised by this. "I thought I had to win another five matches."

"That's wonderful, Domon!" Yurika cheered. "And there's a good few months before the finals as well!"

"One hundred and seventy two days to be exact," Ruri said bluntly. "By the way, didn't Yoko and Kittan mention something about the moon falling in less than six months, right around the time of the Finals?"

"The moon is going to fall?" Rain exclaimed, surprisingly calm about this news, though clearly concerned. "Oh my, you'd think people would inform us about it, and cancel the Gundam Fight. And certainly Governor Rossiu must have informed the Federation government in Neo Hong Kong. Are Amuro and Captain Bright even aware?"

"Yes, they know the details," Yurika replied; "But there's still time. Perhaps we can go to the Moon and warn the people that…"

"Not a good idea," Ruri interrupted. "With the Invaders, the Devil Gundam, Neo-Zeon, and other such problems going on, the entire Federation would descend into madness and panic, and it will become difficult to solve any of these problems."

"Okay, Lady Snark-a-lot, what do YOU suggest?" Domon said aloofly, annoyed at Ruri's constant pessimism.

Ruri already had an idea in mind, and went back to typing at her monitor. "Our best bet would be to return to the Earth where we of the _Nadesico _hail from."

"I'm sorry, you're saying the best plan of action is to run to some other dimension and abandon our Earth?!" the Gundam Fighter replied, dumbfounded that Ruri's plan was so foolish.

"Okay, Sir Ham-And-Cheese, perhaps you've neglected to consider the possibility that time in our world moves at a different rate relative to yours?" Rain and Yurika suppressed giggles at the name.

"Yes! Our initial companions stayed nearly a year in our world," Yurika chirped. "Yet merely three weeks passed here. It's relativity at work!" Ruri rolled her eyes.

…_Idiots, all of them_.

* * *

It was settled. The two ships would head for the moon, but not to try and stop its descent…at least not now. Instead, they would create a Threshold there, so that they could have an alternate portal between the two Earths should the one in Photon Power Labs disappear or worse, fall into the wrong hands. After all, the moon was both in the hands of the forces Also, Amuro had received word from Anaheim Electronics that Nu Gundam was finally finished, so he would have headed there anyway.

Dianna and Loran lied on their respective beds in the queen's quarters, with the former passing the time with one of the _Nadesico_'s many literature files from its on-board libraries.

"So, I heard we're heading back to the Moon," Loran said rather uneasily. "Your Majesty…our destination is a mere stone's throw away from your kingdom…our home. From what I hear, a Federation manufacturer of mobile suits has his headquarters there."

"Yes. I believe it's called Anaheim Electronics. They helped develop the Turn X and Turn A."

"Couldn't we have consulted them to figure out some weaknesses of the Turn X?" Loran said after a moment of thought. Dianna laid the file reader down and turned over to face him.

"I told them to destroy all plans regarding the Turn X and Turn A after that day," Dianna replied. "I never thought I'd actually need them again. We might not be able to stop it…"

Loran grumbled a bit. "No! There has to be someone who remembers something about them. Please, Your Majesty, let's try and find someone who does know; and if that doesn't work, we can always try back in the other world. We can't just give up!"

Dianna smiled and nodded in acknowledgment of Loran's resolve. "You're right, Loran. We cannot give up. I will not let my father's kingdom become a nation of war." Loran smiled, pleased at his liege's resolve.

The _Nadesico _was leaving the atmosphere at that moment, but there was very little shaking going on. As Loran looked out the window he spied something out in the distance - what appeared to be a caped robot wreathed in flame, descending to Earth. It vaguely resembled Shin Getter, but its body was bulkier and less streamlined than the one piloted by Go, Kei and Gai.

He didn't think much of it, and assumed his eyes were playing tricks on him.

* * *

But that caped robot was no trick of the eye. Neither ship's crew would have known, but someone very important to Hayato and Benkei was piloting that mech...Ryoma Nagare, the original Getter team leader, and he was piloting a restored, customized Getter 1 he had found on the Moon in an abandoned facility.

With a deafening crash, the mech landed in the deep ocean, but quickly rose back to the surface and back into the air, and soon was flying over land once more. But the descent to Earth had changed it: it no longer bore its trademark vivid red - it was now jet-black, a result of the paint job being charred by the heat of atmospheric re-entry. Ryoma had also added spikes on the robot's knuckles, and a special plated door on its face where its mouth and nose would be - this had the unintentional effect of making the mech look even more menacing than usual. To top it all off, the mech's eyes seemed to slightly drip blood, and even looked organic, a reminder that every Getter Robo was sentient to some degree.

Ryoma's first task now was to get his bearings. He opened up the GPS system on his mech, which still functioned, and took a look at his coordinates.

_Looks like I'm not far from Mt. Kilimanjaro. Wow, was I off target. _

When Ryoma climbed out of the mech, he took a quick look at the changes, and smiled. The black was a nice addition. It might confuse Invaders for a moment, long enough for him to cut them to pieces. A black Getter Robo...truly a fitting change for this dark world. Ryoma himself was garbed in a tan coat, dark pants, a simple white shirt, a tattered red scarf that seemed to defy gravity, and thick leather boots.

He also quickly noticed that the Getter Ray levels were somewhat low, even with his Black Getter around. Was something draining it out of the air? Or was it that Shin Dragon had actually been blown up by that nuke?

Ryoma decided that he would ponder that another time. He was ravenous from his long trip back to Earth, and needed food and water soon. His GPS had picked up a base in the area, not far from the mountain, and he decided to head there. Survival was his immediate focus, and if he had to kill others to do it, then so he would.

It was once the way of this now dead savanna...

* * *

"Begin the test!"

Several AI-controlled Hi-Zack and Xeku Eins mobile suits rushed into battle, approaching what appeared to an absolutely monstrous black and dark blue Gundam, with red on its feet. It was almost as tall as an Evangelion, nearly 40 meters high from foot to head. On its shoulders, shins and chest were a variety of mega-beam cannons, each capable of annihilating a mobile suit with ease, and when combined, could destroy a battleship, even one like the _Ra Calium_, in one blow.

The monstrosity was being tested by the New Desides, a remnant faction of the Titans, a Federation group that had gone rogue in the First Neo-Zeon War, having been led by the late Paptimus Scirocco. The machine being tested was the third update to the Titans' most feared mobile weapon - the Psyco Gundam MK III.

Strapped into the cockpit of this machine was one all too familiar with this dread line - a young woman merely known as Four Murasame. Though she had briefly broken free of their grasp thanks to Kamille, she was once again a brainwashed slave to the ambitious Titans. Four was not a true Newtype, though...she was a Cyber Newtype, an artificial one created for military purposes, not unlike Coordinators in the Flourishing World.

Four, her brain wired for combat, started pressing buttons. The massive Gundam raised its arms, and opened all of its gun ports, unleashing a torrent of mega beam blasts, annihilating the Hi-Zacks.

"Beautiful! Just beautiful!" Brave Cod, the leader of the New Desides, a masculine looking fellow with a well-chiseled body and face, cheered as he watched the spectacle. "You saw that, Tosh? Those nutbars at the Murasame Institute knew what they were doing when they made this girl into a Cyber Newtype!" Tosh Cray, Cod's right-hand man (in spite of being higher rank), nodded silently.

Suddenly, one of the base operators spoke up.

"Lieutenant Cod! Captain Cray! An unknown is approaching the base at high speed."

"Can you get a visual on it?" Cod ordered.

"Yes sir. Putting it on screen," the operator replied. He typed a bit, and an image came onscreen. It was Black Getter, moving at full tilt.

"Is that...a Getter Robo?!" Cod exclaimed. "I thought those things were red."

"Could be one of those freaky Invaders," Cray replied. "Shall I order the men to sortie?"

"Not a bad idea," Cod answered to his right-hand man. "But don't send out too many. Let's have our new pride and joy waste this abomination."

* * *

Ryoma spurred Black Getter over the next hill, and saw the base below, as well as the Hi-Zacks and Xeku Eins gathering below. But the elephant in the room was the Psyco Gundam MK III, which towered over Black Getter easily, though Ryoma was hardly intimidated, having battled Shin Dragon, a true colossus if he ever saw one.

_Well, let's get this show on the road, Black Getter. _

Black Getter bounded off the cliff and drew a pair of tomahawks and dove down into the fray. He didn't care that he was likely killing humans; they were just obstacles to him for now. Once he was fed and rested, he could begin his hunt for his true quarry: Invaders.

The enemy mobile suits began firing their beam guns, which Black Getter dodged and deflected with its black cape. The Super Robot crashed into the ground and quickly got to work. It swung its tomahawks with seemingly berserker insanity, but each swing was well-calculated to deal maximum damage to the most targets at once. Mobile suits and mobile suit limbs and heads went flying every-which-way, some in pieces, others remaining whole.

After clearing out ten of the enemy grunts, Ryoma looked up at the Psyco Gundam MK III. He grinned, happy to face such a challenging opponent.

"Okay, big guy, let's see what you can do..." Ryoma muttered. "GETTER BEEEEEAAAM!"

Black Getter opened up a hole in its navel and unleashed a massive pink blast at point black. To his surprise, the Psyco Gundam was merely staggered by the attack. It looked down at him, and then opened up several of its cannon ports.

"Now we're talking!" Ryoma said eagerly, even in the face what could easily be imminent death.

Black Getter bounded out of the way as the monstrous Gundam unleashed a torrent of beam blasts. One of them managed to graze the Super Robot's arm and put a hole in its cape.

"Not bad, whoever you are, but you're not gonna defeat Getter! Not today, not ever! GETTER BEEAAAAAAAAAAAM!" Black Getter fired another blast, which struck Psyco Gundam MK III in the chest, staggering it again.

"Now, the finisher! OHR-YAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Black Getter rushed in and began directly attacking the monstrosity up close. It struck hard with its spiked knuckles and slashed with the long blades on its arms, ripping through the Gundarium alloy with ease.

"One more time! GETTER! BEEEEEAAAAM!"

Even the Gundam's beam coat couldn't block the powerful Getter Beam, especially not at this close range.

But even after all that, the Psyco Gundam stood tall. And to Ryoma's shock, it quickly countered with a beam saber slash. Ryoma leapt away in time, but the super-powerful saber cut into Black Getter's chest, exposing its highly radioactive core.

And then, the Getter Rays, being unpredictable energy with an endless variety of possible effects, went to work.

The brainwashed and memory-deprived Four immediately got a major dose of Getter Rays. Of course, her Cyber-Newtype body could handle even Getter Ray radiation, but the energy had a far more profound effect on her mind - all of the years of brainwashing and the effects of mental experimentation were wiped away in an instant by the god-like power of the Getter Rays, but somehow left Four's powers intact. For the first time in a long time, Four felt in control of her own body, and she was understandably enraged beyond belief at being used.

She ceased her attack on Black Getter, instead turning her attention to the New Desides base. Ryoma watched with surprise as his opponent turned on its masters, and let out another volley of mega beam blasts.

The last remnants of the once glorious Titans were wiped out of existence in an instant, and the base was almost completely destroyed. But Four was satisfied with her revenge. She turned back to Ryoma, who remained confident, but unsure as to whether his opponent would attack again. To prevent more needless exposure to Getter Rays, Ryoma had Black Getter cover the gash with its radiation-blocking cape.

"Whoever you are...I don't know how, but you've saved me from mental slavery," Four addressed Ryoma over her communicator. Thank you."

"Hey, I'm glad it all worked out. I wasn't exactly looking forward to killing you - you sound like a pretty nice gal. I'm Ryoma Nagare."

"I'm sure I had a name once, but I've long since forgotten it. You may call me Four Murasame. Let me see if I can't fix that gash I gave you."

Psyco Gundam reached out with its massive hand and took hold of Black Getter's chest with two fingers. It squeezed hard, and Four began to concentrate. The metal was still malleable due to the intense heat generated by the core, and easily stretched when manipulated by Four's powers. The Getter Rays then sealed the wound shut.

With the wound closed, the two pilots could finally leave their machines and meet face to face.

* * *

"That's quite a story," Four said as she and Ryoma sat in one of the underground blast shelters, the only structures to survive Psyco Gundam MK III's revenge volley. They happened to be well-stocked with food and water, and they were as good a place as any to stay for the time being.

"Yes. And now I'm going to hunt and kill every last Invader, even if it takes me the rest of my life."

"Even though so much time has passed, it's felt like merely a day or two for you, hasn't it? You were drifting in the cosmos for so long, you must not have had any sense of time at all. I bet you looked just like that when you first disappeared."

Ryoma grinned.

"So, anyway, care to fill me on what I've missed since I've been gone for ten or so years? Last I remember, the Feddies and Zeon were going at it, and some kid named Amuro Ray was turning the tide."

Four, based on what she could remember, explained everything to Ryoma - the Gundam Fight, the Neo-Zeon Wars, the Gryps Conflict, and all the other feuds between Zeon and the Federation. She also mentioned the Getter Ray Armageddon, the appearance of the Devil Gundam (though she had never seen it) and most notably, the recent rumors of travelers from another universe appearing and traveling with Londo Bell.

"Londo Bell, huh. Well, Miss Murasame, I have a hunch we'll see them before long if we keep the hunt up. But for now, let's just kick back and relax a bit. We've both been through hell lately."

"You sound like you want me to come with you, Ryoma," Four replied. "Are you sure you want a monster like the Psyco Gundam around? I honestly don't know what would happen if I got back in it...I-I could go crazy again."

"Then I'll just smack some sense into you like I did this time," Ryoma reassured her. "But considering that you snapped out of it right after you exposed Black Getter's core, I bet the Getter Rays undid whatever those creeps did to you."

"Getter Rays...what a strange energy," Four said wistfully. "They can power machines, lay waste to planets and heal shattered minds. It's almost as if some external force wanted my mind to be fixed."

"Like a god? Who knows?" Ryoma said. Well, anyway, you get some shut-eye. I'll take first watch. You never know if one of those Invaders will ooze their way in here."

Four lay back on the cot, pulled the sheets over herself, and closed her eyes. She silently prayed that this was not a dream, and that she would wake up a slave to the Titans once more...

* * *

"There it is. The Moon," Bright declared as the two ships approached the earth's sole natural satellite. "We'll be landing at Anaheim Electronics in the next few minutes."

"So, Captain Bright, you're good with the plan, right?" Yurika asked. "If Ruri is right, putting the Threshold here on the Moon would be the safest bet. That way, as long as the Moon isn't taken over on either side, we can go between the two universes easily!"

"It's as sound as any other plan I could think of," the _Ra Calium_'s captain replied. "From there, we'll make the jump to your universe and rendezvous with the _Archangel_. From there we'll work with the _Archangel _to decide our next move."

"I'm actually kind of excited," Amuro said. "An entirely new universe! Imagine the possibilities! There could be problems in that world we can solve with our technology and science, and their own tech could help us solve some of our own problems! I mean, the two universes operate under the same laws of physics, right?"

"More or less," Ruri answered. She picked up a sample bottle with a marble-sized mass of a green, metallic and gelatinous substance and lazily gazed at it.

"Ruri, where did you get that?" Bright asked, vaguely recognizing the substance.

"Oh. After the battle, I found some stray DG Cells from those Death Army grunts on the _Nadesico_'s hull. I figured we could study it and maybe learn something about the Devil Gundam."

"You didn't touch it with your bare hands, did you?" Megumi exclaimed.

"Actually...I did. But I don't feel any different. I guess it didn't try to infect me."

"Wow, that's our Ruri! Too adorable to be turned evil!" Yurika said happily. Ruri blushed a bit. She didn't like being reminded that she was "adorable" or "cute", though it felt nice all the same.

"We're coming in for a landing," Minato chimed in. "We've received the signal to dock."

* * *

_Yeah, I felt like I had to provide the cameo for the Gundam Sentinel bad guys, since the events of Zeta Gundam have already happened. Anyway, folks, this will be your last chance to vote. I'll wait until tomorrow to post Chapter 19 Japan, but once I do, the decision to which route is canon will be finalized! And so far, it looks like the Japan route is going to be canon. Remember, if you're going to vote, please provide a review alongside your vote. Thanks!  
_


	32. Chapter 19 Japan

_So, I was a little strapped for ideas on this one, so it's probably the shortest of them all. I did have fun with the first few parts, though. Don't worry, I PROMISE to make them longer and more interesting!_**  
**

* * *

**Chapter 19 (Japan) - Schemers' Day Off! Even Villains Take Breaks!**

"Pinchernone! Polonaise! Primarda! Pizza! Come, my four Heavenly Machine Kings! Your lord and master, Pasder, summons you!"

The source of this booming command was a strange being: a massive, purple head made of nothing but wires and circuitry attached to massive amounts of machinery at the bottom of a deep pit beneath the Tokyo Settlement. The lights seemed to flicker on and off so rapidly than anyone inside the chamber would quickly be blinded due to eye strain. Pasder pulsated and throbbed, almost like a beating heart. Moments after the being issued its command, four beings appeared.

The first, Pinchernone, was a psychotically grinning, almost ape-like humanoid with a mechanical eye, a white circle with an anchor drawn on it, a sailor suit and red rubber boots.

The second, Polonaise, was the same old man in the train conductor's outfit that unleashed EI-13 on Waterpolis.

The third, Primarda, was a sly looking woman with substantial assets, wore a wide-brimmed sun hat on her head, red gloves that extended past her elbows, and a red and black ballerina outfit.

The last, Pizza, was a thin man with a long, pointed nose, shoes shaped like the talons of a bird, a cloak like birds' wings, yellow trousers resembling bird legs, shoulder pads like a bird's claws, and headgear shaped like a phoenix's head, which always covered his eyes. His green hair curved upward as it stuck out the back of his head.

"My four Machine Kings, I, Pasder, have summoned you here to give you your next command."

"We await and obey, great Pasder!" Pizza bellowed.

Pasder writhed and pulsated more violently as it spoke again. "Pizza! Pinchernone! Polonaise! Primarda! You are...TO TAKE THE DAY OFF!"

The four Machine Kings' jaws dropped open when they heard this.

"Take the day off, Lord Pasdar?" Polonaise said in a confused tone, picking up the pipe that had fallen out of his mouth. "…But, what of our great purpose? Our mission to Mechanize the universe and bring about an end to all Minus Thoughts?"

"I have spent many consecutive days producing Zonder Metal, and my systems must take time to rejuvenate if we are to work at MAXIMUM efficiency. Furthemore, this day off will serve to purge ANY AND ALL Minus Thoughts you may have unintentionally accumulated!"

"Brbrbrbrbrrbrbrbrrbrbrbrbree eee! Since you put it that way, we understand now!" Pinchernone laughed. He always spoke this way, so none of them thought it to be unusual.

"…Very well. Now...AWAY WITH YOU! I MUST REST!"

* * *

Pizza felt uneasy walking through the streets of the Tokyo Settlement without having a target in mind. He was in his disguise form - his trousers were fringed bell-bottoms, his cloak now a dark-green coat (which retained its feather-like fringes) and dark-blue scarf, his headgear turned into a red baseball cap. While his attire was oddly chosen, it was normal enough that no one gave him more than a single glance. The Machine King ultimately wandered into the Britannian part of the settlement. He had found a few targets here, so he thought scouting one or two potential hosts wouldn't hurt.

After a couple of hours of aimless walking and pausing to view the daily happenings of the humans, Pizza happened upon a restaurant serving the food he was named after. The joint was quiet at this time of day. However, he did spot two people inside the joint - C.C., happily munching on a slice of pizza, with Lelouch, who seemed to be occupied with his own thoughts.

There was something about these humans he couldn't place, but they were definitely special. Perhaps could be of use to Pasder, he thought. He checked his pockets for money (he had lifted the wallet off a prospective host before Zonderizing him) and then entered the joint, bells on the door making a jingling sound as he did so.

"Ah, I haven't-a seen-a your face round here, mac!" the chef said as the disguised Machine King. "What can I get you?"

Pizza didn't need to eat, being mechanical, but his curiosity as to the nature of pizza, that food which shared his name. The girl had absolutely no Minus Thoughts in her head as she devoured the pizza...perhaps there was something to it.

"I'll take three slices of pizza; Nothing to drink, thank you." Pizza said. "Oh, and I'd like the same toppings that person over there has." He pointed his thumb over to C.C. Lelouch looked over at the man, wondering what he was up to besides the obvious.

The chef nodded and called to the back.

"…One pie with extra cheese, run through the garden, pepperoni and LOTSA onions, pronto! Cut three slices when it's-a done!" Pizza extracted the money from his pocket and paid the chef, then sat down at a small table adjacent to C.C. and Lelouch to wait for his food.

"I see you and my friend here share similar tastes," Lelouch said, eying Pizza with a little suspicion.

"I guess great minds think alike," Pizza replied awkwardly. C.C. swallowed her bite of pizza and wiped her face with a napkin.

"What's your name, mister long-nose?" he asked.

"I am Pizza..." the Machine King began, but quickly realized not to give himself away. "...ro. Pizzaro is my name." Lelouch sighed with disbelief. He guessed this fellow was hiding something, but the student knew better than to pry too much. He would play along and see if what this strange fellow knew.

"I'm going to call you Pizza, if that's okay," C.C. said slyly. "Or maybe Pizza-kun..."

"Just call me Pizza, then..." the long-nosed Zonderian groaned.

"Well, I'm Lelouch and this is C.C., a friend of mine," Lelouch replied, pronouncing C.C.'s name as "See-See" rather than "See-too" to throw off this fellow, should he some sort of Britannian agent. "So, what brings you to Area 11? You're obviously not from around here."

"I am...a tourist," Pizza replied. "I travel and see new places...is that a problem? I do it to...relax…to get all the minus thoughts out of my system."

"You mean negative thoughts," C.C. replied, serving another slice to herself.

"Yes...I meant to say that. People seem to have such trouble getting such thoughts out of their system. It plagues all things, and makes them miserable. Wouldn't we all be better off without minus... I mean, negative thoughts?"

Lelouch sensed that Pizza was trying to lead him along in the conversation. Rather obviously. Still, he had to play dumb if he wanted to learn anything. The student nodded.

"I suppose it would be good if negative thoughts were eliminated. But then, would we be human, Pizza? Without emotions, even negative ones, we would be mere machines, existing without truly living."

"Human? To be quite honest, if that alone makes someone human, then perhaps it is better to be a machine…purely my opinion of course."

"Hey, Pizza Man or whatever your name is…your pizza's ready!" the chef called out; "Nice and hot, too!" Pizza decided to chat with Lelouch and C.C. some more. He found them to be most intriguing. He took the plate with the pizza back to his table, picked up a slice and bit into it.

It was actually pretty good. He could see why it was capable of dispelling minus thoughts.

* * *

After the failed attack on Ptolemaeus, Rau Le Creuset was surprised to find that the _Archangel _crew suddenly went and handed over Lacus Clyne without any arguments. Apparently the pilot of the Strike, as well as other members of the crew, opposed to holding Lacus hostage purely on the principle of it all! That such idealists still existed was almost a puzzle to the masked man, especially when they threw away such a great diplomatic advantage. Still, having the pop star back was all well and good - Zala's son was off elsewhere with her now, and he was left with the other men to keep tabs on the Naturals.

There wasn't much fighting to be done at the moment...the Alliance was obviously too busy doing its victory dance, having prevented what should have been an easy annihilation of the entire 8th fleet. While the Atlantic Federation's Vice Minister was confirmed to be KIA, the rest of the fleet had managed to survive thanks to the _Archangel_'s daring act.

It was the perfect time for a little relaxation. Even his miserable life had to have its tiny pleasures beyond manipulating others to achieve your goals. Indeed, it was small breaks like these that kept him going.

He flipped on the ZAFT issued broadcast monitor in his chambers, and quickly began to change channels. It was just about that time.

"Ah, yes..._Isolation Station_! I hope this is yesterday's episode...blasted attack on Ptolemaeus made me miss it."

It was a somewhat popular "reality" show on Earth and on the PLANTs. In it, twelve to sixteen young people, both Coordinators and Naturals, were lumped together into a single special space station and forced to live together, all of them competing for a massive cash prize. Every week, someone would be evicted from the titular space colony and flown back home empty handed.

What truly attracted Creuset to the show, and he believed made it popular to so many other people, was that it revealed these poor souls' true colors. He enjoyed watching people go mad simply by being in proximity to strangers for so long. As time went by, they invariably became more and more cruel to each other. By the time it was down to the final four, they would be champing at the bit to literally kill their opponents.

The ZAFT commander reached under his bed and pulled a small bag of Gekiganger Maximum Passion Chips - his favorite snack. He hated the show, what with its constant bludgeoning of ridiculous ideals on the viewers' heads, but he couldn't help but enjoy these chips. The heat of these spicy chips, by making him feel physical pain, would temporarily make him forget his psychological agony.

This season was down to its final six, and already Rau could see them about ready to attack each other. As he watched two women start talking, he began to munch more eagerly. Suddenly, one of the women, a fiery redhead, lashed out at her brunette competitor, and soon they were on the floor, exchanging both punches and clawing with their nails.

_Yes! Oh, I just LIVE for this! _Rau thought, watching with a wide, sadistic grin as the two women continued beating each other up. _I truly envy the host of this show...to be witness to such glorious mayhem! Reality television, for all its scripted nature, truly exposes what we humans are!_

Rau continued laughing raucously in between bites as the two women viciously clawed at each other...

* * *

In the Ruined World, if you went far enough into the desert in Neo Mongolia, you would find a sinister fortress there, shaped like a twisted, gnarled lump of stone and clay with red blotches and spots...truly alien in nature. One would think it was some Invader hive or some other kind of unearthly structure.

But within, one would find a very different sort of place: a tribute to the interiors of ancient Japanese palaces, built long before mankind set out for the stars...only a human could so faithfully recreate Earth's distant past. It was the fortress of Hau Dragon, a powerful organization that was the mastermind behind International Electronic Brains, a powerful corporation that was responsible for the building and maintenance of countless computer systems on Earth and in the colonies. IEB even worked on the Mobile Trace System, the system used for mobile suits used in the Gundam Fight. But one day, it suddenly ceased to exist. Its facilities were destroyed, its workers slaughtered, and its funds disappearing from countless bank accounts. Little did the world know that Hau Dragon was merely using it as a front, and now they were ready to begin their true goal: the transformation of the world into the underworld.

In a small side chamber, beyond the grand halls and even grander throne room, one could make out the sounds of two lovers in passion's grip. Of course, this was no brothel...it was an empress and her beloved, engaging in the most ancient and primitive of all rituals.

The two lovers, sweaty from passion, embraced.

When all was said and done, Taiha and his empress, Yuratei got dressed again. As they stood back to back, Yuratei, a young, lovely straight-haired brunette in her very early twenties with kind violet eyes, watched Taiha, a strong, handsome main with jet black hair and wearing a simple lavender robe ready himself to go on his mission as her handmaidens, who looked exactly alike, gently brushed her hair while she silently sat in front of a mirror, wearing a sky-blue robe with separated sleeves and a red and yellow sash around her waist.

"I think I understand your feelings in all this," Taiha said as he turned to face her. "You are thinking, 'Is he truly worthy of being the lover of the Tekkoryu? Let's give him a test.' But I ask you just one thing...please, tell me you are sending me because you love me..."

Yuratei turned around, and suddenly her expression hardened, eyes now full of authority and disdain.

"Enough with your conceit! Who exactly do you think you're addressing?!" she replied stalwartly. Taiha was taken aback back this.

"Hakkeshu is mine to rule! You will do as I say!"

Taiha silently bowed and left the room. Yuratei's face softened again, and she silently dismissed her handmaidens.

But Yuratei did care for Taiha, yet something external compelled her to do this - to send her lover to what could be his death. The girl was always told by Lurahn, her closest advisor, that she was so gentle, yet was capable of such cruelty...she couldn't understand why.

She slumped back on her bed, and began to sob uncontrollably into the thick mattress...

* * *

_Something is happening..._

_What?_

_Those two universes...they've been connected...and the branching paths...they're also connecting. This is worse than we feared._

_I see. So they've gone from threat level 2 to threat level 5 in the blink of an eye. _

_I say we hurry the timetable along, before they can figure out how to rip their universes wide open and locate that which we so vigorously work to protect. _

_No. We will continue as planned. If we continue to interfere, they will realize our connection to all that is occurring. We MUST limit our presence to only what is necessary. Things may yet work out in our favor. After all, are we not the same as they?_

* * *

_And with this, **VOTING IS CLOSED.**  
_

_As the author, I get to vote, and I vote for the Japan route...that makes 5 votes for Japan, 5 votes for Teppelin! _

_**IT'S A TIE! **_

_Unfortunately, since it's a tie, I'm going to have to choose anyway..._

_**JAPAN ROUTE CONFIRMED FOR CANON.**  
_

_Sorry, Teppelin route people. Don't worry, the only things that didn't happen were the things that directly involved Janus and Tara, or those who went on both routes. Plotwise, that really just means Janus doesn't actually have his berserk angel ability yet, Dancougar never met the Muge Zolbados Empire, and that Janus and Tara get to be introduced to the other Ruined World characters next time! Everything else pretty much happened the same way. And I had a lot more fun writing out the Japan route due to greater opportunities for character development.  
_

_And you know I should have gone with separating the two protagonists as I intended to in the first place. I think I'll be doing that from now on. That way both routes can be canon! However, the next route split won't happen for a while yet. And I have MAJOR plans for the Code Geass R1 finale...anyway, see you next episode!  
_


	33. Interlude 2

_I'm spitting these things out like it's nobody's business lately! I hope you_ _don't mind_. _I'll try and slow it down a bit. Anyway, enjoy!_

* * *

**Interlude 2 - Return From The Other Side**

In spite of it all, the choice to return Lacus to ZAFT was not something Kira regretted. Holding her hostage was needless and unwarranted in his mind. But at least they were able to protect the 8th Fleet from being totally destroyed, in part with Voltes V's quick action.

But other things were on his mind now. A Threshold was to made here on the Moon, to allow for quick access to the other world from another location - and since the moon lacked an atmosphere of any sort, it could be done completely out in the open. Ptolemaeus Base had already gotten the details from Photon Power Labs, and construction was underway on a Threshold generator.

But something else was happening...apparently Kaworu was leaving the group. He was called back to Earth by NERV to switch places with Asuka in terms of running Angel duty. Kira saw everyone gathered around EVA Unit 04 as Kaworu was stepping into the entry plug.

Mamoru was particularly sad to see him go - he had grown very friendly with the Angel, and almost thought of him as a second brother. Guy would always be his true big brother in his mind, but Kaworu was a close second.

"Hey, Kaworu!" Kira called out.

"Ah, Kira Yamato. I'm glad to see you came to bid me farewell. It's a pity we didn't get to work together more...that goes for everyone who was on the _Archangel, _not just you."

He turned back to address the crowd of his friends.

"But I know we will be working together again soon. Until that day, I will always be thinking and dreaming of you. Farewell, and thank you!"

The entry plug slowly inserted into Unit 04, and Kaworu moved his head inside. Everyone watched as the EVA spectacularly launched out of the catapult as it began its journey back to Earth. With that, the group began to disperse. Shinji stayed behind, gazing up at where Kaworu had launched out with a forlorn look on his face.

* * *

Thanks to the existing supplies and the coordination of Ptolemaeus and Photon Power Labs, the portal generator was constructed in less than two days. Now, once again, Janus and Tara stood side by side as they did several months ago, ready to create a second Threshold.

"Okay, Tara, let's do this just like we did before. You ready?"

"I guess. I just hope they have enough power to make it stretch," Tara replied uneasily. "We don't have the Spiral engines, the Phase Transition Engine or Shin Getter's core to work with anymore. We may have to use other sources of power to fuel this thing."

"We'll figure it out. Let's just do this thing!" Janus replied. "And don't worry. GaoGaiGar's on standby if something goes wrong...apparently he's got some space-time fixing tool called the Dimension Pliers. Man, those guys at GGG think of everything!"

Just as before, the two mechs' AIs locked onto the oval-shaped plate, except it was far taller and wider, more than enough to move even the largest of super-battleships through.

They fired, and just as before, the fabric of space-time bent and warped. But then the two portals formed, just as before.

As soon as it happened, the operators at the base turned on the power. The portals began to twist, writhe and glow as they began to receive vast amounts of energy. But unfortunately, the portals weren't growing fast enough.

"There's not enough power," Tara gasped. "Oh no, we've stranded everyone on the _Nadesico_!"

"No...wait...Tara, look!"

The portals began to stretch out again, growing larger and larger, filling up the oval plate to the edges. As the two watched, they became overwhelmed with the oddest sensation...memories of situations they had never been in, meeting people they've never met, fighting foes they've never encountered...they all flowed into their minds. Was this an effect of the Thresholds?

Inside the base, the Combattler and Voltes teams suddenly felt a similar sensation, as did Loran, Harry and Dianna. They couldn't understand what was going on...when did they meet these people they suddenly remembered? Were they the ones coming out of the portal?

The first one out was the _Nadesico_, and Tara saw that it was outfitted with a Spiral Engine...but then again, she had never seen one, so how could she have known that? This was getting far too weird already.

And when the _Ra Calium _came through, those who had been affected by the sudden influx of memories also recognized the ship, and also wondered how they possibly knew about it. But regardless, they would unite (or reunite as the case may be), with their friends from the other Earth.

* * *

Amuro was the first out of the _Ra Calium_ and into Ptolemaeus Base. Those who had been affected by the sudden surge of memories were the first to greet him. He was closely followed by Bright, Christina, and the rest of the crew.

"Ah, hello everyone. How did you get here ahead of us?" Amuro asked the group. "I could have sworn you were with us on the two ships."

"I really don't want to think about it right now..." Hyoma said, rubbing his head. "It gives me a headache." Kenichi and the rest of the group present snickered. Those who stayed in the Flourishing World, as well as their new allies, came to greet them: Shinji, Rei, Guy, Mamoru, the GGG operating crew, Kira, Boss and the _Archangel _crew.

"Well, well, you must be the rest of the merry little band," Chan quipped as the crew of the _Nadesico _came out. "Well, for those I'm not familiar with yet, I'm Chan Agi. This handsome fellow here is Amuro; and these fine ladies and gentlemen are Londo Bell."

"Pleasure to meet you all. Captain Bright Noa at your service," Bright said, saluting.

"I'm Rain Mikamura, and this is my partner Domon Kasshu, the Gundam Fighter for Neo-Japan in the other world."

"Whoa, there's actually a Japan in the other world?!" Shinji exclaimed. "There's no Areas? No Holy Britannian Empire?"

"It's a long story," Akatsuki replied. "Who might you be anyway, squirt?"

"Oh...I-I'm Shinji. Shinji Ikari; and this is Rei Ayanami. We're with NERV, but we also go to Ashford Academy!"

Taiga stepped forward with Guy. "I am Taiga Koutaro, head of the Gutsy Geoid Guard, or GGG for short. This fine fellow here is Guy Shishioh, the pilot of GaoGaiGar."

"It's nice to meet you all," Guy said pleasantly. "I hope we can work together, even if we are from different universes."

"Hey, my name is Gai too!" Gai of the Getter team exclaimed. "But I'm Gai Daidou. This is Kei and Go. This here is my boss, Benkei, and his friend Hayato."

"Hey all!" Kouji said, popping his head out from the crowd. This startled everyone who wasn't familiar with him already.

"Kabuto?!" Boss exclaimed, nearly leaping out of his clothes in shock. "But you're...how did you..."

"There are in fact two...TWO Koji Kabutos!" Izumi chimed in. "Ah-ah-ah!"

"Yeah...awesome, huh?" Kouji replied. "You must be the Boss of this universe...somehow you don't seem like as much of a jerk."

"That's because he's friends with your other self," Akito answered, "I think so, anyway."

"Yeah, the you in my world is a bully and a jerk. He keeps stealing from me and my brother."

"Heh, that's why I used to do to...um..." Boss said before he felt his brain feel funny from trying to keep the two straight. "Man, my head hurts again."

"Excuse me," Ruri interrupted. "I think we should save further introductions for later. We have more pressing issues to talk about. But for now, we'll be heading to the super-colony Macross. I want to include them in our discussion. I'll explain why on the way."

* * *

"Very cunning, miss Hoshino," Gendo said with a small smile. Each of the captains and organizational heads were on board their own ships, but were talking over a special secure connection. Gendo and Taiga were on one of GGG's transport ships, the _Tsukuyomi_. "Your choice to travel to Macross, where Alliance ears cannot hear us, was a good one."

"I'm merely being cautious. With the death of George Allster, Muruta Azrael is now the Vice Minister of the Atlantic Federation, and thus we are under his direct control. His extreme views on 'genetic purity' are something we should be concerned about, and we could easily be used for his own selfish ends."

"But we've been given a great deal of free reign, miss Hoshino," Murrue said. "The Alliance doesn't care how we accomplish our ends. We must simply complete them."

"Don't be so naive," Akatsuki replied. "Of course they're going to care. Barring a few of us, this whole group consists of nothing but idealists submit to the unrealistic morality of shows like _Gekiganger 3_," Take the Coordinator boy Kira, for example. His choice to release Lacus Clyne, in light of the immense tactical advantage it had given us, was a massive..."

"At this point we're arguing rhetorically. We've already settled on our destination," Gendo interrupted. "It's best if we keep any more conversation to a minimum until we reach Macross."

* * *

As the captains and organizational heads walked toward the conference hall Murrue had reserved on Macross, Ruri started walking next to Taiga.

"Excuse me...mister Koutaro?"

"Ah yes, you must be the _Nadesico_'s main engineer. What can I do for you, little one?"

Ruri pulled out the sample bottle containing the mass of DG Cells and handed it to Taiga. She had noticed that ever since crossing the Threshold, the nanomachines had become completely inert.

"What is this? I've never seen such a substance before," Taiga exclaimed.

"It is a mass of nanomachines that were created in the other world. They were part of a nanotech machine called the Devil Gundam...or rather, one of its minions. These nanomachines, called DG Cells, have the ability to self-recover, self-evolve, and self-replicate. They also have the ability to infect people and turn them into the Devil Gundam's servants."

"That's a substance I'd hate to see fall into the wrong hands," Taiga said grimly. "But obviously if you're showing me this, you have a plan for it."

"I do. Right now it is unable to receive commands from its controller, the Devil Gundam, due to it being in a different universe. I believe that while it is in this inert state, one can safely analyze it and even change its code so that it no longer obeys the Devil Gundam...in fact, these cells could be used medically, to treat grievous wounds and treat otherwise incurable illnesses."

"But don't you work for Nergal?" Taiga asked. "Your status would be greatly improved there for providing such an amazing product."

Ruri looked over at Akatsuki, who she could tell was listening to their conversation. She didn't care, and she knew the man wouldn't try anything...yet, at least.

"I feel GGG can be trusted with this more than Nergal can. I want it to be given freely to those in need, not sold to the highest bidder."

Taiga smiled. "You may have a stoic face, but you truly have a kind heart, little Ruri. I will make room in my budget for this endeavor...and if there isn't, I'll pay for it myself...and I'll make sure anyone who needs it gets it."

Ruri smiled a little. "You have a kind heart as well, Taiga Koutaro. Little wonder your organization is so beloved."

* * *

Today would be a red letter day for Lelouch. He would meet with Muruta Azrael, the new head of the Atlantic Federation, and secure their aid in his war against Britannia. He knew of the man's top position in the Blue Cosmos terrorist organization, and he knew just what buttons he needed to push to get the man to give him whatever he needed, no Geass required.

In Geneva, Switzerland, where the Earth Alliance's government was based, he walked with C.C, who was dressed in a Black Knights uniform, while he himself wore the mask and outfit of Zero, the resistance leader. Escorted by a pair of armed guards, he was led to a surprisingly nondescript door with the man's name engraved on a simple bronze plate.

One of the soldiers knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" a voice came from within.

"Vice Minister, we've brought Zero," one of the soldiers said. "We've checked him and his companion thoroughly. He has no weapons on him."

"Let him in."

The two guards opened the door and let Lelouch and C.C. through before following him inside. Azrael, a blonde man with a boyish face, blond hair, green eyes and a well-pressed white suit, sat behind a desk in a rather large chair, and a white laptop sat open on the desk. Lelouch and C.C. sat in smaller chairs while the guards blocked the door.

"So, the famous Zero, leader of the resistance in Japan, comes to my doorstep to meet with me," Muruta said somewhat snidely, tapping his fingertips together. "What could such a strategic genius such as you want with a politician like me? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't hand you over to Britannia right now."

_And so begins the song and dance_, Lelouch thought before he answered Azrael's question_._

"It is because that, though you may not know it, Britannia is the greatest enemy of our blue and pure world."

Muruta raised an eyebrow. "We've had our squabbles with them from time to time, but the Atlantic Federation has a peace agreement with them. What makes you think we would betray them?"

"The Britannians desire a world ruled only by the strong," Lelouch continued. "Those they believe are "worthy"...social Darwinism at its worst. Now, think about it...who would prosper most in a world ruled by the strong?"

Muruta hesitated as he tried to grasp the significance of that question, but Lelouch answered it for him, and pulled out a memory stick.

"Coordinators."

The Vice Minister's eye twitched a bit.

Lelouch smiled behind his mask. He knew that he had the man's attention.

"If you want proof, I have with me records of secret meetings between the Britannian Imperial Family and ZAFT military commanders. The fact that Britannia is willing to negotiate with ZAFT proves they care nothing for us Naturals, and would aid the Coordinators in their dark march on our world."

He gave the to C.C., who then gave it to Azrael. The blond man stuck it into the laptop computer's memory port and opened up the files. Lelouch watched Muruta's expression get more and more tense as he scanned the text. Indeed, there were true records of Britannia's negotiations with ZAFT. What Lelouch conveniently deleted was a file relating to the fact that they ultimately couldn't agree on suitable terms, but did create a non-aggression pact.

Finally, Muruta looked up from his laptop, and assumed a more friendly demeanor, though Lelouch could easily tell he was going absolutely out of his mind.

"Well, Zero, I believe we can see eye-to-eye on the threat Britannia poses. You have my full support! Anything your little rebellion needs, ask and I'll do what I can to provide it."

_Success_, Lelouch thought. He chuckled just under his breath.

* * *

_And now, the political intrigue kicks into overdrive! I really hope it works out. Don't worry, the Super Robot series will be getting their share of focus as well. In fact, next time, prepare yourselves for something that has never been done in Super Robot Wars!  
_


	34. Chapter 20

_And so, the two routes combine again. What antics will occur with TWO Koji Kabutos in the same lineup? FIND OUT TODAY!_

* * *

**Chapter 20 – Demons from Different Worlds! The Twin Kabutos!**

"Hi, Koji," Sayaka said as she entered the medical ward in Photon Power Labs. Of course, she knew Mazinkaiser's pilot wouldn't respond. After all, he was still in a coma. All the same, she would come every day and stay with him, and keep him updated on the current doings of the outside world. It was more to make herself feel better than to make Koji wake up.

"It's been a while since I've seen any of my friends from Ashford. Oh, there's Nunnally and Shirley, but other than them, I don't see any of them. It's like they've completely…"

Suddenly, her cell phone began to ring out of the blue. She looked at the number. It was a long distance call from the space colony Macross.

_Who could possibly be calling me from Macross, _she wondered.

"Hello?"

"…Heyaaaaa, Sayaka!"

"…Boss! You're alright!" Sayaka gasped. "How did you get onto Macross?! The last time I saw you, Nuke or Mucha was almost a month ago! You've had me so worried!"

"It's a looooong story, girl. How's Kabuto doing?"

Sayaka sighed. "He still hasn't woken up. He's alive, that much I know. Sometimes he mumbles something, and occasionally one of his limbs starts moving on its own, but other than that…"

"Oh, hang on…what? A friend of mine I met on my recent adventure wants to talk with ya. Switch on the video cam on your phone!"

Sayaka pensively did so, as did Boss. Sure enough, there was Boss' thick jawed mug, grinning widely. But then he handed the phone to a face Sayaka was not expecting at all…Kouji.

"Heya, Sayaka!"

Sayaka let a small torrent of babbling when she saw the smiling face of Koji's Ruined World twin.

"Koji! But you're...how did you..."

"Yeah, I was confused too!" Boss said, poking his face in front of the camera for a moment. "Hey, put this to our Kabuto's ear! Maybe he'll wake up!"

Sayaka thought it was a stupid idea at first, but then she figured they had nothing to lose, and an old friend to gain. Besides, Koji was a notoriously heavy sleeper AND rather loud. She put the phone to the comatose Koji's ear.

"Okay, hit it, Kouji!" Boss said excitedly. With a grin, the pilot of Mazinger Z took a deep breath, then yelled at the top of his lungs...

"HEY YOU LUNKHEAD! GET YOUR LAZY ASS OUT OF THAT BED RIGHT NOW OR I'LL KICK YOUR ASS SO HARD YOUR GRANDPA WILL FEEL IT!"

Miraculously (yet not at all to Boss' surprise) Koji's eyes shot open. He sat up quickly, looking left and right, frightened by where the voice had come from.

"Koji! You're awake!" Sayaka exclaimed joyfully.

"Sayaka? W-where am I?" Koji exclaimed. "I thought I heard someone yell at me to wake up...he sounded kind of like...me." Before Sayaka could show Koji the image of his alternate twin, the latter handed the phone back to Boss.

"Hey, Kabuto, you lazy bum! You've been out like a light ever since you went and nearly wrecked Photon Power Labs with Mazinkaiser, and that was months ago!"

"Mazinkaiser...?"

"Whatever. Sayaka can fill you in on the details. If you can, get over to Geneva, pronto! The guy who woke you is just achin' to meet ya, and we're all itching to see you again too! Smell ya later, Kabuto!" With that, Boss hung up.

"Koji!" Sayaka cried, lunging at him and embracing him. Koji nearly fell flat back on his head, and the girl he liked so much about ready to kiss him.

Suddenly, he heard the door open, and his little brother Shiro walk in.

"Hey, Sayaka, I brought you something to eEEEEEATAAAAAAAYAHHHH?!"

Sayaka and Koji turned around to see him there, blushing. The little boy grinned.

"Ooooh! You two were huggiiiing! Koji and Sayaka sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love..."

"Cut it out, Shiro!" Koji said annoyedly as the two friends quickly broke their embrace out of embarassment...

* * *

The rest of the lab was elated to see Koji awake once more, and already they had surprises for the awakened pilot.

Koji stepped into the hangar, and saw Mazinkaiser there, being examined by the Labs' three other head scientists aside from Professor Yumi. Tetsuya was also there, looking more like his confident self before being Zonderized.

"Koji! We heard that you were awake," one of them, a short fellow with a wild grey hairdo and thick mustache, said, "So we hurried and finished the final few adjustments on Mazinkaiser!"

"Yes!" said another, a tall man with thin white hair, overly long eyebrows and a nose vaguely resembling the shape of a wineglass when viewed from the proper angle. "After examining it and comparing it with your grandfather's notes, we discovered that it is made from Z Alloy ALPHA, an even stronger form of Z Alloy."

"It possesses a powered-up Photon Beam;" said the first, a fat fellow that was bald and had a long, thick beard that started from his sideburns and extended out from his chin, "...several Gigantic Missiles; a Turbo Smasher Punch; a Rust Tornado; and finally, a Fire Blaster...all of them superb weapons!"

"After further investigation, we found that beauty!" the short scientist said, pointing to a nearby window. Koji looked over and saw what appeared to be an even larger version of the Jet Scrander in the room below.

"Those are Kaiser's wings...the Kaiser Scrander!" the short scientist continued. "With them, you'll be able to reach Geneva on your own."

"Geneva? Boss mentioned something about being there..." Koji said thoughtfully before turning to Great Mazinger's pilot. "Hey, Tetsuya, what about you? I guess they want you to protect the Labs."

"Actually, Jun and I will be accompanying you and Sayaka, Kabuto," he replied. "Dr. Hell has been avoiding the labs ever since you showed up Mazinkaiser and beat Baron Ashura. I guess what Daisuke said was true - he really is working for the Vega Empire."

"Well what are we waiting for! Switzerland, here we come!"

* * *

The three ships in the airspace above Geneva safely, and those who had crossed the Threshold for the first time got their first look at the Earth that was not a wasteland caused by Getter Rays.

"It's amazing!" Simon gasped, awestruck by the beauty of the living planet. "I can FEEL the life energy pulsing from it! Kamina would have done ANYTHING to get a look at this!"

"So this is what the Earth was like when I was little," Kei said, equally rapt by the beautiful green and blue planet. "It looked like this, didn't it, Dad?"

"More or less," Benkei replied.

"I wish Musashi was around to see this," Hayato added.

"Domon, look at it...isn't it beautiful?" Rain said, beckoning Domon over to one of the windows. "This must be what the Earth was like before the Gundam Fights started."

Domon smiled and nodded. Even his stoic heart couldn't help but be moved in the face of such a sight. He understood a little more what his Master sought to protect.

"Look, Kamille," Fa said with a small tear in her eye. "This Earth is so beautiful! It's so green and blue."

"Y-yeah..." Kamille stammered. Fa smiled when she heard the young man speak again. It was just a single word, but she knew baby steps would be required. The newcomers continued to gaze at the Earth as its individual denizens become easier and easier to identify.

* * *

Lelouch (in the guise of Zero), C.C. Kallen and Shinobu stood in the hangar near Earth Alliance HQ in Geneva, watching the three ships dock. He had received permission from Muruta for the Black Knights to work with the _Nadesico, Archangel _and its allies, and that they would do battle against Britannia. He wasn't quite expecting to see the _Ra Calium _there, though...though oddly, Shinobu immediately felt like he had seen the Federation battleship before, but he couldn't place where.

"Oh, hey Kallen!" Tara, the first to approach, said. "Still with the Black Knights, I see. I guess that explains how you avoided being arrested by those Alliance goons."

"Yeah," Kallen replied. "But in any case, we'll be working together again to liberate Japan. But this time, we've got the Atlantic Federation's help, thanks to Zero!"

"R-really?!" Tara said, elated at this news. "You're awesome, Zero!"

"I merely made Vice Minister Azrael recognize the threat Britannia poses to the world," the masked man replied. "Until Britannia is defeated and the areas freed, we cannot rest easy."

"You make it sound like we're going to war with them," Ruri, who was following close behind, stated. "You do realize how powerful a nation they are. It would take the entire Alliance military to challenge the forces Britannia can muster."

"I think you forgot, Ruri," Kei said as she approached next. "We've got some pretty kickass forces ourselves. We'll take on every Knightmare Frame they have if we have to!"

"I am glad to see you so optimistic, Kei Kurama," Zero said with a nod. "I hope you can maintain those high spirits in our coming battles."

"That part should be easy. We have Fire Bomber with us!" Tara said confidently. "AND we have the aid of Macross and its Variable Fighters!"

"Hey, you talkin' about me?" Basara called out, trying his best to ignore Tara. "I've heard about you, Zero. You're some sort of freedom fighter, right? I'm not all too keen about the fighting part, but freedom is something I can DEFINITELY get behind!"

Right behind Basara, the first of the faces none of the Black Knights present recognized finally approached - Amuro Ray.

"I take it you're Zero..." the ace pilot said, Zero's mask reminding him too much of Char. "I find your choice to wear a mask less than reassuring. But if we're really working together, I suppose I have no choice but to trust you."

"Judge me not by my attire," Zero replied. "Judge me instead by my words and deeds."

One by one, the various members of the crew who had not met Zero or Kallen already introduced themselves. Lelouch was quickly able to discern who might be useful to his ultimate plan, and who might get in the way down the line.

The last to show up was Shinji Ikari. Due to his memories being manipulated by Lelouch's Geass, he didn't remember C.C. at all.

"Ah, Shinji Ikari. Kallen has told me about you," Zero addressed the boy. "I will be needing the power of your Evangelion greatly. I hope you are willing to help."

"Oh...um..sure..." Shinji replied. "Say, did you happen to see Asuka around?"

"Oh, her?" Shinobu chimed in. "Check by the cafeteria. She's having lunch with the rest of the Cyber Beast Force."

"Oh, we were all headed there anyway. Are you coming with us for lunch, Zero? Kallen?" Kallen nodded, and turned to Zero.

"I have already eaten, but thank you for your offer," the masked man replied. In truth, Lelouch was extremely hungry, but he wasn't about to let an empty stomach jeopardize everything. He would eat in private with C.C. as he always did.

* * *

"I see...you have done well to give me this information," Clovis said solemnly. "I'll see to it that you get your bonus." ZAFT spies within the Alliance government had discovered Muruta's pending war against Britannia and were letting Clovis (who they assumed was just another ZAFT spy) know. With that, he hung up the communicator.

Clovis could barely contain his excitement. Lelouch was setting the Earth up for a world war by pitting the Atlantic Federation against Britannia. He knew Rau Le Creuset would be walking on air at this news. The prince could easily tell his old man Zero's identity, but why spoil the fun?

But as it so happened, Rau was standing behind him, and he had heard the conversation. He too couldn't help but smile.

"So it seems my dear little pigeon has taken your brother's bait," Rau chuckle. "I suppose it's time for us to make our move." Rau walked over to his video transmitter and began dialing a number. "If the Alliance will side with your brother, then ZAFT will side with Britannia."

The visage of Yzak, pilot of the Duel, came on screen.

"Commander Creuset!" he exclaimed. "I heard the attack on Ptolemaeus didn't go well...if only those damned Naturals didn't seize Lacus..."

"That is in the past, Joule. What matters is that now the legged ship has gained many allies. Furthemore, it is about to wage war on Britannia in the name of the Atlantic Federation. I want you and Elsman to head to Pendragon and deliver word of this to His Majesty, Emperor Charles."

"And if you're questioned at the gates," Clovis added, "Tell them Britannia's eyes in the heavens sent you with this message. They'll speed you to His Majesty's presence with all due haste."

"Yes sir!" Yzak said, saluting. "Is there anything else you need, Commander Creuset? Or you, Prince Clovis?"

"Yes," Clovis answered. "Do treat His Majesty with respect, but at the same time, don't appear too subservient. He despises displays of weakness from those he deems as strong."

"Understood. Yzak Joule, over and out."

* * *

The preparations for the liberation effort were taking a long time. Many supplies were needed, and a route needed to be planned. This allowed the pilots to get to know their fellows better. It also allowed for a few surprise arrivals.

"HEY! GUY!"

The voice was loud and booming, and the tone sounded a bit like Geki Hyuuma's...but it clearly wasn't him. Guy rushed out into the airfield and saw a massive orange and yellow robot tromping through the area, doing its best to avoid damaging any aircraft or mobile weapons. Following close behind was a red, blue and gold-colored jukebox shaped robot riding a colorful flying saucer.

Just then, he got a call on his communicator watch from GGG Orbital Base.

"Guy! Our scanners indicate that Goldymarg and Mic Sounders the 13th has arrived at Geneva," the voice of his father, Leo Shishioh, said. "Do you see him?"

"Goldymarg?" Guy exclaimed. "Is he orange, yellow and very bulky?"

"That's the one!" Leo replied. "He will be GaoGaiGar's stalwart ally and its ultimate trump card in the coming battles. When the time comes, he'll know exactly what to do. Believe in him, and in your own strength, and you will be victorious!"

"Understood. Thank you, father!"

Guy leapt off the railing and dashed out of the hangar, toward the lumbering Goldymarg. The robot recognized Guy and tromped toward him, stopping just short of him.

"There you are, Guy!" Goldymarg boomed. "I'm glad that I made it in time!"

"Guy! It's good to see you again!" Mic said happily in an almost bubbly tone. "I'm so excited to meet all of your new friends, and to see Mamoru again!"

"Yes. I trust you'll protect him well, Mic," the cyborg replied. "Come on, you two, let me introduce you to the others."

"OKAY!" both robots said loudly.

* * *

Dr. Hell sat in a dark room, lit only by a single desk lamp. He was perusing an ancient scroll of Mycenae lore he had in his vast collection of ancient relics. He hoped to find some clue in regards to an interesting discovery made on Mars - ancient ruins that were the same kind as those on Earth. If he could decipher the secret, he would take and use it to help the Vega Empire defeat the Alliance, then turn it on the Empire itself, leaving him master of not just the world, but the entire galaxy!

Suddenly, the image of Blaki appeared on his communication monitors, and it called out to him.

"Dr. Hell! I bring new orders from His Majesty, Emperor Vega."

The mad scientist lay the scroll down and turned in his chair to face Blaki, and silently awaited the orders.

"You have been chosen to lead the next attack. Our target is the capital of the Alliance, Geneva. That is where the _Archangel _and _Nadesico _are currently located. They are preparing to make war with the Holy Britannian Empire. While they are unaware, we should strike them now. Take back our UFO Robo and lay waste to their capital."

"And what of you and the other two?" the scientist asked.

"Heinel, Garuda and I have been placed in charge of striking their base in the region called Panama," Blaki replied. "It has the device you humans call a mass driver, which sends their ships out into space. They will likely send the majority of their forces that way, due to the great value they place in the device. You and Zuril will lead the attack on the capital. With their forces elsewhere, and those fools ill-prepared, you can easily overwhelm the capital and secure our claim on Earth!"

"Ah, a diversion. Simple, but effective," Dr. Hell replied, stroking his beard.

"If we can destroy or capture the device, so much the better," Blaki added. "But the burden lies on you, Dr. Hell. Now, I must go prepare for my assault; you should prepare for yours."

Blaki disappeared from the screen.

Dr. Hell smiled. Without that annoying Mazinger around, there was no way he could lose, especially with the aid of Zuril, as well as the new Mechabeasts he had found and restored.

He called for Baron Ashura...

* * *

Janus and Tara watched as numerous mobile weapons and transport ships containing Alliance-issued Knightmare Frames fly off into the distance towards Panama. Word got out that the aliens that attacked Macross were preparing to attack the base there. Daisuke was watching the ships take off as well, and he was filled with dread. Simon and Guy joined them.

"Something wrong, bro?" he asked.

"Those idiots really think the Vegans would want the mass driver, don't they?" Grendizer's pilot said grimly. "They would have no use for it."

"Vegans?" Simon said. "You can't be talking about people who only eat plant products, right?"

"They are aliens from the planet Vega. Their empire spans the galaxy, and Earth is their latest target. They desire my machine, the UFO Robo Grendizer, which I stole from them."

"Don't say this out loud, but Daisuke here is really the crown prince of another planet," Tara said quietly. "The Vegans messed it up something awful."

"It's truly a shame," Guy said, shaking his head sadly.

"And these Vegans want Grendizer back, I guess," the digger replied. "Well, they're not gonna get it. Not with us on the..."

As if on cue, a series of explosions rang out in the distance, then a large force of UFO Robos, Saucer Beasts, and Mechabeasts appeared on the horizon, as well as a Vega flagship and one of Dr. Hell's Ghoul battleships.

"Man, they didn't waste ANY time!" Janus exclaimed. "Well, let's get this over with."

"I don't think there will be enough time for us to sortie," Daisuke said grimly. "There's still preparations for us to do, and they're moving far too quickly. It's obvious they're not going to wait for us this time."

Guy, however, knew just what to do in this situation. He pressed an alarm on his wrist communicator. This set off a signal in the control chips of the GGG robots that Guy needed to communicate with them immediately.

"Commander Guy, do you need help? I heard explosions outside!" Volfogg responded.

"There are enemies on the way, but everyone won't be able to get to their machines before they get here! Please...Volfogg, HyoRyu, EnRyu, Mic, and you too Goldymarg...buy us some time!

"No sweat! We'll stall 'em for days if we have to!" Goldymarg replied. confidently.

"Guy, I heard the whole thing!" Leo suddenly said over the communicator. "HyoRyu, EnRyu! Get ready!"

* * *

"Do it, Taiga!" Geki yelled back atop the Orbital Base.

"SYMMETRICAL DOCKING! APPROVED!" Taiga bellowed.

* * *

HyoRyu and EnRyu ran outside and leaped into the air.

"SYMMETRICAAAAAL DOCKING!"

The brothers folded up and rearranged their bodies so that they appeared to be half of a larger robot, at which point they connected together, and another head heroically rose forth from the fused brothers, even as it reached the peak of its jump.

"ChoRyuJin!"

Now it was Mic's turn.

"SYSTEM CHAAAAANGE!" Mic called out.

He bounded out of his flying saucer and began to fold and unfold himself into a new shape as well - he was noticeably taller, mostly light blue now, and resembled a cross between an 80's rock star and a CD player.

"C'MON, ROCK AND ROLL!"

At last, the four were ready. And no sooner did they finish than did the enemies arrive.

"Ha-ha! The diversion worked! All that's left to defend the capital are these four saps!" Ashura laughed. "Let's annihilate this base and these robots to smithereens and report back to Lord Vega!"

"You idiot," Zuril yelled, "We are supposed to obtain Grendizer for him! If we destroy it, the Emperor will have both our heads!"

"No! I say we say destroy this base!" Ashura roared. "FIRE! DESTROY THIS BASE AND EVERY LAST LIVING THING IN IT!"

"I'm the general here, and you will obey ME, Baron AshurAAAAAGH!" His ship was struck by an ice shot from ChoRyuJin, but remained afloat.

"Ha! That's what you get for sitting still!" the fused robot laughed. "Have some more! DOUBLE FIRE!"

"4000 MAGNUM!" Volfogg yelled, unleashing his hand cannon on the enemy grunts, which were standing in a row waiting for the order to attack. In retaliation, they all quickly rushed in.

"My turn now!" Mic yelled. "DISK M!"

Mic popped a large CD out of his saucer, and caught it with his free hand. His chest opened up, and he popped the disk in, and closed it.

"SET ON! DAZZLING DOUBLE V!"

A guitar popped into his hand, and he quite predictably, he began to play an amazing rock tune. The power of Disk M immediately attacked the circuitry of the Mechabeasts and Slave Monsters, and also dealt some damage to the two battleships.

"Attack, you numbskulls!" Zuril commanded. "ATTAAAAACK!"

The enemy troops all rushed in at once, ready to tear the GGG mechs apart. In spite of the overwhelming numbers, ChoRyuJin, Volfogg, and Mic stood their ground, trusting in their allies to get ready in time.

The first to appear were the three EVAs, all armed with gatling cannons.

"HEY YOU MECHANICAL PUNKS! CHEW ON THIS!" Asuka cried with almost bloodthirsty excitement. The three titans fired off a torrent of bullets, each one plowing through a Mechabeast or UFO Robo with terrifying ease.

Next out came Grendizer, Shin Getter Robo and Getter Q, followed closely by the Aestivalis, GaoGaiGar and Gurren Lagann, and they wasted no time launching their attacks as well.

"SPACE THUNDER!"

"GETTER TOMAHAWK! BOOOOMERANG!"

"GETTER BEAM!"

"FULL! DRILLIZER!"

"GEKIGAN SHOT!"

"BROKEN MAGNUM!"

And finally, out came Amuro's newest toy, the Nu Gundam. While it was similar to most other Gundams, it had what appeared to be overlarge, high-tech tuning forks on its back. It swooped over the enemy swarm, which was hard-pressed to even advance thanks to the vigorous defense.

"Alright, Nu Gundam, let's show them that you're not just eye candy! FIN FUNNEL!"

The funnels on Nu Gundam's back, nearly a dozen in number, shot off, quickly laying down a psychically controlled assault of beam fire. His mind raced at inhuman speeds as he mentally directed the projectiles.

"That's it, everyone!" Guy yelled as he launched another Broken Magnum. "Push them back!" As Guy said this, Mazinger Z and Kouji tromped onto the scene. Baron Ashura, upon seeing this, grabbed both halves of its face and tugged at them in frustration and rage.

"Impossible! Koji Kabuto lives still?!"

Koji recognized the voice of the two-faced Baron, even over the din of the melee, and scowled. "Great, that's freak's here too?!" he grumbled. "I'll take him down before he causes any more trouble! BREASTO FIYAAAAAH!"

Mazinger Z let out a blast of flame from its chest, scoring a direct hit on Ashura's battleship, nearly causing it to fall out of the sky.

"Zuril! Do something! We're going to be wrecked!" Ashura screamed. But Zuril already had a plan in mind. With a fiendish grin, he pressed a button on the control console. A hatch on the belly of his ship opened up, and what appeared to be a small spaceship with two drills on the front was lowered by a heavy chain, surrounded by an energy field.

"Daisuke!" the person inside, a woman, called out. Immediately, the defenders of the base ceased their resistance, though the UFO Robos and Mechabeasts backed off. Daisuke immediately recognized the voice of the woman inside.

It was Hikaru Makiba inside Drill Spazer. She was alive, against all odds; but now he was afraid of losing her for sure this time.

"The shoe is on the other foot now, eh, wretches?!" Baron Ashura laughed. "Good thinking, Zuril!"

Zuril chuckled. "Daisuke Umon...no...Duke Fleed, crown prince of planet Fleed! I have in my hands the life of your dear friend Hikaru Makiba! If you treasure her life, you will hand over Grendizer to us. If you or your friends fail to comply, we will torture her before your very eyes until you do, or until she dies."

Those who were unable to prepare in time watched these events from inside, hearing Zuril's demands even from inside the building.

"Damn it, this is just like before!" Tara said angrily. "It figures they'd try something like this!"

"Daisuke! Don't hand over Grendizer! I beg you!" Hikaru Makiba called out before receiving an extremely painful shock as the energy lashed out at her. Everyone wanted so very much to jump in and rescue Daisuke's friend, and those who had been at the battle at Ptolemaeus remembered all too well why they detested holding hostages.

The Fleedian knew what he was about to do would doom everyone, but he didn't want to lose Hikaru. He prepared to eject from Grendizer...

"PHOTON BEAAAAAAAAAAM!"

"MAZINGER BLADE!"

Two yellow lasers, then a large sword flew through the air. The lasers shorted out the energy field, and the sword cut the chain, dropping down. Hikaru managed to get to the controls and restart the small spaceship, and flew it safely out of harm's way.

Everyone present looked up and saw two rather familiar faces diving into from above: Great Mazinger...and Mazinkaiser, the latter equipped with the Kaiser Scrander.

"IMPOSSIBLE! _ANOTHER_ KOJI KABUTO?!" Baron Ashura screamed.

"Holy cow...he's alive! Our Koji's alive!" Akito cheered, having not known that Koji had survived.

"Sorry to worry you, everyone," Koji said. He immediately saw the Ruined World's Mazinger Z, but assumed someone else was piloting it, and turned to Zuril and Ashura. "Listen up, you two punks! As long as Mazinkaiser and Great Mazinger are here, the likes of you will never take the Earth! Go! Kei! Gai! Tetsuya! Daisuke! Let's finish this!"

"Understood," Go said, flying Shin Getter next to him.

"I'm ready, Koji!" Tetsuya said eagerly.

"You will pay for taking my friend hostage like that!" Daisuke said angrily, eager for some payback. "Let's go everyone!"

"FIRE BLASTER!"

"THUNDER BREAK!"

"SPACE THUNDER!"

"GETTER BEEEEEAAAAM!"

The four beams swept across the enemy army, annihilating everything in their path before concentrating on Zuril's vessel. The alien general quickly ran for the nearest escape pod. Seeing that the worst was about to occur, Ashura's ship took off into a full retreat as well.

"This is the end!" Daisuke cried. "FINAL DYNAMIC SPECIAL!"

All three intensified their attacks, and the enemy vessel blew apart, as did just about every other enemy in the area. The base itself managed to hold together, though. As the enemy retreated, cheers rang throughout the area while shrapnel from Mechabeasts and UFO Robo littered the landscape. Meanwhile, Kouji could only gaze in awe at how amazing Mazinkaiser was...

* * *

Koji and Tetsuya were swarmed by everyone who had known them, glad to see them again. Some hugged him, some tried to chat with him, but everyone found ways to express their overwhelming joy at reuniting with their friend; Tara was particularly happy to see Mazinkaiser's pilot, bawling her head off and hugging him, much to Sayaka's chagrin.

But when Kouji entered the room, everyone went silent and parted, allowing the two pilots to see each other for the first time.

"Koji Kabuto, Kouji Kabuto. Kouji Kabuto, Koji Kabuto...or have you met?" Izumi chimed in after several seconds of silence. Ryoko slapped her on the back of the head.

The two pilots approached each other, their movements mirroring each other as they gazed in wonder at their alternate selves. Finally they nervously reached out to shake each other's hands. Hikaru Amano shut her eyes tight, fearing some sort of time paradox.

But no such thing occurred. The two selves shook hands, both grinning widely, being the first people ever (that they knew of) to shake hands with themselves...

* * *

_Yes, ladies and germs, there will be antics involving the two Kojis. How fun will they be? Tune in next time when we don't find out!  
_


	35. Chapter 21

_Next up, have some GaoGaiGar AND Evangelion plot! Also, holy cow I'm pumping these out like crazy!  
_

* * *

**Chapter 21 (Teppelin) – Zonder in the Desert! The Golden Destroyer's Premiere!  
**

It was strategy time amongst the various decision-makers. Waging war on one of the major world powers with just three ships and a bunch of robots wasn't going to be easy, and all of them knew it. They had to consider their plan of action carefully. Thankfully, Zero had a plan already lined up.

"Our immediate target is the Gibraltar base, to the southwest," Zero began. "While it's technically European Union territory, it's under the control of ZAFT at this moment, and as an act of goodwill toward our sponsor, I've decided that it would be in our best interest to take it back."

"While it is out of the way," Murrue said thoughtfully, "it does have a mass driver. With the loss of Panama to the aliens, the Alliance will need one if it wants to send more forces out into space."

"Why can't we just go straight east?" Yurika asked. "It's much faster to go that way, isn't it? Or are we going to actually fly over Britannia?"

"As impractical as it sounds, it is our best option," Murrue answered. "The area over the Caucasus Mountains and Kashmir is a hotbed of fighting, what with the European Union and India quarreling over the area."

"And knowing our crew, they'd throw themselves into that conflict without a second thought," Akatsuki added. "Meanwhile, North Africa is, although under ZAFT control, stable in terms of conflict. As long as we don't attract too much attention, we can get through with relatively few problems.

"You're quite sharp, Akatsuki Nagare," Zero replied "But there's one additional reason I want to pass through there..."

"Princess Cornelia. She's in that area, I take it?" Yurika answered, her mind for military tactics suddenly taking front and center.

"I'm surprised, Captain Misumaru," Murrue complemented her. "You never struck me as the type for military tactics. Little wonder they put you in charge of the _Nadesico_." Yurika smiled a bit.

"Yes, Princess Cornelia has been sent to the El-Almein front recently," Zero continued. "If we can capture her, we can use her to negotiate with Britannia."

"I don't know if the crew would be too keen about holding another hostage, considering we just had to deal with one," Ruri added.

"Cornelia's different, though," Murrue replied. "She's hardly blameless compared to say, Lacus Clyne. Regardless, the plan seems sound enough. Are we all in agreement?"

* * *

Rei wandered about the _Nadesico_, looking for someone. She, Asuka and Misato were staying on the _Nadesico_, moving into where the Getter Team had been, as they had moved to the _Ra Calium_. Shinji was rooming with Akito, but he wasn't who she sought.

Suddenly, Rei heard a murmuring of voices coming from one of the rooms, one of which she recognized.

"Honk-honk."

"Tee-hee-hee! Stop that!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't help it, especially since they're yours, you beautiful..."

"Mmm..."

Rei couldn't believe what she was hearing. Janus, the only boy who had shown her true kindness...the one person outside of NERV who gave meaning to her existence beyond doing Gendo's every whim...he was...with someone else.

She couldn't explain it, but the girl started to ache all over. Was this what it was like to be betrayed? To be tossed aside? A torrent of ideas and theories rushed through her mind as to why this circumstance had occurred.

The girl let out a single sob, and suddenly the noise in the room stopped. She heard movement, and the door opened. There was Janus, standing there with only pants on.

"Rei, what you are doing here? Don't tell me you were..."

Rei nodded, her eyes filled with guilt. Even when she felt betrayed, the EVA pilot felt like she had betrayed him even worse by snooping into his affairs. Tara, covering her exposed chest with the sheets, looked around Janus. As for him, he had since gotten the mental fortitude to look her in the eye, her once soul-piercing gaze no longer able to do so.

"You felt that way about me, didn't you?" Janus said sympathetically, squatting down and stroking Rei's hair with a kind smile on his face. The girl hesitated, and then nodded.

"Rei, I like you," Janus continued. "Just...not in that way. I guess..."

The girl looked at him with wide eyes, hoping for some sort of consolation.

"Say, do you have any brothers or sisters?"

Rei thought about it, and shook her head. Janus smiled a bit wider, and rubbed her head and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Well, starting now, you can call me 'big brother', okay?" Tara giggled at how cute this whole little scene was. Rei's frown and look of guilt turned once again into a small smile, something she hadn't done since Shinji had visited her in the hospital.

"T-t-t-thank you...big brother," the girl stammered. Without another word, she got up and walked away. Janus couldn't help but notice a little spring in her step.

* * *

Akito sat in one of the lounges on the _Nadesico_, watching an episode of _Gekiganger 3_ with Shinji. When he had heard that the boy's first experience with the series was with the notorious "Mindscrew" episode, Akito knew he had to introduce him to the series from the beginning.

As it so happened, they were viewing an early episode, and Guy happened to be passing by. He walked three-quarters of the way across the room, but then recognized the episode, and sat down to Shinji's right, with Akito at his left.

"I love this episode!" Guy said suddenly. The two younger boys looked over at him quizzically.

"You like _Gekiganger 3_?" Shinji exclaimed. Akito paused the video without looking away.

"Are you kidding?" Guy laughed. "It's practically required that you love it if you want to join GGG!"

"That's awesome! Um...oh, I-I'm sorry - I completely forgot your name..." Akito said awkwardly. "I'm Tenkawa – Akito Tenkawa."

"Guy Shishioh."

Akito looked away a bit. It sounded just like Gai Daigoji's first name.

"I...had a friend who had a similar name. He...was the biggest _Gekiganger 3 _fan I had ever known...he was the only real friend I ever had, at least before I joined the _Nadesico _crew." Guy was about to ask what happened, but he quickly saw that it would merely open old wounds.

"Um...are we gonna keep watching?" Shinji chimed in after a few awkward moments of silence.

"Oh, uh, right," Akito said, snapping out of his sorrowful reverie. As the episode was un-paused, his memory of Gai's death faded back into his mind, as better ones returned – memories of the good times he had spent watching the show with his friend...

* * *

It looked to be an open-and-shut case for the three ships...the base was just ahead, and they appeared to be oblivious to the incoming threat. But then again, they couldn't have expected what happened before they cleared the mountain.

The _Nadesico _suddenly rattled and rumbled violently as an immensely powerful projectile struck it, completely bypassing its Distortion Field. On the bridge, the crew scrambled to check the damage, even as the ship struggled to stay airborne.

"What the heck WAS that?!" Jun exclaimed. "It just blew off the top of the mountain...half of our engines are toast; same with the Distortion Field!"

Before Jun could say anymore, another round fired off, grazing the _Archangel_, but still substantially damaging it. Moments later, a third round whizzed by the _Ra Calium, _but still managed to heavily damage the front of the ship merely by passing near it.

The three ships still had enough power to safely land in the desert sands, but they were clearly not going anywhere for a while. Thankfully, none of the mechs were harmed by the strange weapon that had opened fire on them.

* * *

On the ground, Leeron was able to determine the nature of the weapon by merely examining the damage.

"Well, everyone, it looks like our enemy has access to micro-black-hole weaponry," Leeron said rather bluntly. "But based on what I've been able to learn, this isn't ZAFT tech we're dealing with."

"I'll bet that it's a Jovian Lizard weapon," Akatsuki said grimly. "Ever since the _Nadesico _disrupted the Big Barrier almost a year ago, we've had all sorts of trouble descend to Earth...there's no other enemy that I know of with that sort of technology."

"Oops..." Yurika said with embarrassment. She had not realized that the Big Barrier had allowed so much to occur.

"What's done is done. The Lizards probably would have pierced it in time anyway," Ruri replied.

"Yes..." Zero began. "What we must do now is repair any damage that we can, then find an Alliance base where we can get them fully repaired. But for now, we seem to be stranded."

"Thankfully, the backup power sources were undamaged, and the _Nadesico_'s Spiral Engine can still run at 50% in its current state." Ruri continued. "But anything related to long-range communication, defense or actually getting them back in the air isn't worth using at this point. If it wasn't for the Super Robots, mobile suits, Knightmare Frames and other mechs on our ships, we'd be sitting ducks."

Guy, who had been listening in, already knew exactly what to do. He contacted GGG Orbital Base through his wrist communicator.

"Guy! We saw the whole thing," Taiga said, knowing already why GaoGaiGar's pilot had called. "Unfortunately, the Carpenters are still working on repairing the Panama mass driver at the moment. Those Vega Empire troops couldn't take the base, but they did nearly destroy it. It will take at least 12 hours for them to finish repairs and make the trip to your location. You can hold out for that long, can't you?"

"Thank you, Taiga," Guy said gratefully. "We'll hold out for as long as we need to." The cyborg ran over to the group and told them the good news. Even so, they decided to at least get started on repairs, and to set up watches in case of attack by enemy forces.

* * *

Gibraltar Base stood at the edge of the ocean just across the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Federation. It was here that ZAFT kept watch on its enemies, and also where it conducted numerous military experiments. In particular, the mass driver stationed there was undergoing a complete overhaul:

Based on the plans for the Gravity Blaster (also stolen by Nicol from the _Nadesico_, though the official story was that the plans were purchased from them), ZAFT was experimenting with a new gravity-generating mass driver, and leading the project was former Alliance scientist (and Coordinator) Professor Akiko Hirata. She stood in the middle of a large test chamber, surrounded by ZAFT military and PLANT reporters, who were broadcasting the event to the PLANTs, while keeping it off Earth communication channels thanks to a specially encrypted signal.

"Based on my theories and the plans we obtained from Nergal," the dark-haired scientist began, "This Gravity Control Generator can create anything from high gravity to anti-gravity. To test this, watch as this 78.5 metric ton mobile suit is suspended in mid-air by anti-gravity!"

Akiko walked up to the console, and began typing in some commands, then watched. To her shock, nothing happened. The GINN's feet remained firmly planted on the platform it stood on. She heard the crowd beginning to murmur.

"Unfortunately, due to unforeseen technical difficulties," the scientist said, trying not to sound distressed, "today's presentation will have to be postponed. You will be contacted with the new date...until then, I must ask you to leave." The crowd started an uproar as ZAFT guards started to shoo the non-military onlookers away, while the ZAFT military commanders left in a more orderly fashion, minds filled with ideas of cutting funds to the project.

Akiko left, baffled as to what went wrong, but immediately went back to the main test chamber, sat down at her computer, and began running diagnostics. But unbeknownst to anyone present, two sinister entities were silently watching from within the walls - Polonaise and Primada.

They smiled cruelly, having just found the host for this batch of Zonder Metal...

* * *

Akiko couldn't understand it. She had run dozens of diagnostic tests, quadruple-checked all her data, ran five simulations, and even checked her initial math. Everything was exactly as she had theorized...so why wasn't the anti-gravity working?

She took a sip of coffee and continued running tests. Suddenly, she heard laughter coming from all around her. The face of Polonaise oozed out of her keyboard, while Primada slunk from out of the shadows, holding the batch of Zonder Metal in her hands. The scientist let out a cry and jumped out of her chair.

"You wish to manipulate gravity, do you not?" Polonaise said as Akiko watched in terror, unable to move as Primada twirled toward her, the Zonder Metal held in her outstretched hand. Finally, the woman felt the Zonder Metal touch her forehead, and an indescribable sensation filled her.

"Well then, manipulate gravity to your heart's content," Polonaise continued. The woman felt the Zonder Metal fill her entire being, eating away at her sanity. Polonaise and Primada quietly slipped out of sight, eagerly awaiting the Zonder that this host would create.

* * *

"And that's the situation, Your Majesty," Yzak said. He and Dearka stood before Emperor Charles to deliver the word of the Atlantic Federation's breach of the non-aggression pact. The hall was grand, and Charles sat upon his throne, listening to the Coordinators. Shapiro sat to his right on a somewhat smaller throne.

"We appreciate your information," Charles said, using the royal "we", which he only used when on his throne in regards to such important matters, while he referred to himself in the singular at all other times. "Please wait in the adjacent room while we discuss this matter with our adviser, as we may yet still require your presence. You will be summoned when we have finished."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Yzak said, bowing. He hated bowing to a Natural, even if he was a king and a supporter of the Coordinators' existence. Dearka did so as well, not minding quite as much.

"So apparently the new Vice Minister has already taken the reins of the Atlantic Federation's military," Shapiro said with a chuckle. "I've heard rumors that he was one of those Blue Cosmos fellows."

"Blue Cosmos is an organization to be loathed, Shapiro," Charles replied. "They fear the superior Coordinators and seek to dominate them, when it is the Coordinators that clearly possess the right to do so! A pure, blue world cannot be maintained by weaklings and idiots!"

"So, what do you plan to do, Your Majesty?" Shapiro said. "There is also the matter of those three ships now under the Atlantic Federation's control. If Zero is among them, it is clear that the Atlantic Federation intends to wrest control of Area 11 from you."

"I will send word to Cornelia, and perhaps some backup forces as well. While we have our mass-produced Great Mazingers, their group has many powerful war machines. We must not underestimate them."

Shapiro suddenly got an idea. He had been waiting for a chance to get rid of Suzaku Kururugi, and now was the perfect opportunity.

* * *

Mamoru awoke with a start as his hair stood up on end and turned green. He knew this feeling very well - it was what always happened when a Zonder was getting close. He immediately headed for the bridge of the _Nadesico_, where Ruri was up as always, keeping an eye on things.

"Ruri! Ruri! You have to get everyone up!" he cried.

"Calm down, Mamoru," Ruri said calmly. "What good reason do you have for getting everyone up at this hour? Omoikane hasn't detected anything approaching for miles...and also, explain what you possessed you to do that to your hair; it looks terrible."

"A Zonder! A Zonder is headed this way!" Mamoru replied as loudly as before. "It's huge! Huger than any I've ever felt!"

"You can sense Zonder?" Ruri said, raising an eyebrow. Suddenly, a call came from outside. It was Koji in Mazinkaiser, who, along with Kira and Judau, were assigned to watch during this time of night.

"Guys, there's something REALLY big coming this way! We're talking gigantic!"

"How big?" Ruri asked, somewhat worried now that Mamoru was right.

"It's like something fused with the entire Gibraltar military base and turned it into one giant monster!"

Ruri double-checked her monitors. Indeed, the entire Gibraltar base was actually moving, and rather quickly at that. The three ships had landed about fifty miles from the base's initial location, so it would take about another hour to arrive. Ruri looked back at Mamoru, who was frowning at her, as if to say "I told you so".

The _Nadesico_'s XO typed in a command on her console, and alarms started going off all over the ship. Similar alarms started going off on the _Archangel _and _Ra Calium_.

* * *

The Guren MK II, Mazinkaiser, EVA Unit 01, Lifthrasir, Great Mazinger, GaoGaiGar, Shin Getter, the Launcher Strike, Nu Gundam, ZZ Gundam, Volfogg, Boss Borot, Goldymarg and Gundam ALEX all stood outside, watching and waiting for the incoming Zonder.

In a matter of moments, the Zonder finally got close enough to discern features. Indeed, the entire Gibraltar Base had been integrated into the behemoth's form, mass driver and all. In the center of this mass was the Zonder Robo itself. It consisted of a glass tube with energy running through it, with eye-tipped tentacles and a pair of crudely-formed hands at the end of pneumatic arms.

"ATTAAAAACK!" Guy roared. All at once, every one present let out their strongest distance weapons.

"FIRE BLASTER!"

"THUNDER BREAK!"

"GETTER BEAM!"

"FIN FUNNEL!"

"HI-MEGA CANNON!"

"LIFTHRA RIFLE!"

"BROKEN MAGNUM!"

The rest of the group let out cries of hot-blooded fury as they fired their strongest available weapons – Guren mk II fired its slash harkens, the Strike fired its Agni, Gundam ALEX shot its beam rifle, and Unit 01 let loose with a heavy gatling cannon. Boss Borot and Goldymarg were content with throwing large boulders scattered around the area.

The Zonder let out a sinister wail and unleashed a torrent of tentacles, knocking everyone down.

But before anyone present could get back up, the Zonder let out another low cry, and suddenly the weight of everything present increased by sixteen times, immediately dropping everyone back to the ground, and threatening to crush them under their own weight.

"Damn it...not...our...day..." Kallen grunted.

The three ships were slammed into the ground as well, their landing gear snapping underneath their vastly increased weight. Everyone inside was immediately pushed down to the floor, their bodies unable to handle the strain of gravity.

However, after a few moments, two robots DID manage to stand up and march forward: Mazinkaiser and Goldymarg. Even when sixteen times their normal weight, the two mechs were able to stand up and walk forward at all, such was their might. They were glad they weren't on soft sand, lest they sink into it and be swallowed by the desert.

"Hey...G-Goldymarg..." Koji grunted. "We gotta...disable its gravity generator..."

"I hear ya..." Goldymarg grunted in reply.

The two robots trudged forward, struggling against their own weight to move forward. But as they did, the Zonder Robo quickly switched from gravity to anti-gravity, flinging the two skyward.

Koji, however, remembered a _Gekiganger_ 3 episode where the monster of the week had similar powers. He remembered that Gekigangerwas first stopped by high gravity, flung skyward by anti-gravity, and pulled down again by gravity repeatedly. While the episode ended with the intervention of an ally, Koji didn't need it...not with Mazinkaiser around. He briefly fired the Kaiser Scrander, and forced his mech into a dive, slowly down his ascent. He took careful aim with its fists and waited.

"What are you doin?!" Goldymarg bellowed as the gravity started to shift. "We gotta get out of this damn gravity field!"

"I'm doing just that!" Koji yelled as Kaiser started to get pulled down. "TURBO SMASHER PUUUUUUUUUUUNCHIE!"

Mazinkaiser fired the two powerful punches, which had even greater force than normal thanks to the increased gravity.

The punches hit home as the rocket punches struck the gravity generator in the center of the Zonder. Instantly, the gravity returned to normal. Koji pulled Kaiser out of its dive, and grabbed hold of Goldymarg as soon as its fists returned. He was able to slow their descent well enough that neither robot was damaged on impact.

"Koji! Great work!" Guy said. "You were amazing as well, Goldymarg."

"We're not done yet!" Kallen grunted as the Guren mk II got to its feet. "If I know giant monsters, something this big probably has the ability to regenerate."

"Damn it, if only I could figure out where its core was," Guy growled.

"I've got it!" Tara chimed in. She opened up a portal in front of her, then created another on EI-19 itself, and then fired a pair of rifle shots. The shots went through the portal, and struck the tip-top of it, exposing its core.

"Great! Now, we need to keep it held down!" Judau said. "Everyone, hammer it until it drops!"

The group started firing again, but this time it put up a barrier that seemed nearly impossible to pierce.

"Grr, stupid barrier!" Kei grunted.

"Leave it to me!" Volfogg declared. "MELTING SIREN!"

Like before, Volfogg bounded into the air and let out a cacophony of noise. Unlike the Angels' AT Fields, the Melting Siren did its job and shut down the Zonder's barrier.

"Guy, now's our chance to try our supreme combination!" Goldymarg called out. "Let's finish it while its defenses are down!" Guy smirked, eager to try it as well. This monster was too big for an old-fashioned Hell & Heaven, anyway.

* * *

Back up at the Orbital Base, Taiga stood up dramatically, holding a card that automatically raised a key, which GGG's head pulled out, his ponytail and coat flapping wildly in spite of the lack of wind.

"GOLDION HAMMER! OPERATION APPROVED!" he roared, dramatically jamming the key into a special keyhole, and then twisting it, sending energy into another computer.

"Right! Goldion Hammer..." Mikoto called out as she typed in some commands, and then pulling out a card of her own, as a card slot and different screen flipped around. "...Safety Device...REEEEELEASE!" She swiped the card in the slot with all her might. The computer made confirming beeps, signaling Goldymarg to begin his role.

"SYSTEM CHANGE!" Goldymarg roared. The hammer on its back shot off, and it folded itself into a block shape with another hand coming out of the one. GaoGaiGar ejected its right forearms, and rushed at Goldymarg.

"HAMMER CONNECTO!"

GaoGaiGar and the Marg Hand linked up, the latter forming GaoGaiGar's new right hand. The hammer slowly descended as GaoGaiGar held out its new hand.

"GOLDION HAMMER!"

As soon as GaoGaiGar took hold of the weapon, it began to overflow with power and turn gold. Everyone else ceased their attack, and backed off, seeing that GaoGaiGar was preparing to finish the job. The Zonder let out a long wail.

GaoGaiGar used its left hand to pull out a huge glowing nail out of one of the wheels on Goldymarg's body, and flew high into the air before coming down with great force.

"HAMMER...HELL!"

The robot struck the core of the Zonder with the nail, then smashed it in further with the hammer.

"HAMMER...HEAVEN!"

A two-pronged tool ideal for prying out nails flipped out, and GaoGaiGar dramatically used it to rip the core out of the Zonder. The tentacle-veins that connected it to the rest of the machine dissipated and the core gently landed in the mech's free hand. With the core secured, Guy was ready to deliver the final blow, and struck the now core-less Zonder with the hammer.

"HIKARI NI NAAAARAAAAA!"

Anyone who understood Japanese knew what that meant...and the Zonder quickly did just that, its body broken down into pure light and energy.

"Wow...now that is an attack..." Simon quipped as he got to his feet. "We've gotta think of something to outdo this guy, Viral!"

Mamoru swooped out of the _Nadesico _and approached the Zonder core, and quickly purified it. The purple monster slowly shifted back to the form of Professor Akika Hirata, whose cheeks were streaked with tears of joy and gratitude for being saved from her monstrous form.

Just then, a virtual cacophony of buzzing could be heard overhead. The group looked up, and saw dozens of ten-foot-high robots buzzing through the air. Unlike the others, these didn't look at all like combat mechs. In fact, Guy was happy to see them.

"The Carpenters are here! And not a moment too soon, either!" Volfogg said.

* * *

Elpeo Puru was excited that Lord Char had given her this particular mission; the chance to see Judau again was not something she was about to turn down, even if it meant crossing over to another universe.

She flew her Quebley down toward the glowing white Threshold, which sat outside Anaheim Electronics, barely giving a second thought to the Federation troops stationed there. She quickly let fly her Funnels, and annihilated the weak Jegans and GMs.

_Look out, Judau, here I come!_

Puru rushed full-speed into the portal - and just as the others did, she felt her entire body stretch out down the atoms, only to snap back to normal on the other side after what simultaneously felt like an eternity and an instant.

She reappeared at Ptolemaeus Base, and almost immediately, she was greeted by a small force of Alliance mobile armors, baffled by the appearance of this new mobile suit.

_Aw...at this rate I'll NEVER catch up to Judau! _Puru thought with a sigh. She put her mind to dealing with these new annoyances...

* * *

_I felt like adding that last part entirely out of the blue. I've meant to do a lot more with Elpeo Puru, since she's such an adorable character. Don't worry, Puru fans, she's not going to get killed off. _


	36. Chapter 22

_Maybe I should do more chapters like this. It's just more fun to do these sort of chapters for me. Don't worry, there will be plenty of giant robot action next chapter!_

* * *

**Chapter 22 – Birth of DREAM! The Land of the Desert Tiger! Part 1**

The Carpenters worked with as much speed and precision as Guy claimed. Even with the extensive damage that the unknown weapon had caused the ships, it took less than three hours for all the ships to be completely repaired by the expert fix-it mechs, and another two to repair all of the damaged robots. The parts from the now scrapped base certainly facilitated the speedy repairs as well. Still, it was so loud that even the most notoriously heavy sleepers got no rest for the remainder of the night.

Meanwhile, Akiko Hirata, as thanks for saving her from her fate, agreed to renounce her place on ZAFT and instead join as a member of GGG's operations crew, and offered valuable information about the current state of the region to the crew of the three ships.

It was under the control of a ZAFT commander by the name of Andrew Waltfield, better known as the "Desert Tiger". He ruled the area ruthlessly, and had, up until this point, been battling Britannia's attempts to take over the region. However, it was now possible that ZAFT and Britannia would put aside their difference and join forces in controlling the region. There was also a resistance group hiding somewhere in the desert named "Desert Dawn". This group waged battle against both sides using guerilla tactics. As it so happened, Hirata had calculated, down to the nearest mile, the location of their base; but never got around to revealing its location to Waltfield or any other ZAFT commander.

"However, I feel it will be vital to your cause if you meet Desert Dawn," Hirata concluded. "They know this area as well as you would know the backs of your own hands."

* * *

The three ships reached the coordinates where Hirata told the ships to start looking. Sure enough, they spotted a group of tan-skinned men in bandanas and light clothing, about thirteen strong, as well as a blonde girl with short hair after a mere half hour of looking. The group stopped and watched with interest as the three ships landed on the dunes and the captains came to greet them. However, they were prepared for the worst; several members of each ship's crew were hidden and armed, in case a fight broke out. In addition, Kira, Akito, Izumi, and Hikaru Amano (Hikaru Makiba, Daisuke's friend, was aboard the _Ra Calium _in its sick bay) were deployed in their machines.

The apparent leader of the group, an aging but vigorous man with a thick brown beard and a green bandana, approached Murrue, Bright, Yurika, Akiko and Zero.

"Well, well, fancy finding types like you out here. This is ZAFT territory," the man said with a chuckle.

"Are you part of the Desert Dawn resistance group?" Akiko asked.

"And what's it to you," the man replied, "that we might be Desert Dawn?"

"We're with the Alliance," Zero replied, deciding that it was best if he did the talking. "I am Zero, the leader of the Black Knights, who fight for Japan's liberation. I take it you are Desert Dawn's leader. This is Murrue Ramius, captain of the _Archangel_, Yurika Misumaru, captain of the _Nadesico_, and this is Bright Noa, captain of the _Ra Calium_."

"Ah, always good to meet a fellow freedom fighter. Sahib Ashman's the name...and yes, I am the leader of this little group here."

"So, will you help us?" Zero then asked. "We're trying to get through this area, but our ships got shot down by some strange weapon. Can you help us out?"

"Well, if you want us to help you, you'd first better lower YOUR weapons," Sahib said rather genially. The crew in hiding marveled at the man's keen perception, and came out into the open, weapons lowered.

"Oh, and those robots...have their pilots come out as well."

After a few tense moments, the cockpits of the Strike and the three Aestivalis uneasily got out of their mechs. Kira removed his helmet as well, while the Aestivalis pilots didn't need them in the first place, so their faces were already exposed.

"The light...it burns us..." Izumi muttered under her breath.

Everyone was shocked to see that all the pilots were so young...barely children. But the blonde girl quickly recognized Kira. In a fit of anger at seeing the boy who had saved her life now piloting the Strike, she rushed over to him, but stopped mid-stride.

"It's you," the girl said. "Why...why are you piloting that thing?!"

She tried to punch him, but Kira caught the punch. After getting a few moments to really get a look at the girl, he recognized her - it was the same girl he had saved back at Heliopolis!

"Let me go, you bastard!" she yelled, hitting him hard with the back of her free hand. Everyone recoiled in shock at this act - the armed crews of the three ships started to lift their weapons, now assuming the worst, but Sahib was quicker.

"Cagalli! That's enough!" Desert Dawn's leader called out to them.

Cagalli and Kira stared at each other, one with confused shock, the other with a quiet fury.

* * *

"Man, we might be in over our heads here, Commander Creuset," Yzak said as the Duel, Buster and Lancelot flew across the desert. He, Dearka, and Suzaku had witnessed the events of the past night from a great distance, and the memory of it had stayed with them the whole way.

"I am glad to see you're alright, but what do you have to fear?" the masked man asked curiously.

"The three ships have immense power on their side..." Dearka said, still exasperated by the memory of the event. "...far beyond anything we have in our arsenal! They make the Strike look like a kid's toy! Here, I'm sending you some footage."

He electronically sent the footage of Mazinkaiser and Goldymarg fighting EI-19, and then GaoGaiGar using the Goldion Hammer to defeat it. Creuset looked carefully at the footage.

"Yes, it is quite impressive;" the masked commander said frankly, "Super Robots are not to be trifled with. But other than that, I see nothing particularly frightening."

"Commander...that was the ENTIRE Gibraltar Base!" Dearka cried, rather frustrated at his commander's lack of concern. "It was turned INTO LIGHT. We don't have defenses against that kind of weapon...did I mention that about HALF their force consists of Super Robots?!"

In truth, Rau was very frustrated by the increased power of the legged ship and its gravity cannon wielding partner. He had failed to snuff them out at Heliopolis, and it was going to be more difficult with each passing day. But the masked commander never let his feelings show, always staying calm, collected and calculating.

"Indeed, we will have to prepare measures to counter such powerful weapons," Rau said. "All the same, you are to continue to support Britannia and the Desert Tiger. I've received word that Princess Cornelia has pulled out of the El-Almein front now that Britannia is our ally. Kururugi, I trust you'll cooperate with Joule and Elsman?"

"Yes, sir," Suzaku answered. He wanted to stay with Euphemia, especially from Shapiro. He didn't trust that man any farther than he could throw him, but the Emperor's orders were absolute, and as a Knight, he could not disobey...

* * *

Nunnally sorely missed Shinji, Suzaku and her big brother. What possessed a nice boy like Shinji to go to war was beyond her. She had help from others around the school, but without any of those three around, she felt all alone. If she could see and walk, she would have gladly followed her big brother to the ends of the earth. As she pondered this, the girl heard someone knock. But then she didn't hear the door open, but a low hum, just barely audible.

It was Kaworu, who knew that Shinji cared a lot about Nunnally, and as his friend, saw it as his obligation to be hers as well.

"Hello there, Nunnally Lamperouge," Kaworu said kindly. The girl shuddered a bit, wondering who this strange new voice was.

"Don't be afraid;" Kaworu continued. "I'm Kaworu Nagisa. Shinji-kun wanted me to watch over you while he and your brother were away. If you don't believe me, give one of them a call." Kaworu "Who do you want to call, Nunnally-chan?"

Nunnally pondered for a second, then held the phone up to her mouth.

"Call Shinji." The phone rang twice, then someone answered.

"Hello?" the EVA pilot's voice came from the other end.

"Shinji? It's me, Nunnally!"

"Hi, Nunnally; how's everything?" the boy asked happily, excited to hear his friend's voice again.

"I'm a little lonely without you and big brother; but I'm calling because there's a boy here who says you wanted him to help me while you and Lelouch were gone. Is that true?"

"What did he say his name was?" Shinji asked.

"Kaworu Nagisa."

"Oh yeah, I did ask him!" the boy replied. "If he comes across as a little too friendly, don't worry. He's like that with everyone."

Nunnally giggled. "Okay, thank you, Shinji. Goodbye!" With that, she hung up.

Kaworu smiled and approached the girl, taking the handles on her wheelchair and starting to push her along.

"It's almost noon," the boy said, now that Shinji had legitimized his presence. "Let's go get some lunch. I wonder what they're serving..."

* * *

The rebels brought the three ships and their crews to their base - it was a makeshift facility within a range of mountains to the west. Even for ZAFT mobile suits it would be difficult to capture - it was partially underground, making it difficult for anything except regular armed soldiers and small vehicles to get inside, and here, Desert Dawn had the advantage.

But now the issue was supplies. The gravity wave caused by EI-19 had done a number on the food and water reserves, so someone had to go out and get some, enough to at least keep the three crews fed for a couple of days, until they were outside of ZAFT territory. And then there was the issue of being recognized.

Sahib suggested that Cagalli and Kira take a few people into the nearby town, but no one who looked terribly unusual, lest unnecessary attention come their way. Janus, who was familiar with haggling for goods, volunteered. Rei, Shinji, Asuka and Shinobu followed suit, each wanting to keep an eye on the one that came before. Finally, Akito and Ryoko were volunteered by Akatsuki to head into town and gather information about the unknown Jovian weapon. However, to minimize suspicion by the local ZAFT officers, they all agreed to enter from different parts of town - Janus, Natarle, Shinobu and the EVA kids would enter from the town's south gate near the market; Cagalli, Kira, Akito and Ryoko would enter via the west gate.

Meanwhile, everyone else stayed at the base, and did their best to make themselves at home. Tara, Amuro, Simon, Mu, Akatsuki and Misato all sat around a small campfire, each clutching a drink of some kind in hand and eating some of the still intact food from the ships. Zero was with them as well, but he simply listened in silence.

"You know," Mu suddenly said, "Referring to ourselves as the 'crew of the _Nadesico_, _Archangel _and _Ra _Calium, supported by Nergal, GGG and NERV'is going to get cumbersome really quick. We need a snappy name for our merry band. Anyone got any suggestions?"

"How about Londo Bell?" Amuro suggested.

"That implies Bright's running the show," Misato said. "We already decided that all of the decision makers will contribute equally to maintaining the group."

"...ZEUTH? Or maybe ZEXIS?" Simon asked.

"Nah. They both sound too nasty." Amuro replied. "ZEXIS reminds me a little of Axis, and that never has any good connotations to people."

"How about Neue Warter?" Akatsuki suggested.

"New water?" Simon replied. "What kind of name is that?"

"I've got it! The Alpha Numbers!" Mu said.

"Not bad...but I think it should be one word, no more than five or so letters," Misato replied. She looked over at Tara, who seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. "Actually, now that I think about it, we should be leaving it up to Tara and Janus...or maybe just Tara, since she's still here."

This got Tara's attention.

"...Say what?" she said.

"I agree," Zero said with a nod. "After all, was it not Tara Zifell and Janus Olendra, thanks to the ability of their mechs to open Thresholds that facilitated the meeting of our group in the first place? As the glue that binds us all together, I feel they deserve the final say in the name of the group they were so critical in forming."

"That's fair," Simon said in agreement.

"So, Miss _Gekiganger _Fangirl, it's on you," Mu said. "What are you going to call our merry band of heroic misfits?"

Tara closed her eyes, and waited for a fitting word to come to mind. When one did come after a few seconds, she opened her eyes again.

"...DREAM."

"Hmmm...I like it," Mu replied. "It's short, it's simple, and if we want, we can call our fellow members DREAMers!"

"Yeah, I don't know if it stands for anything," Simon added, "but it's definitely a name I can get behind."

The other members of the group voiced their approval as well.

"It's settled, then," Zero said, standing up and extending his arm dramatically. "From this moment forth, all those who fight as part of the crews of the _Nadesico_, _Archangel _and _Ra Calium _shall hereby be known as members of DREAM!"

Everyone else in the room aside from those involved in the conversation suddenly started applauding Zero. Mu rolled his eyes.

* * *

"Well, here we are," said the driver of Janus' group, a Desert Dawn member with heavy five o'clock shadow and a scar over his left eye. "We'll be back in four hours. You remember the merchants we told you to go to, right? Make NO purchases of supplies from anyone else. Just tell them what I told you and they'll know what to do."

"Maybe we could get some nice knickknacks?" Shinji said. "Yeah, I'll get something nice for Nunnally."

"What is it with you and that girl?" Asuka groaned as the EVA pilots got out of the car. "Are you that desperate to get laid that you'd have a girlfriend that's blind and crippled?! Or do you get hot from that sort of thing?"

"Knock it off, Asuka," Shinobu scolded them. "This isn't the time or the place for that. Let's go and get those supplies."

"Hey, that looks like one of the merchants," Janus said, looking at an aging fellow with a short grey beard and a purple shirt. "You go ahead and keep looking...we'll meet up where we were dropped off." He walked over to the man, and Rei followed him, not wanting to stray too far from her "big brother". This left Shinobu to babysit Asuka and Shinji. He turned around and saw Shinji looking at some jewelry a merchant was hawking. He grabbed Shinji by the shirt and dragged him onward.

"Let's go, lover boy...we don't have time for that right now," the leader of the Cyber Beast Force said with a sigh.

* * *

Dearka thanked the merchant as he handed some coins over to him as payment for a bag of delicious-looking dried figs. He handed a few to Yzak and Suzaku, before taking one from the main bag and eagerly popped it into his mouth. They openly wore their ZAFT uniforms, which made the locals more compliant with their demands.

"Man, you gotta give these Naturals credit," the Buster's pilot said after swallowing one. "If there's one thing that the people around here do better than us Coordinators, it's growing the best figs ever!" He turned around and started walking backwards, turning down an alleyway to another part of the market.

And it just so happened that Shinobu, Shinji and Asuka had decided to turn down that same alleyway, and Dearka collided into Asuka, who was doing the exact same thing, except she was dining on some salted almonds. Both of them ended up dropping their goods, and spilled them all over the sandy ground.

"Hey, watch it, you dumbkopf!" Asuka yelled after whirling around. "You made me drop my almonds!"

"You watch where YOU'RE going, kid!" Dearka shot back. "You made me drop my figs! Pay up, you stupid Natural!"

"No! YOU pay up!" Asuka retorted. "Or I'll beat the crap out of you!"

"Big words coming from a weak little Natural girl!" the Buster's pilot taunted her. Asuka let out a battle cry and lunged at Dearka. To the Coordinator's surprise, Asuka was speedy and strong for her size, and managed to nail him in the jaw with a right hook. He counterattacked with a punch of his own, smacking her in the same place, but much harder.

Shinobu, quickly seeing that this fight wasn't going to go well for Asuka, leaped in and kicked Dearka in the head. Yzak joined in, seeing that his friend was now outnumbered. This left Shinji and Suzaku standing there, dumbfounded at how this whole situation escalated so quickly. Finally, they saw each other, and Shinji actually recognized Suzaku.

"Hey! You're Suzaku Kururugi!" Shinji exclaimed. "What are you doing with thugs from ZAFT?! You're not with them, aren't you?"

Suzaku scowled, cursing himself. He hadn't expected to be seen by a schoolmate, especially not one so close to Lelouch and Nunnally.

"Okay, I'm with them," Suzaku said, resigned to telling the truth. "What's it to you?"

"...Traitor! First you betray Japan, and now Lelouch and Nunnally, your two dearest friends?!" Shinji continued, bravado and anger welling up within him. "You...you're...you're..."

He let out a cry as he picked up a nearby thick plank of wood and rushed past the others that were in a tangled brawl, and struck Suzaku as hard as he could in the head. The Lancelot's pilot was too shocked to dodge the blow, and staggered backward into the wall, smacked his head again, and drifted into unconsciousness.

Letting out another cry, Shinji raised the plank and smacked Dearka and Yzak on the head as well. While Dearka took a blunt hit, the corner of the board slashed Yzak's right eye, leaving a deep cut. This final blow was enough to stop the fight, two ZAFT pilots got up, with Dearka grabbing Suzaku's unconscious body and Yzak covering his bloody face and ran away. Shinji was panting heavily as he came out of the high of his brief berserk rage.

Asuka dusted herself off, and looked at Shinji. She was surprised that the wimp was even capable of such a daring act. Shinobu, on the other hand, was less than pleased, but said nothing.

"Wow, Ikari - you sent those morons packing! I guess I misjudged you," Eva Unit 02's pilot said, suddenly looking very awkward. "And...I...I guess...um...I..."

Shinobu raised an eyebrow, and Shinji tilted his head, wondering what Asuka was about to say.

"I take back all the mean things I said about you!" she finished, eyes closed tightly, fists at her sides, as if she was doing something physically grueling. Shinji grinned, happy to have Asuka, who he still considered a friend, finally acknowledge him.

"C'mon, you two," Shinobu said. "Let's keep looking...and try not to get into any more fights, Asuka. I might not bail you out like I did this time."

* * *

Cagalli, Kira, Akito and Ryoko wandered around a nicer, more upscale part of town. This was where most of the ZAFT officers lived. They had purchased some supplies as well, and decided to stop for a quick bite to eat, sitting down at a street-side cafe.

"Well, we have most of what we need," Cagalli said as she sat down and laid the leather bags full of non-food-related supplies before pulling out a small slip of paper and looked at it with some disgust.

"But the requests of this Flay chick are ridiculous!" she continued. "Elsario brand milky lotion? Beauty wash? Scented sanitary napkins?! They don't sell that sort of crap here!"

A waiter employed by the cafe stopped by, and handed each of the four a menu. Akito, always eager to expand his repertoire, perused the menu carefully. Cagalli, on the other hand, took one look and decided.

"I'll have the doner kebab," Cagalli said in the local language before turning back to her friends and speaking in the language she usually used; "I recommend we all get it. It's quick, tasty, filling and not too expensive!"

"Sounds fine to me," Ryoko quipped. "I could eat anything right now."

"Yeah, it sounds delicious!" Akito said.

"Make that four doner kebabs," Cagalli then said to the waiter. He nodded, calmly took the menus, and left.

"So, I hear you two, among others, were in another universe," Cagalli said, turning to Akito and Ryoko. "And that part of your force is from that universe. Is that true?"

"Yeah, and it's not too different from this one," Akito replied. "Except that the Earth in that universe is in really bad shape. I don't remember the exact details of what caused it."

"And did you see those two guys who look like twins in our group?" Ryoko said. Cagalli nodded.

"Well, they're not twins...they're literally the exact same person. It's like going inside the mirror and hanging out with your own reflection!"

"Wow...and I thought I had some crazy adventures," Cagalli said. At that moment, the waiter returned with their doner kebabs, which were ground lamb slices, lettuce and tomato, all on top of a thick, hot pita bread. The waiter also brought a white and red bottle containing different kinds of sauce.

"Man, it's been what, a minute and a half?" Akito exclaimed. "Do they actually freshly make them, or do they prepare them in advance?"

"I'd rather not think about it. Let's eat!" Ryoko said excitedly.

"Yeah," Cagalli said, picking up the red bottle. "But first, let's add some chili sauce..."

"WAIT! HOLD ON JUST A MOMENT!" an unknown voice called out to them. They looked behind them as a strange fellow in a short-brimmed hat, sunglasses, long side burns, and sporting a tacky yellow and red shirt. The four looked on, baffled at this weirdo's sudden appearance. The man picked up the white bottle.

"How can you add chili sauce to a kebab?!" he ranted; "it's obvious to ANYONE with proper taste that you put yogurt sauce on kebab!"

"What's wrong with you?!" Ryoko yelled. "You don't just walk up to total strangers and tell them how to eat!"

"Yeah!" Cagalli said in agreement before squirting a lot of chili sauce on her kebab, folding it like a taco and taking a big bite, smiling with satisfaction.

"What a waste!" The man in the tacky shirt moaned, turning away in dismay and disgust as if he had just seen someone dine on rotting garbage.

"Mm-mm-MM! Deeelicious!" the blonde girl said with her mouth full, savoring the combination of flavors. After swallowing her bite, she held out the bottle of chili sauce to Kira. "C'mon, Kira! Kebab and chili sauce are meant to be!"

"Don't force your habits on this guy!" the man exclaimed. He thrust the bottle of white sauce toward Kira's lunch as well. The two struggled for a bit, and then accidentally squirted their respective bottles, covering Kira's kebab with half chili sauce, half yogurt sauce. The Coordinator looked at it uneasily. Akito, on the other hand, eyed it with interest.

"Hey, Kira, I'll trade you," he said, offering up his still plain kebab in exchange for Kira's. Kira quickly made the switch, and Akito took a bite of the two sauces combined. The man in the tacky shirt and Cagalli looked over to see whether Akito would retch from having the opposite sauce combined with their preferred choice.

"Actually, they're pretty good together," Akito said with a grin before starting to wolf down the local delicacy.

"The master chef has spoken," Ryoko quipped. "Gimme!" She snatched the bottles from Cagalli and the man, and squirted both sauces on hers, and took a bite. "Mmmmm-MM! Yessiree, Akito, your taste buds have yet to steer us wrong! If only you were as good a pilot as you are a cook!"

Kira shrugged and did as Ryoko did. It did taste pretty good. Cagalli and the man glanced at each other and silently agreed to accept Akito's verdict, and the latter sat down in a spare chair. He glanced down at the bag of supplies on the ground.

"That's a lot of stuff you're hauling. You couldn't possible need all that for just you four..."

"None of your business, buddy," Cagalli replied. Suddenly, the man's carefree expression turned grim, and his vision shifted to just behind him. With one swift act, he kicked up the metal table, making it land behind him. Akito's kebab flew off and smacked Cagalli right in the face, messing up her hair as well.

The comedy of the moment was shattered when Kira saw the man pull a gun. Then the street rang out with the sounds of gunfire and furious cries from several gunmen, all wearing blue berets, rushing out, weapons blazing.

"Die, Coordinator! You monster from the sky!" one of them roared.

"For our pure, blue world!" another yelled. Cagalli recognized that phrase as soon as she heard it.

"Blue Cosmos...what are they doing here?" she gasped. Ryoko, meanwhile, pulled out a small gun she had concealed in her pocket and opened fire, striking one of the terrorists in the shoulder. The man in the tacky shirt scowled, quickly stood up and fired a few shots, downing two more. Men at an adjacent table flipped their table over to use it as cover and opened fire as well.

One of the terrorists' guns dropped to the ground, and slid a few feet, stopping right near Kira. He picked up the gun, then noticed another terrorist sneaking out of a side alley. The young man grabbed the gun, tumbled forward, then instead of firing it, he threw the gun as hard as he could like a boomerang, smacking the terrorist in the chin, causing him to accidentally fire his weapon upwards. Before he could regain his balance, Kira rushed up to him and did a flying kick to his chin.

The men at the adjacent table walked around to the fallen terrorist. The four, who had been but two minutes ago watched Cagalli and a man argue over which sauce was suprior, watched one of the men, obviously the man in the tacky shirt's bodyguards, coldly put a bullet in the fallen terrorist's head, while the other did the same to the one Ryoko shot. As that happened, a man in green military clothes rushed up to the man in the tacky shirt.

"Commander, are you all right?" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, I'm fine. thanks to these two kids here. ," the man in the tacky shirt answered, eyeing Kira and Ryoko. He removed his sunglasses and hat...and it was only then that Cagalli realized who it was. "I owe them my life."

"You're...Andrew Waltfield...the Desert Tiger..." she gasped.

* * *

Janus had no idea what was going on as he followed the merchant, accompanied by Natarle, Amuro, and several armed guards, both by the merchant and from the _Ra Calium_. Rei was asked to wait outside. Janus had bought her a tangerine from the merchant to keep happy before following them in.

"So, we've got all the food and whatnot, Al-Jairi," Janus said, trying his best to sound business-like, "but what about all this other stuff you said you could provide?"

As if to answer, the group stopped in a small area where four crates were lined up in a row. The armed guards went around them, and opened the boxes. Janus and Rei gasped when they saw the contents:

"Mark 500 radar arrays, 75 millimeter armor-piercing rounds, Morgenroete EQ-177 magnetic shielding panels, and 9200 kilowatt positron canisters." Al-Jairi said.

"These parts definitely look genuine," Natarle said, picking up one of the boxes that were obviously the radar arrays. "I can't imagine the illegal channels you must have gone through to get these."

"We have our sources," Al-Jairi replied with an amiable chuckle. "I take it they're what you need?"

"Yes, we have no problem with the merchandise," the _Archangel_'s XO answered. "Janus, I leave the bargaining to you."

_Geez, I've never haggled with a black market weapons merchant, _Janus thought, swallowing nervously. _Man, did I goof up on taking this trip_.

"I see your negotiator is a bit uncomfortable with this," the merchant replied. "Thankfully, I've thought ahead. Here is the invoice." He handed Janus a clipboard with a piece of paper on it.

_I knew military hardware didn't come cheap, but this is ridiculous! _Janus thought as he perused the bill. _ There's no way I can possibly know whether we're getting ripped off or not! _He looked to Amuro, who simply nodded, as if he trusted Janus.

"Um...can't you lower it to...maybe, ten million?" Janus began anxiously.

"Fourteen," Al-Jairi replied without missing a beat.

"Eleven," Janus said, suddenly getting a bit more into it. He had done this back and forth with the old crow back in Kamina City all the time...this was just with different good.

"Thirteen," the merchant answered.

"Twelve."

"Twelve and a half."

"Twelve and a quarter."

Al-Jairi smiled. "Very well then. 12,250,000 credits it is. I assume your 'sponsor' is footing the bill?"

"He will," Natarle said grimly.

"Very good. We'll deliver the goods with all due haste," the merchant answered. The armed guards loaded the crates onto dollies and wheeled them off back down the hall. Natarle and Amuro followed them out. But as Janus turned to leave as well, the merchant stopped him by grabbing him by the shoulder.

"Whoa, what? You heard the lady...I'm not the one paying!" Janus exclaimed.

"Easy there, boy. I'm throwing in a little bonus, free of charge," the merchant said. One of the men, who had stayed behind, marched forward and presented him a rather unassuming shoe box. Janus nervously opened the box, wondering what sort of blood-stained item this black market merchant was so freely giving him.

It was a disk of some strange black rock, possibly from a meteorite. Carved on it was what appeared to be a great whale with feathered wings.

"I found this piece of black rock out in the desert years ago. The night afterward, I was granted a vision of an angel. He told me to wait for a young man with raven hair marked by the color of vine-ripened red grapes, and that I was to give this carved stone to him, and once I had done that, to forswear my illicit trade forevermore and live in the desert as a holy hermit."

"So I guess that transaction was the last you'll ever make, huh?" Janus said, looking over the piece of rock.

"Indeed. You don't just ignore the word of an angel," Al-Jairi replied. "Now, be off. I will pray for your success in your endeavors."

* * *

"Where's Kira's group?" Janus said as he looked around. It was the appointed meeting time for the two groups, but Kira, Cagalli, Akito and Ryoko weren't back yet. "They said they were going to meet us here, and we've been waiting twenty minutes already."

Natarle shook her head in dismay. She had feared something like this would happen. She had heard something about Blue Cosmos terrorists attacking Andrew Waltfield while he was out in town. Knowing Kira, he was likely caught in the crossfire...and it wasn't so farfetched that he would be taken by the cunning Desert Tiger, either. The jeeps from Desert Dawn soon arrived.

"Everyone, once we've returned to the ship, prepare for battle." the _Archangel_'s XO said grimly. "We're going Desert Tiger hunting."

* * *

_So, Kira, Cagalli, Akito and Ryoko are stuck with Waltfield, and Shinji's acting like a badass earlier than he should be. What will come of this? Stay tuned for Part 2!  
_


	37. Chapter 23

_Okay, Part 2! I also decided to introduce a certain pair of series, one of them a little earlier than initially intended, and the other a LOT earlier. Check it._

* * *

**Chapter 23 - Birth of DREAM! The Land of the Desert Tiger! Part 2**

The next thing the four DREAM members who had ran into Andrew Waltfield knew, they were escorted by the ZAFT commander's men to a rather lavish mansion at the top of the city, obviously the place the commander called home.

The commander actually chatted with them the whole way in a genuine, non-derisive way. Though his tone was much more serious, his attitude still came across as rather friendly and laid-back. They couldn't believe that this admittedly likable guy was the ruthless Desert Tiger!

Once inside, Cagalli was taken by a lovely middle-aged woman to get cleaned up after that harrowing encounter, and the preceding kebab to the face. Kira, Akito and Ryoko (whose gun was confiscated) were brought into his office. It was a large and simple, but tastefully-decorated room. Of particular note was a fossil of a skeleton of what appeared to be a whale with wings.

"Coffee?" Andrew asked to them as he poured himself a fresh cup. The trio awkwardly accepted. Almost immediately, the ZAFT commander began about the elephant in the room - or in this case, the whale.

"So, there it is, sitting on my mantel - Evidence 01," Andrew said with a bit of pride.

"What's so special about it?" Ryoko asked after taking a sip of coffee. "I mean, we've confirmed the existence of alien life forms now that the Vega Empire and Protodevlin have attacked,"

"Not to mention the Jovian Lizards," Akito added.

"Well, you've heard of the theory of alien life forms seeding the Earth? A First Ancestral Race, some have called them," Andrew began. "It's really what the whole war between Coordinators and Naturals is about...whether man can truly achieve more. To become like them."

"At this point, it really seems moot...we've already colonized Mars," Akito said with an awkward chuckle, memories of his not-so-happy childhood returning. All three youngsters then noticed Andrew get up and walk toward a small nightstand in the far corner of the room.

"Yeah, but since you're fighting for the Alliance, I just gotta ask, since your superiors obviously have their own ideas. Tell me, what do you think it will take to end this war? When every last enemy is destroyed?"

Andrew opened the drawer and calmly pulled out a pistol, pointing it right at the trio.

"I know it doesn't quite seem like it, but we're enemies..and if you're going to answer the same way your superiors do, then I have no choice but to kill you where you stand, since that is what it's going to take." The three were apprehensive, but Andrew could tell from the looks in their eyes that they weren't like other Alliance soldiers. He smiled, and put the pistol back in the drawer.

"Well, I guess there is some hope left in this world," he said. "Well, I bet your friend is all cleaned up by now. You're welcome to stay a little longer, but you're free to go right now if you want. It's been a long time since I've been able to just chat with kids like you, especially not from ZAFT."

Of course, the three were itching to get out. After all, they couldn't be sure how long Waltfield might keep up his facade. But as they walked out, they heard Andrew say something else:

"I'll see you all on the battlefield..."

* * *

"What? Keep waiting?" Murrue exclaimed when she heard Zero's suggestion to keep waiting for Kira and the others. She, Zero, Viral and Akatsuki were all standing around the courtyard, watching the supplies get loaded into the three ships. "For all we know, they could have been taken hostage, or they could even be dead!"

"Consider for a moment this one little tidbit about Waltfeld - he has a habit of warning villages that he's about to attack so civilians have time to evacuate, and then chooses not to go after them."

"You're expecting us to think of him as some sort of saint?" Viral said suspiciously. "Sounds like he just plays games with his victims."

"A man who actively demands that citizens evacuate the town he's about to burn must place high regard on human life," Zero answered, "Or at the very least considers even the most wretched of existences to be better than non-existence. Homes can be rebuilt and fields can be replanted, but loved ones can never be replaced...and that is something he must understand. That is why I think we will see Kira and the others soon."

"That's hardly reassurance," Akatsuki said grimly. "But going into town guns blazing is hardly a proper solution either, and we have no one who is good at infiltration." Suddenly, Ruri approached Akatsuki, appearing to have something important to say. The four looked over at her.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important...but Hirata has come through for us once again. She knows much about the mysterious weapon that shot us down the other day. In fact, it's been targeting ZAFT and Britannian troops as well. It's been dubbed 'The Walking Stick' by the locals...and also, there's a plan by ZAFT to go and destroy it."

Almost immediately, a plan began to form in Zero's head - basic details, but it was enough to get started on a more thought-out strategy.

"Murrue, Akatsuki, come with me. We're going to deal with the Desert Tiger AND the Walking Stick at the same time."

* * *

Tara watched as the Lifthrasir, under the full control of Xemmey (it could perform non-combat functions on its own) returned with the four missing pilots in hand. Just as Zero predicted, Kira and company were safe and sound. Indeed, Cagalli was looking rather nice, having been dressed up in a mint green dress and a flower in her hair after all the sauce had been washed out of her hair.

"Welcome back, you guys," Tara called up to them as the white mech landed. "You had us all worried."

"Sorry," Ryoko said. "We had an unusual encounter with the notorious Desert Tiger." Tara's happy expression turned to worry when she heard this.

"Actually, he was a pretty nice guy," Kira replied. "Cagalli got her hair all messed up when some Blue Cosmos goons attacked him, so he took us back to his mansion, washed her up, gave us coffee, showed us another copy of Evidence 01, chatted with us a bit..."

"Pointed a gun at us, don't forget that!" Akito interrupted. "I actually thought he was going to kill us!"

"Well, what matters is that you're fine," the purple-haired pilot replied. "Oh, and welcome to DREAM!"

"Thanks...wait, what?" Ryoko exclaimed. "When did this suddenly happen? Did I miss something?"

"It's the name I came up with for our group," Tara answered, beaming with pride. "If you don't believe me, ask any of the guys in charge. Also, we've got a strategy meeting in about an hour. Zero's got some plan to kick ZAFT's ass and deal with that weapon that shot us down before."

* * *

Zero's plan was simple in theory. DREAM's attack force for this mission would be divided into two groups; a demolition team that would target the Walking Stick, and an ambush team that would assail the ZAFT forces that were coming to destroy it.

The two teams would wait for the ZAFT group to arrive and take on the guarding Jovian bugs. During the melee, the demolition team would sneak around, wipe out any remaining guards and wipe out the Walking Stick. The ambush team would snipe the ZAFT and Jovian forces, and then move in once their numbers were reduced or they were noticed.

The Walking Stick was a massive cannon the size of a city block, and was cloaked by unknown Jovian technology, which explained it had gone completely undetected. Its devastating power came from its ability to generate microscopic black holes, which would annihilate anything they touched before dissipating naturally. It could fire off three rounds in a single salvo, but took a lot of time to recharge. It would be in one of these charging periods that ZAFT would arrive.

The demolition team consisted of Akito, Ryoko, Hikaru Amano, Izumi, Kallen, Kyoshiro and led by Akatsuki, with the Aestivalis were all in either Land or Artillery Frames; meanwhile, the ambush team consisted of Kira, Shinji, the Cyber Beast Force, Janus, Rei, Volfogg, Loran, Harry, and led by Amuro. Other members were on standby if either group ran into problems.

As the demolition crew made their way toward the weapon, Akito started humming the _Gekiganger 3 _theme, with Hikaru humming with him. Kyoshiro and Kallen tried their best not to join in, tempting as it was, and Izumi was in her own little world. However, Akatsuki, as mission leader, couldn't help but get annoyed.

"Tenkawa! Amano! Cut it out!" he yelled over the radio. "We're on a mission!"

"Geez, what's your problem?" Akito retorted. "You're being louder than us, you know."

"You got some problem with _Gekiganger, _bucko?" Hikaru said.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Akatsuki said. "It fills your mind with unrealistic ideas, such as the so-called power of friendship or love or such nonsense; it causes you to assume that somehow love is worth seeking on the battlefield; not to mention it makes you see the world in black and white. I regret to inform you that it is not how the real world works. People like you need to get your faces out of your manga and your animes and see the world for what it really is."

"Okay, guys, let's cut the arguments, 'cause we've got bigger problems!" Kallen called out when her Knightmare Frame picked up a large number of enemy forces approaching.

As they rounded the next bend, they saw what must have been part of the defense force of the Walking Stick - a small army of Glasgows, Sutherlands and old Britannian tanks. What they might have lacked in individual strength, they made up in sheer numbers - Akatsuki counted at least three dozen enemy units.

"What the? The Jovians are seriously using these old pieces of scrap?" Hikaru exclaimed as the group stopped and prepared to meet the enemy.

"Actually, this is a sound tactic," Kyoshiro replied, his Gekka drawing an overlarge katana. "Utilizing resources left over by the enemy saves one's own resources."

"Then let's not waste too much ours on them," Akatsuki said. "Here's the plan...Subaru, Amano, Maki, Tohdoh, keep them busy and try to clear us a path. Tenkawa, Stadtfeld, you're with me. The Walking Stick can't be too far away."

"Kozuki..my name is Kallen Kozuki!" Kallen yelled, much preferring her Japanese surname to her Britannian one. "Get it right, you jerk!"

* * *

The ambush team waited atop a high ledge for the ZAFT troops to arrive. Thankfully, the high cliffs, along with Volfogg's ingenuity, allowed them to stay concealed from sight and scanning, even out in the desert.

Sure enough, the ninja robot spotted a sizable force of ZAFT mobile weapons charging along. But they weren't the humanoid mobile suits everyone (even Amuro) was used to seeing - these mobile weapons, BuCUEs, were more like cats or dogs in shape - they ran atop the sand with ease, and occasionally switched to a "tank" mode, where each leg folded up, allowing treads to propel the machine along the ground. Alongside it were numerous mobile suits that moved entirely on tank treads - ZuOOTs, they were more like humanoid weapons platforms than true mobile suits. These moved far more slowly than the BuCUEs.

Then came what the _Archangel _crew confirmed was Waltfeld's personal mech - a mech that looked like a larger, more menacing BuCUE, a fiery orange in color.

And coming from the other direction were a slew of Glasgows, Sutherlands and regular tanks, along with the odd Batta.

"We've spotted the enemy," Volfogg said over his communicator, uneasy about fighting humans. "They have engaged the Jovian defenders."

"So, how long do we wait?" Ryo asked uneasily.

"We have to wait until at least one of the two sides is sufficiently weakened or we hear that the demolition team succeeded," Amuro replied. "If we can settle this with a minimum of human casualties, that will be best. But it's likely we'll have to fight whoever wins to the last man."

"So in other words, we're gonna be like vultures..." Tara said. "I'd rather just dive in and give 'em hell. This just isn't fair."

"This is war, Miss Zifell," Harry said blunted. "Get used to it."

"I don't think any of us are happy to be using this sort of tactic," Loran added. "But it's better than us getting killed." Of course, Loran knew he could just Moonlight Butterfly them out of existence, but that would be far too dangerous. All he and the rest of the ambush team could do was wait...

* * *

Kallen, Akatsuki and Akito blazed down the winding desert road, having been able to get through the swarm of enemies. Finally, the Walking Stick came into view: it was indeed as Professor Hirata described it - a massive cannon the size of a city block. The body was roughly hexagonal, with a spiraling arrangements of lights that showed it was working. The barrel stuck out nearly a quarter mile.

"Well, we made it. How long until it can fire again?" Kallen asked.

"Another five minutes," Akatsuki said. "It doesn't look like it's locked on to anything yet, so we're not too late."

"You know, somehow I feel like this might have been too easy. Those Jovian bugs didn't put up much of a fight at all, and that's even without guys like Tohdoh around..."

Suddenly, a white portal opened up from the Walking Stick itself, and out strode what appeared to be another angel...it was made of flesh and blood, though its skin was mostly a milky white, its wings and eyes seemed to be made entirely of blood-red ruby, while its neatly arranged hair seemed to be formed of liquid jade. In his hands, he wielded a sword that thrummed with heat.

_Crap...not another one! _Kallen thought, assuming it was another Zohar general. But the two Aestivalis pilots noticed that it resembled the angel they had fought before...this one was an Arubboth general.

"You who seek to lay waste to this hammer of judgment," the red angel boomed, pointing his sword at them, "I will not allow you to achieve your goal."

"Oh no, you don't!" Akatsuki yelled, firing several rounds from his Aestivalis' artillery cannons. They struck home, but didn't substantially damage the being.

"You would attack the likes of me with explosives?" the angel scoffed. "Such folly."

_Now would be a good time to bail us out, mister mysterious savior that pops out of nowhere, _Akito thought, bracing himself for what could only be oblivion.

But Akito's wish came true.

"GOD...GORGON!"

Out of another white portal, three arrows whizzed out, one of them knocking the sword out of his hands, and the other two lodging themselves in his leg and belly and sending him staggering backward. Then the source of the arrows strode heroically out of the portal – a red and blue Super Robot with a cyan and red samurai helmet with gold horns on top and on its sides, a gold mechanical beard on its chin, and golden eyes. On its left arm was a bow, which Akito figured was used to fire the arrows.

"Uriel of Arubboth, your fight is with me!" a deep voice resonated from within the mech.

"Legacy of Mu, you get in our way AGAIN?"

"Hey, you need a hand?" Kallen called up as the Super Robot readied its next attack.

"I think he's got it," Akito said. "C'mon, let's lay the explosives!" Kallen looked back at their sudden savior, and then started after Akatsuki and Akito. Uriel tried to rush after them, but the Super Robot rushed into his path and kicked him away.

"I will not repeat myself again...your fight is with me and Raideen!" the mech's pilot bellowed. "GOD-O...ALPHAAAAAAA! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIII!" Raideen posed as if flexing both biceps while its mouth opened up wide. A massive blast of cyan and white energy burst forth from its entire body, striking both the Walking Stick and Uriel with incredible force.

Meanwhile, the demolition crew quickly went to work. Each of them carried three powerful bombs that could be remotely detonated. While the two Aestivalis worked their way around the base of the structure, Kallen sprang about, laying her bombs atop the structure itself. It took less than three minutes to lay and set all of the bombs.

"That ought to do it," Akatsuki said with some relief. "Now to put some distance between us and the bombs."

"I'm gonna go help the guy who saved our tails!" Kallen said as she sped the Guren mk II to the other side of the structure.

"You're not going to, are you, Tenkawa?" the pilot of the black Aestivalis said cynically to Akito as they sped away from the Jovian cannon.

"I would, but I'm running kinda low on juice," Akito replied with a sigh as they kept moving. "Still, I hate to bail on them."

"It's their funeral," Akatsuki replied. "I'm going to give the word to Zero to detonate the bombs, Stadfeld...or Kozuki...or whatever - be damned. We're a safe distance now."

"No! Not with Kallen still there!" the young man yelled. He was about to lash out at Akatsuki's mech when the last of his battery power ran out. Akatsuki, who still had some to spare, went ahead with the call.

"Zero, we've laid the bombs. Go ahead and blast that Jovian abomination to kingdom come!" he yelled.

"Is Kallen with you?" Zero asked.

"Um..." Akatsuki said, not realizing that Zero would care.

"No! We got attacked by this weird angel guy," Akito interrupted, his mech still having enough power to use its communicator, "but then some big Super Robot appeared and saved us, and they've been fighting! Kallen went back to help him."

Murmurs could be heard over the radio, then Zero gave his answer.

"I will not detonate them until Kallen is safely out of range," Zero said coldly.

"But the cannon will fire in less than thirty seconds!" Akatsuki screamed. "If we don't destroy it, then..."

"Be silent. The rest of the team agrees. We will not allow a companion to die if they can find a way to live."

Just then, the sound of Uriel screaming could be heard. "CURSE YOU, RED GNAT! CURSE YOU, RAIDEEN! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!" Moments later, Kallen zoomed out from behind the cliff, and skidded to a stop.

"Thanks a ton for the help," she said sarcastically. "We could have beaten him down in seconds flat if you two weren't such wusses."

"Kallen's safe, Zero!" Akito said joyfully, happy to see Kallen okay than angry to be called a wuss. "Go ahead and blow that sucker sky high!"

* * *

A series of massive explosions rocked the area as the nine sakuradite bombs went off simultaneously with a press of Zero's remote detonator. Even the heaviest armor could not withstand such powerful blasts – and nor could the power source within. A tenth explosion, much larger than the last, heralded the demise of the Walking Stick.

That explosion was the signal the ambush team was waiting for. The ZAFT forces were proving to be much more effective fighters than the army of Jovians, but the sheer numbers was enough to reduce the ZAFT troops' fighting strength a little.

"UNIVEEEEEERSE!" Harry yelled, launching a blast from his arm cannon, striking a BuCUE and blasting it apart in one shot.

"GRAN FIRE!" Janus bellowed.

"DANCOUHOU FORMATION, SHOOT!" Shinobu cried.

The rest of the group let out their own ranged weapons, pounding the unsuspecting ZAFT troops. Kira aimed more for the Jovians, since they didn't have human pilots, and killing humans was still something he couldn't make himself do.

"What the?!" Andrew exclaimed as the enemy rained death on his forces from a distance, while his LaGOWE bounded away. "An ambush?! Never thought they'd try THAT, huh, Aisha?"

"Don't worry, I'll get them down here," his gunner Aisha answered. She fired two shots from the mobile weapon's back-mounted cannons. But she didn't aim for the DREAM mechs themselves...she aimed right below them, at the cliff itself.

The projectiles struck the cliff explosively, collapsing the weakened rock and causing all of those present to tumble down to the ground below.

Kira and Shinji were the first to get back up. They were immediately assailed by the ZAFT forces. The ZuOOTs let out numerous blasts, peppering the Super Robots with heavy ordinance, only for it to be blocked by Shinji's AT Field.

"Heh, so that's an Evangelion," Andrew said with a grin. "I always wondered how well we would fare against one." The Desert Tiger spurred his LaGOWE into a charge. Unit 01 readied a machine gun and then cut loose, but the fire hydrant-sized bullets couldn't find their mark – the LaGOWE was far too agile.

Before anyone else could react, the mobile suit was right next to Unit 01. The dog-like mech bounded upward, and extended a two-bladed beam saber from the area where its mouth would be, and with two quick swipes, sliced open the EVA's neck, causing red ichor to squirt out of it like a high pressure hose. The Evangelion staggered about as Shinji let out a blood-curdling scream of pain, clasping his throat as if it had been slashed as well. Finally, it collapsed several hundred yards away.

The ZuOOTs fired another round of heavy ordinance as the others began to rise, but were quickly pounded into the ground as it landed. Only the Strike was agile enough to get away. Kira watched in terror as his friends got pounded repeatedly. Even Rei's own EVA couldn't put up an AT Field quickly enough.

Suddenly, Cagalli's voice came from over his radio.

"You idiot, what are you doing?!" she screamed. "You're just gonna let Waltfeld blast our friends to death?! Stop them!"

"But..." Kira said weakly.

"Fine! If you won't, then I WILL!"

Barely a few seconds passed after Cagalli yelled those words than did a white, blue and red plane streak across his field of vision, equipped with the Strike's Launcher pack...it was the Skygrasper, a plane designed to help the Strike switch packs more easily.

"Cagalli! Wait!" Kira cried out.

But Andrew had already spotted her. As the plane dove down and charged up the Agni, the LaGOWE fired off one of its cannons. It struck the Skygrasper, and it immediately tumbled towards the ground.

Kira barely knew this girl, but just watching the plane fall out of the sky, and assuming that Waltfeld had killed her...

"Sorry, kiddo, but this is war," Andrew's voice came from over his radio. "And as an unfortunate result, that makes you my enemy. I really mean it when I say it's not personal...it's just that way it is. So, do you want to end this or not?"

Something inside Kira's mind snapped and suddenly his senses went into overdrive. His pupils contracted immensely and his purple iris seemed to fade a bit, but most of all, the Coordinator wanted to fight and end this stupid war. He turned the Strike towards the enemy troops and began firing its beam rifle madly. Each hit, however, struck home and instantly disabled the enemy mobile weapons. Even the heavy ZuOOTs couldn't withstand more than a few hits in the face of Kira's berserk state.

Everyone else could only stand and watch as the usually kind and gentle Kira tore into the enemies with ruthless efficiency. He didn't see that Cagalli had managed to eject in time, and she too watched in horror. Finally, Kira set his sights on Andrew. But as he was about to lock on, everyone heard a surprising statement come from the man's lips.

"That's enough...I surrender."

Kira shook off his berserk state of mind when he heard this.

"Yeah, I'm gonna get called a coward...but I know when I'm beat. Do whatever you want with me, just leave my men alone, okay."

_Surrendering? Just like that? _Zero thought. _Is he trying something? As tempting as it is to accept his offer, we can't just..._

Suddenly, Unit 01 twitched.

Shinji heard a loud, low heartbeat resonating in the entire entry plug. It was something he was all too familiar with...in fact, this had happened in his battle against the First Angel.

Frantically he started to yank on the controls over, and over again...

"...No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no..."

But all begging and pleading in the world would do nothing to stop Unit 01 now. Even though its throat had been slashed apart by Waltfeld's LaGOWE, it rose up, but maintained a hunched-over, feral state. It let out an unearthly howl, which sent shivers down the spines of everyone present. Of course, they had no idea what was going on, so for all they knew, Shinji had simply flipped his lid.

The Evangelion whirled around and lunged at the LaGOWE, which bounded away. But Unit 01 was right at his heels, its massive hands groping at the ZAFT mech. The others stood dumbfounded, watching the events unfold, too terrified to do anything. What kind of person was Shinji to attack someone who had just surrendered?

Finally, Unit 01 grabbed hold of one of the LaGOWE's back legs and lifted the whole machine up. Shinji could only watch in terror as the Evangelion let out another howl, then bit down hard at the rear end of it. Inside, Aisha was crushed to a bloody pulp by the EVA's massive teeth. With its other hand, it grabbed the front section, and tore the machine in half, causing sparks, oil and flames to fly everywhere.

"STOP! SHINJI! STOP IT!" Kira screamed, rushing the Strike at Unit 01. But the Evangelion simply put up an AT Field, causing it to bounce right off. It did, however, make the Evangelion turn toward the others, and readied to attack once more.

"Oh man, he's really lost it now..." Masato whimpered.

However, Janus finally snapped out of his shock as well, and rushed Granlif forward, Gran Claymore drawn. The sword struck Unit 01's AT Field, but it bounced off.

"Damn it, Shinji, I don't know what you're doing, but snap out of it!" Janus yelled as Granlif tried in vain to break through the powerful barrier.

"I-I-I can't stop it...Unit 01 won't listen to me!" Shinji's voice came over the radio at last as Unit 01 clawed at Janus. "I-I-I didn't want to kill Andrew...but Unit 01...I don't know...I-I-I..."

"Shinji, eject! You can stop the EVA if you remove the entry plug!" Misato called out. Immediately, Unit 01's pilot frantically yanked on an emergency lever. It wouldn't budge.

"Misato, the lever won't move! It's stuck!"

Suddenly EVA Unit 00 jumped in between Shinji and Janus, progressive knife drawn. With startling ease, she sliced through the AT Field and held it open with all her might. Unit 01 seemed to falter when it saw Unit 00.

"Big brother! Now!" Rei called out.

Janus was surprised that the girl chose to call him that so quickly, but he wasn't going to let Rei take that nasty hit like she did before in the fight against Shamsel. Quickly, Janus thrust one of Granlif's arms through the barrier.

"Alright, Shinji...let's see you grit those teeth...KARMAAAAA KNUCKLE!"

At point blank range, Granlif fired off its fist with explosive force, smacking Unit 01 in the jaw. This staggered it long enough for NERV HQ to engage the emergency entry plug ejection sequence. The entry plug, a long capsule-shaped object, shot out of EVA 01's back, and no sooner did that happen than did than did it finally go silent.

* * *

As the remaining ZAFT forces struggled to pick up the pieces of their once mighty group, Martin DaCosta, Andrew's right-hand man, heard the sound of another battleship approaching. But the ship wasn't one of the three that had ambushed them. Out of it came an unusual looking mobile suit, somewhat resembling the Strike. However, it was not the Strike, but a similar mobile suit - the Astray Red Frame. Unbeknownst to anyone, even ZAFT, Orb had built this and two other suits - the Astray Blue Frame and the Astray Gold Frame, alongside the Strike, Duel, Aegis, Buster and Blitz.

Riding inside was Lowe Gear, the de facto leader of the Junk Guild, a group, neutral in all conflicts, that specialized in the salvaging and sale of mobile suit parts, and serving as copilot was a computer system only known as Hachi. Hachi was an OS designed to allow Naturals to use mobile suits, thus the team of Lowe and Hachi was a combination not unlike Tara and Xemmey.

He landed the Red Frame on the ground and got out, surveying the results of the mayhem.

"Hey, you guys need a hand?" he called out. The ZAFT soldiers stopped and watched as he climbed down onto the ground. The Junk Guild's ship, simply dubbed HOME, landed not far away.

"Oh, thank you," Martin called back. "But our immediate concern is freeing our commander..."

"Say no more!" Lowe said eagerly. He got back in the suit, and headed toward Waltfield's fallen LaGOWE. It was completely scrapped thanks to Kira's and Unit 01's berserk rage. He wondered how anyone could survive a wreck like this, but the least he could do was try. He had nothing against ZAFT or Coordinators, and indeed, didn't like fighting very much.

"Hachi, be a pal and initiate MSurgeon protocol. We'll need it to free their commander."

"Understood. Initiating MSurgeon protocol."

The Astray's eyes flashed, and it pulled out what appeared to be a small beam saber, modified by Lowe to use as a sort of surgical tool for mechs. With careful precision, the suit carved out a hole in the wreck, and then folded it out. Martin winced, fearing the worst.

But then he looked inside and saw Andrew...and he was alive! Barely breathing, and a massive gash had torn through his left eye in addition to other nasty injuries (including severe burns and his left arm appearing to be shattered), but the man somehow stayed alive for this long.

Unfortunately, Aisha was clearly dead...and was barely recognizable in that her corpse was so severely burned and mangled. Martin shook his head mournfully as he requested any and all help with getting the commander out of the wreck and to the medical team.

Lowe watched silently as several men rushed over, gently pulled Andrew out of the wreckage, and laid him on a stretcher, and hustled him over to another group of soldiers that were preparing medical supplies.

_Man, this looks like a killer opportunity to get some nice parts to sell,_" the man said to himself _but I'd hate to just take stuff and run. Let's stay and help._

But as he looked up, he saw something coming over the horizon...Alliance mobile armors, and based on Hachi's data, they were Blue Cosmos terrorists. Had they come at the heels of whatever force had just scrapped these ZAFT guys?

"Well, well, these guys just don't like me, do they?" he said, shaking his head. "Welp, I hate to do it, but it looks like we're gonna have to teach 'em a lesson...AGAIN. Let's get ready, Hachi!"

"Initiating combat protocols..."

* * *

_I hope I handled that well. I wanted to involve Unit 01 going berserk in the chapter before, but never got around to it, so I figured I'd have IT take out Waltfeld instead of Kira doing it._


	38. Chapter 24

_And now, some Nadesico plot, as well as a few surprises!_

* * *

**Chapter 24 – The Longest Jump **

Everyone was trying their hardest to force what they had seen out of their minds. The brutal (and unavoidable) killing of Andrew Waltfeld left scars on everyone who had witnessed it...Unit 01's savagery, not to mention that it spewed blood, raised many questions amongst the members of DREAM.

But they were questions both Misato and Gendo refused to answer. However, they had feared this possibility, that the S2 Engines would make the Evangelions more difficult to control. So, the organs were removed, and the old umbilical cords were brought to the three ships. The S2 Engines, in the meantime, would be brought back to NERV for further study.

Meanwhile, the leaders of DREAM decided against pursuing Princess Cornelia in Egypt, due to the excessive emotional trauma the crew had sustained would make it difficult for them to fight. Instead, they decided to head straight for the Eurasian Federation, where they would then cross over to the Chinese Federation, then on to Japan itself.

Lelouch, who spent his entire day as Zero, found sanctuary in the privacy of the room he shared with C.C. on the _Nadesico, _where he could be himself again. The green-haired girl that was his most trusted confidante entered behind him, carrying a medium-sized pizza, made fresh by the master chef Akito himself.

"Lelouch...you still look pale," C.C. said as she laid the pizza box down and opened it. "I can only assume it's because of that Evangelion's rampage. Everyone's been rattled by it."

"How could I have let such an unstable person get close to Nunnally?" Lelouch said. "There was no way I could have known that Ikari was like that? Even if he claims that his EVA went berserk on its own, how could we know it wasn't reacting to some sort of dark thoughts in his mind? What if he..."

"Of course Ikari has issues," C.C. replied, taking a bite of a slice. "Why do you think he clings to you and Nunnally? Why do you think Asuka has taken to the leader of the Cyber Beast Force? Why Rei now follows that Janus fellow around like a duckling imprinted on its mother?"

"Is it because Nunnally and I praised him?" the prince said..

"You encouraged him when no else would. That single act of kindness now defines his entire being. He is addicted to your kind words, and you are in a prime position to take advantage of him."

_Yes, the Evangelions' powers are immense. To be able to control that kind of power..._

"But be aware, that you may be playing with forces beyond human understanding," C.C. warned him after finishing her slice, and then suddenly changed her tone drastically. "Oh, wow, this pizza is amazing! Try a slice!"

* * *

Night came and went, and as the morning sun rose before them, the three ships were flying over the European Union's eastern capital, Moscow. It happened that Nergal had a laboratory in the city (being that it was a multinational corporation), so the three ships decided to touch down there for a brief stopover, especially since Akatsuki needed to check up on something new that was in the works.

As everyone disembarked, Shinji noticed Inez Fressange among the people greeting the arriving crews.

_What's Ritsuko doing here? _Shinji wondered, confusing the scientist for a similar looking woman at NERV headquarters.

"Oh, Ms. Fressange!" Akatsuki called out, immediately dispelling Shinji's misconception as Akito walked past him. "There you are. I see you've adapted quite well to the Moscow facility."

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Nagare...ah, Akito, there you are!" the blonde scientist said when she saw the _Nadesico_'s cook walk by. "Listen, I'd like to talk with you for a while. Away from the rest of the group, if that's all right."

"Um...I guess," the cook replied. "But is it alright with..."

"The others already know," Akatsuki reassured him. Of course, he and Inez knew exactly what they needed Akito for...

* * *

Flying west over the Chinese Federation toward Moscow was a ZAFT _Laurasia_-class frigate, but it wasn't being piloted by anyone of PLANT...rather, it was under the control of someone affiliated with neither side of the conflict.

Running this captured vessel was the mercenary group Serpent Tail. A mix of both Naturals and Coordinators, they were the archetypical hired guns, working for the highest bidder, willing to even turn on former clients or allies that had they fought with mere days before.

Kazahana Adja, a six-year-old girl with poofed up maroon hair and brown eyes, viewed a screen on the ship's tiny bridge. On the screen was a man with short but thick blonde hair and green eyes. The few who knew him would recognize him as Alan Igor. He looked surprised to see such a young girl answering his important call. The girl leered at him.

"Hey, if you want to hire Serpent Tail, stop looking at me like that," she said in a rather adult manner. Indeed, Kazahana was extremely intelligent, a result of her Coordinator abilities.

"I'm sorry," Alan replied, not realizing that this girl was likely a Coordinator and assumed a calmer expression. "So, yes, I am interested in hiring Serpent Tail's services...and I'm prepared to pay you handsomely."

"Try us," Kazahana replied with a suspicious grin.

"...Forty million credits," Alan answered instantly. "And I'll pay half of it up front. I'm sending you the contract now."

At that moment, a thin man with mussy brown hair, a calm, collected expression on his face, and sporting a white Earth Alliance uniform and orange-tinted sunglasses entered the room - it was Gai Murakumo, the leader of Serpent Tail.

"Got a potential client, eh, Kazahana?" Gai said. At that moment, the computer made a bing noise to indicate that the file containing Alan's contract had been received. Kazahana immediately began to scan it.

"Well, you must be Gai Murakumo. Alan Igor's the name."

"This guy said he would pay us forty million credits," Kazahana said excitedly, momentarily looking away from the contract, "And half of it up front!"

"You must have a lot of money to burn, Mr. Igor," Gai said, raising a single eyebrow. "No one's ever paid even a tenth of that, and we've had only one client who has paid anything up front."

"The job I have for you could take a long time," Alan replied. "And I don't want anyone outbidding me. So, let me tell you about what I need from you..."

* * *

"Kaworu, where are you taking me?" Nunnally asked in a puzzled manner as Kaworu wheeled her through town. Ironically, the blind and crippled girl had no idea that her caretaker was wheeling her straight to the ruined Shinjuku ghetto.

"There's someone I want you to meet," he replies. "I'm sure you'll be good friends with her." Nunnally smiled at the prospect of a new friend. Kaworu wheeled her through the ruined streets, causing the wheelchair to rattle and shake, jarring the girl a little.

Thankfully it wasn't long before,Kaworu stopped in front of what appeared to be a ruined laboratory - it was the same place Lelouch had found C.C. on the day he obtained his Geass power. There were broken tubes strewn all over, with green liquid still on the ground, having never evaporated in the first place. Nunnally immediately held her nose.

"Kaworu, where are we, and what is making that horrible smell?!"

There was one tube that had survived the wreckage - and it was much larger than the others. Contained within it was a large, humanoid mecha looked like a Knightmare Frame. Its body was encased in black and dark-purple armor, with six golden fibers with blades at the ends of them hanging limply. Its lower flanks and the sides and rear of its thighs were blood red in color. Small shield-like objects stuck out of its shoulders, providing protection there as well. Its forehead and cheeks glowed like eyes, while two proper eyes were visible right where they would be. Overall, the mech looked almost like a miniature Evangelion.

"We've found your new friend. Come, and say hello, Mark Nemo."

The mech's eyes flashed, and it raised its arm. With a single punch, the living Knightmare Frame broke the tube it was contained in, sending liquid gushing out - Kaworu had to put up an AT Field to shield his charge from the torrent of toxic liquid. It stepped out of its cylindrical prison and approached the two.

Even though she couldn't see what was going on, Nunnally couldn't help but feel terrified of the monstrosity that approached her. It lowered its head and gazed with its wide open eyes at Nunnally's closed ones. She could smell the Frame's breath...it smelled of burning sakuradite. It then lowered its head.

"Don't be afraid, Nunnally, he's been waiting for a long time to meet you," Kaworu reassured her. "Go ahead and pet him. He won't bite."

Nunnally pensively reached out and touched the Frame. When she did, the Frame's forehead began to glow with the same symbol that appeared in Lelouch's eyes whenever he used his Geass.

Memories of the death of her mother flashed before her eyes, as well as images of Ashford being destroyed, Shinji crying out in agony, and Lelouch bleeding to death. She saw images of slaughter filling the streets, a massive weapon firing at the Earth, and then a world turned into a wasteland...and then an image of her brother Clovis laughing maniacally as everything on Earth died.

For the first time in her life, she felt rage. Rage at her family, who would cause the world's destruction, rage at herself, for being so helpless. She wanted to stop it, whatever was happening.

_I-is this the future? No! I...I can't let it happen! I have to...I have to..._

Nunnally felt a sense of vertigo, then suddenly, she felt that she was no longer sitting on her wheelchair.

Then it hit her - she had feeling in her legs again! Giggling with excitement, Nunnally tried to wiggle her toes, and to her delight, she could do it! Her eyes were still closed, but as if awakening from a long slumber, she opened them once more, on her own will.

The first thing Nunnally saw was that she was floating, like she was underwater. But she didn't feel wet at all - it was if the gas surrounding her was suspending her; and when she breathed it in, it was the same as normal air.

Then she looked down and saw where she was for the first time. The wrecked building, now flooded with green liquid two inches deep, was hardly what Nunnally had wanted the first thing she saw if her vision ever returned. But then she saw Kaworu's smiling face, and it reminded her of Lelouch's.

And then she noticed something distressing - she saw the ceiling of the room cave in in her mind's eye. Instinctively, she reached out to grab Kaworu. The Knightmare Frame responded to her movement and actually grabbed him - and then, moving her legs as if she had always been able to, made the Frame rush out of the building. Unbeknownst to her, the symbol of Geass had appeared over her left eye...and it was the source of her power. She was able to exit the building in three seconds, after which point the ceiling did collapse, crushing her wheelchair underneath it.

"I was right," Kaworu said with a smile. "You and Mark Nemo were meant to be together." But then something else showed up - a small group of Sutherlands, one of them holding a large rocket launcher.

"What? That's the experiment! How the hell did it escape?" one of the Sutherland pilots exclaimed. "Wasn't it supposed to be sealed?"

"I don't know, but it's not leaving! Destroy it!" said another, who rode in a slightly more decorated Sutherland, most likely the leader of this small group.

_Oh no, what do I do? _Nunnally thought. Then she heard a voice in her head...a voice that sounded just like her own.

_The contract has_ _been_ _completed. The power to achieve your desire is yours. Now, use it!_

All at once, Nunnally's mindset changed. Her eyes turned red and her brown hair turned a bright blonde. The girl raised her hands, and the golden fibers with the sharp ends suddenly sprang to life and shot outward. Two of them struck one of the frames, slicing it in half. The others pulled out machine guns and began firing. But three seconds before they had even pulled out their guns, Nunnally saw the paths of the bullets, and rushed forward. She mentally called forth a menacing-looking, Knightmare Frame-sized katana, and with three quick swings, cut the remaining five Frames in two.

Kaworu looked on, no longer smiling. Even he couldn't help but shudder a bit as Nunnally let out a chilling, high-pitched laugh.

* * *

Akito was brought to a small, darkened conference room with Erina, Inez and Akatsuki, and numerous men and women in business attire, obviously Nergal's Board of Directors. Schematics for some strange device were displayed all over the room. He wished that he was anywhere else but here at this point, but it wasn't like he could will himself away from it.

"Well, let's get this little meeting under way, shall we?" Erina began. "As you all know, the Jovian Lizards have been sending unmanned weapons at up through chulips via a technique called boson jumping."

"Boson jumping?" Akito asked.

"It is when something is transported instantly through space from one point to another," Inez said.

"Um, we have that already," Akito said. "Granlif and Lifthrasir's Thresholds."

"Yes, but their distance of use within the same universe is very limited, and crossing between universes takes enormous amounts of energy. But with boson jumping, you can instantly travel anywhere, regardless of distance."

"By doing so," Erina concluded. "We could travel to Mars, or even Jupiter, in the blink of an eye. This would allow us to take the fight to the Jovian Lizards themselves."

"So what do you need me for?" Akito finally asked.

"Well, you and those who were aboard the _Nadesico _were the first life forms we know of to survive a boson jump...anyone else who has tried was killed...rather gruesomely."

"Even the Jovian Lizards haven't figured it out, which is the reason they're sending only AI-controlled weapons. But if we can figure out organic boson jumping..."

Akito stood up indignantly.

"Whoa, whoa, are you suggesting that I'm going to be some sort of guinea pig?" he yelled. "Noooooo way! Besides, what makes you think I can do it?" Erina, who had been clutching something in her hand, extended her hand to Akito and opened it, revealing a small blue diamond-shaped crystal resting in the palm of her hand.

"This, Tenkawa, is a chulip crystal, a C.C. for short. We found it on Mars. Have you ever seen one?"

Akito's mouth hung open a bit. Indeed, he had seen one of these objects before.

"Papa..." he muttered.

"You recognize it, then?" Erina asked, handing him the chulip crystal.

"My father gave it to me when I was a child," the cook replied, "But I lost it on Mars."

Erina smiled, and motioned to Akatsuki, who flipped a switch. The design schematics on the various screens changed to images of what appeared to be dozens, or even hundreds, of chulip crystals lined up against the wall. Akito blinked, as if he wasn't sure what he was seeing was for real.

"These are all chulip crystals, Tenkawa. It is our hypothesis that the chulip crystals are the catalyst for boson jumping. Tell me, Tenkawa...you've jumped before, haven't you?" From from Mars to the Earth?"

Akito couldn't believe that. But that gap in his memory...of being on Mars one moment with the pendant his father gave him, and the next moment on Earth without it...it was the only explanation at this point.

"Well, who cares? I'm not going to be your guinea pig!" Akito replied as she shook off the flashback. "I'm staying with DREAM, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

"Come now, Tenkawa, this is for the Earth," Akatsuki said. "If you don't, what will happen? If the Jovians figure out organic boson jumping before we do, then we're all done for."

"Then find someone else!" the Aestivalis pilot spat in reply as he got up. "I'm a human being, not a lab rat! Now, if you'll excuse me..." He marched out of the room, opened the door and slammed it behind him. After a second, Akito stuck his head back in.

"And I'm taking this with me!" he taunted, sticking out his tongue before retracting his head and slamming the door once more.

"You want me to call security to bring him back?" Inez asked.

"No need. He'll come back on his own in due time," Akatsuki said with a smirk. But as that happened, a call came in from security on a phone sitting to Akatsuki's right.

"Nagare. Talk to me," the chairman of Nergal said, standing up.

"There's something going on in the lab! Two massive distortion fields have appeared from within the Threshold we've been experimenting with...dear God...what the hell are those..."

The signal was cut off at that point.

"It's as I feared;" Inez said, standing up as well. "The Jovians must have figured out Earth has begun researching organic boson jumping...and if I was in their place, I'd send troops to stop it immediately..."

* * *

The source of the two distortion fields were two massive Jovian robots that stood heads and shoulders over even the Evangelions, and wasted no time in attacking the city. Also joining them were a number of Battas and Katonbos, still unmanned. The first to arrive were Dancougar and four of the five Aestivalis pilots.

"Great...we're not even here twelve hours and the place is under attack!" Ryoko ranted. "We've got to be some sort of magnet for trouble!"

"Less debating, more butt-kicking!" Shinobu yelled. "YAAAATE YARUZE!" With that, Dancougar charged at the enemy, its sword drawn as always.

Next out came the _Ra Calium_, with Evangelion Unit 02 hooked up to it via umbilical cord, and Nu Gundam on top.

"Amuro, you help Dancougar. We'll go and help the Aestivalis with the two Jovian mechs."

"Roger," Amuro said. Let's go, Nu Gundam!" The mech took off, using a special attachment to fly in the Earth's atmosphere. Amuro drew his beam rifle and fired it at several of the Battas.

Next out were Grendizer (in its Spazer), Mazinkaiser and Mazinger Z.

"Koji - and I mean both of you - be careful," Daisuke warned the two other Mazinger pilots. "This city is heavily populated and has yet to be evacuated. Don't fight recklessly."

"I know, I know," Koji said as Mazinkaiser took off toward the Jovian monstrosities. A few of the Battas dove towards him, but the beams bounced off of Kaiser's armor, and was then shot down by a quick Photon Beam.

"Man, I wish I could fly," Kouji grumbled as he watched his alternate self take off while his mech was still land bound. Mazinger started tromping its way after its larger cousin.

Finally, Tara, Domon, and Judau appeared.

"Judau, go with the grunts," Tara said. "I'll help out with that Jovian mech. Domon, take care of the other one."

"No problem!" Judau replied eagerly. "Let's go, Domon!"

"Fine, whatever," the Gundam Fighter said apathetically. The two Gundams took off after their targets as Tara started after hers. As she flew overhead, she saw the Aestivalis putting all of their ammo into blasting it, but the gigantic mecha's Distortion Field caused their bullets to bounce harmlessly off.

Tara shook her head. There was no way that was going to work. But she remembered how Samael had slipped into the _Nadesico_'s Distortion Field, and she figured she'd try the same thing. Opening portals below the Jovian giant and on a nearby building, Tara fired several rifle shots.

But the shots missed as the behemoth suddenly disappeared, and reappeared about a thousand yards away.

"What the? No fair!" Tara yelled.

"It's called boson jumping, Ms. Zifell," Akatsuki said, annoyed. "It's instantaneous transportation for any distance, without the use of portals."

"I wish you had told us sooner!" Mazinkaiser's pilot complained, having equal difficulty dealing with the second one. "I can't hit this thing for beans, especially if I'm trying to not damage anything else!" The behemoths, in the meantime, started charging up what looked like energy cannons.

"Oh crudcakes..." Tara gasped. She dove away from the line of fire, just in time to avoid getting flattened by not an energy blast, but a powerful Gravity Blast. It shouldn't have come as a surprise, considering they were able to create micro black holes. Asuka, meanwhile, quickly raised her mech's AT Field, which absorbed the blast with ease. She rushed in, the _Ra Calium _hovering overhead, and lunged at it with fists, and the two mechs met in a contest of strength.

"Oh, you think you can beat ME in a contest of strength?" Asuka said. "Well...SCREW...YOU!"

Unit 02 picked up the mech and held it overhead.

"And now, an old wrestling move from back home...THE GERMAN SUPLEX!"

Unit 02 bounded into the air, then smashed the Jovian mech into the ground headfirst, landing on its back. A shockwave rushed through the entire town, causing damage to several buildings.

Mazinkaiser, on the other hand, took a Gravity Blast at full force. But as was the case with the gravity generator from EI-19, it was able to stay together under its own increased weight. Once the blast subsided, Koji saw his chance, and charged in. As he did, he swung Kaiser's arm around and around, even as the forearm itself spun like a drill, which could have easily thrown anyone else off.

"Chew on this! DAISHARIN TURBO SMASHER PUUUUUNCH!"

Koji fired off the punch nearly straight forward, and it managed to catch the Jovian mech off balance, since it had to drop its Distortion Field to fire the Gravity Blast. The added momentum of the wind up allowed it to completely demolish its armor. It also heavily damaged the Phase Distortion Engine that powered it, preventing it from boson jumping again. Grendizer and Mazinger Z appeared and unleashed their own attacks.

"GRAVITY STORM!"

"BREASTO FIREEEEE!"

Shining Gundam, by the time, got into the battle, and prepared to finish off the staggered Jovian mech.

"Time to finish this quick! SHINIIIING FINGER!"

Domon's trademark attack was aimed at the mech's head, which it immediately crushed with ease, finally silencing the mech for good.

Meanwhile, Judau suddenly stumbled into the other Jovian mech's boson jumping path. Wasting no time, the Gundam pilot drew its beam sabers and sliced the mech's feet, causing it to crash to the ground. But before the Newtype could act, it was assailed by several Katonbos and their beam cannons, knocking it prone.

"Stupid battleships..." he grunted. But when he tried to get up, the Jovian mecha he had just cut down used its massive hand to grab ZZ Gundam and squeeze the cockpit.

But before Judau could even begin praying for help, he heard a torrent of bullets and missiles strike his captor, blowing the Jovian mech's head off. He used his beam saber to cut his mech free, then looked around.

He saw a blue Gundam standing not far away - it somewhat resembled the Strike, but lacked any Striker pack. Instead, it had what looked like a pair of missile launchers, one on each shoulder, and with two Armor Schneiders on its hips. Decorating its left shoulder was a symbol of a zig-zagging snake with a black tail - the logo of the Serpent Tail mercenary faction, and Gai Murakumo was its pilot.

"Woah, nice Gundam, pal!" Judau exclaimed.

But Gai quickly saw that something was happening to the headless Jovian mech...a glowing box on its back started to flash rapidly. Just then, everyone got a message from Nergal's lab.

* * *

Akito, who had just finished his own preparations to sortie, heard the message from within his Aestivalis:

"Attention! Clear out while you can! That Jovian mech is set to detonate its Phase Transition Engine; and when it does, this entire area will be vaporized!"

Suddenly, he thought back on Erina's words - he had boson jumped before and survived. He looked at the chulip crystal in his hand, and realized what he had to do. He rushed the Aestivalis out in an Air Frame and quickly headed toward the surviving Jovian mech.

"Akito, what are you doing?!" Yurika called out. "You're heading TOWARD the thing that's about to explode!"

"I know! I'm gonna...I'm gonna try it!" Akito yelled. "Even if I don't survive, I'll still be taking this thing to hell with me!" At that moment, he dove into the Jovian mech and concentrated as hard as he could as he grabbed the collapsed mech. The chulip crystal shone brilliantly, and then Akito, his Aestivalis, and the Jovian mech all winked out of existence with no fanfare.

"Akito!" Ryoko cried. "Akito! No!"

"That idiot!" Domon roared. _Now how am I going to get some decent grub on this trip?!_

The entire group could only stare at where Akito and the Jovian mech had been a few seconds ago. But before much else could happen, Judau heard an annoyingly familiar voice on his radio.

"Judaaaaaau! I found you at last!"

_No...first I lose Akito, _Judau thought,_ and now SHE shows up!_

"Captain Bright, you're not going to believe this!" one of the operators on the _Ra Calium _exclaimed. "There's a Neo Zeon mech headed our way! It's a Quebley MK II!"

"Neo Zeon found the Threshold?!" Bright gasped. The dark purple mobile suit swooped down and paused in front of the _Ra Calium_, and Puru assumed a more serious tone.

"Okay, Londo Bell, listen up. I've got someone who's a friend of yours here with me. And if you want him to live, you'll do as I say!"

"Guys, why didn't you answer?! I was trying to contact you for three weeks!" the voice of Akito called out. "And..wait, what do you mean I'm your hostage?! You said you'd bring me back to Earth!"

"Akito, you're alive!" Daisuke exclaimed. "But you disappeared merely a minute or two ago. How could you have been waiting for three weeks?"

"So, are you going to listen to my demands or do I have to mess him up?" Puru said, trying her best to sound intimidating. In response, Gai Murakumo calmly aimed a missile launcher at Puru and fired off several rounds. She didn't notice him, even with her Newtype senses, and the Quebley unceremoniously dropped out of the sky and into a nearby park when the missiles struck its engines.

"Answer: Neither," the Blue Frame's pilot quipped.

"Man, I like this guy already!" Tara chimed in.

* * *

With Akito safely back in the hands of DREAM, and Elpeo Puru in the custody of Londo Bell, Erina and Inez were quickly able to explain to everyone what had most likely happened.

"Apparently, boson jumping not only allows travel through space, but travel through TIME as well," Inez said. " It was dubbed the time variable. When Akito boson jumped his Aestivalis and the Jovian mech, he must have traveled back in time three weeks."

"So, there were two Akitos in existence at the same time?" Kouji asked. "Or is like me and the other me?"

"I can't honestly say," the blonde scientist replied, "Though that's probably for the best. Regardless, we can officially confirm that safe organic boson jumping is not only technically possible, but a realistic method of transport. You truly did come through for Nergal in the end, Tenkawa. By the way, where DID you end up?"

"I ended up on the moon...and just like before, the chulip crystal I had was gone. I tried to get in contact with the moon base, but I couldn't. Then that Puru character showed up and brought me here. I thought she was just going to bring me back to Earth."

"Makes me glad we didn't send security after you when you walked out with the crystal," Akatsuki laughed. "If we hadn't, this whole city and everyone in it have been atomized by that explosion."

"I'd say Akito did a 'bang'-up job, don'tcha think?" Izumi joked. Unsurprisingly, no one laughed.

* * *

Elpeo Puru sulked in her cell aboard the _Ra Calium_. She couldn't believe that she had let herself get captured like this. Maybe she would have been okay to lose to a Newtype like Judau, but to be humiliated by a non-Newtype using a missile was beyond undignified. But her mind quickly turned to other things when the apple of her eye, Judau, showed up with Bright and Amuro.

"Judau! You came back!" she squealed. "C'mon, let me out so we can play!" Bright was about to address her, but Amuro stopped him, and nodded to Judau, as if he wanted him to do the talking.

"Hey, Puru, listen. While it wasn't nice of you to take my friend Akito hostage, you did bring him back, so I forgive you for that."

"Oh...um...thank you!" Puru replied, confused as to why Judau was talking to her like this. The boy, however, decided to push his luck a bit.

"Listen, Puru. Me, Amuro and Captain Bright will make you a deal. If you agree to never fight for Zeon ever again, you can stay here with Londo Bell and we'll play together all you want!"

Puru's eyes lit up with excitement. "Really, you mean it?!"

"I swear as a fellow Newtype," ZZ Gundam's pilot answered. "I'll even introduce you to my friends on the _Nadesico _and _Archangel_! They're all great people!"

"Ummmm...okay!" Puru chirped, excited at the prospect of having so many friends when not long ago she had almost none. "I won't fight for Zeon anymore if I get to be with you, big brother Judau! I didn't like that mean old hag Haman anyway!"

"That's great! You heard her, guys!" Judau said excitedly. "She's not gonna fight for Neo Zeon anymore!"

"I'd like to give her the benefit of the doubt," Bright said. "But for now, we're going to keep a close eye on her."

"Yes," Amuro agreed, "we can't let her just do as she pleases until we know we can trust her. Anywhere she goes, you go, Judau."

"Whoa, whoa, I didn't agree to be her babysitter!" Judau exclaimed. "Can't you get someone else to do it? What about Christina?!"

"She likes you. That's reason enough to have you watch over her," Amuro replied plainly. With that, he unlocked the door to Puru's cell, and she gleefully tackled Judau.

"Yay! I get to be with big brother Judau! It's going to be oodles and oodles of fun!"

_Me and my big mouth, _ZZ Gundam's pilot thought.

* * *

"So this is the infamous Zero, huh?" Gai Murakumo said as he looked the masked man up and down once they were back at the base. Elijah, Kazahana, Reed and Loretta all stood by. "You're about what I expected."

"And you are the leader of the mercenary group Serpent Tail, Gai Murakumo," Zero replied. "I've heard a few things about you and your group as well. Tell me, who hired you?"

"What do you think we are, stupid?" Kazahana answered snidely. "We know better than to tell you that."

"Well, what we can tell you is that our employer has a vested interest in your success, and to that end, we're to fight with you, regardless of who your enemy is." Elijah, a young, thin man with silver hair, added. "So, Serpent Tail is now a part of your outfit."

"Really?" Murrue said suspiciously. "But based on your abilities, we can only guess you're a Coordinator. Why would you fight against your own?"

"You said it yourself – we're a mercenary group," Gai replied with a shrug. "If you really to want to keep us from stabbing you in the back on our employer's whim, make a better offer."

"Well, let's try to get along, 'kay?" Mu said. "Put 'er there, buddy."

Gai Murakumo looked at Mu's hand, smirked a bit, and shook it. For forty million credits, it would be worth putting up with almost anything.

* * *

_And that brings the total number of characters named Gai to two, three if you count Shishioh. Also, I will, in fact be using some plot elements of_ Code Geass: Nightmare of Nunnally_ in this fic, though it will be running alongside _Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion._ Anyway, next time, more Code Geass and (maybe) Nadesico plot! For those of you waiting for some UC plot, don't worry, it'll be coming in spades soon enough.  
_


	39. Chapter 25

_Okay, so I ended up being wrong about the Code Geass plot being focused on here. Instead, have some more Nadesico plot, with Gurren Lagann guest-starring!_

* * *

**Chapter 25 – Those Unforgettable Days! Battle at the Center of Omoikane! **

The incident at Moscow prompted Nergal to begin its immediate preparations for the thing in the works Akatsuki wanted to check up on – an upgrade to the _Nadesico_. This meant that DREAM would either have to sit on its hands for a bit, or go on without it. Unsurprisingly, any attempts to persuade the crew to go with the latter were met with vigorous opposition.

Amazingly, the city was mostly undamaged, so the crew took the opportunity to do a little sightseeing, as well as to get to know Elpeo Puru and Serpent Tail, who had just joined up. In particular, Kira was interested in getting the mercenary group, as it was great having more Coordinators aboard. Cagalli was interested as well, but for entirely different reasons.

Kira, Gai and Cagalli walked through the chilly streets of Moscow – even in summer the temperature rarely went above sixty or seventy degrees. It didn't take long for Cagalli to start grilling him about the Astrays. No one around would really pay attention, but when Gai finally decided to answer, the trio opted to slip into a small alley.

"Listen, kid, I don't know a lot about it. All I do know is that the Blue Frame was one of five prototypes for the G-Project – there's also the Red Frame, the Gold Frame, the Green Frame and the plain old Astray. I met the guy who now owns the Red Frame – some tech guy named Lowe Gear. Not sure about the locations of other ones, though. Happy now, little missy?"

Cagalli sighed, and said nothing more on the subject. If he did know more, the mercenary was in no mood to talk about the details.

"So, Gai, why are you a mercenary?" Kira asked after a minute of silence as they walked back outside. You don't actually like combat, do you?"

"I'm a mercenary because it pays well. As for whether I like combat...well, I prefer to stay out of conflicts unless I'm doing a job," Gai responded plainly, "And right now, my client wants me to work with your group. So, that's why I'm with DREAM now."

"So, at any given moment, you could stab us in the back," Cagalli said accusingly. "You could be some spy feeding information to ZAFT!"

"Technically, I could be," the sunglasses-wearing Coordinator replied, "But only if my client wanted me to. If you don't trust me, sleep with one eye open - I won't hold it against you." Kira, feeling awkward, quickly moved the conversation to other things, making plans in his head to lock his door in the _Archangel _at night.

* * *

"HEE-YAH!"

"SAR-YAAAH!"

Domon and Kallen's fighting cries echoed through the resounding gymnasium inside the Nergal facility. DREAM had been granted permission to use the facility's amenities while the _Nadesico _was undergoing its upgrades, and the two, both being fighters as well as robot pilots, decided to test their mettle against each other in a sparring match.

"You're not half-bad," Domon said as he assumed a fighting stance once more. "Who taught you?"

"I kinda taught myself," Kallen replied, maintaining a fighting stance as well, but bouncing up and down a bit. "Picking and choosing various techniques that suited my needs. Call me a combat pragmatist, if you will. So come on, give me all you've got!"

"Alright...now, let's see if you have a technique to counter THIS!" Domon yelled. He rushed in with lightning speed and immediately started raining blows on Kallen faster than a typical person could see, while she tried her best to block and dodge the incoming attacks. As quick as she was, Domon was quicker, as it didn't take long for him to connect a hit to her gut, sending her stumbling away and knocking the wind out of her. She fell over flat on her back.

"Ow-ow-ow..." Kallen groaned as she rolled over.

"That's what you get for asking me to go all out," Domon replied as he helped her up. "Well, I think we've done enough. I had fun, though. Haven't fought an opponent like you in these sort of circumstances in a long time."

"I've done my share of fighting both in and out of a Knightmare," Kallen replied, rubbing her now sore stomach. "Say, that reminds me...I saw Shining Gundam's main attack in our last battle...my Guren has an attack kind of like it."

"A Shining Finger?" Domon exclaimed.

"Well, I didn't call it that," the girl giggled before clutching her gut again. "Owwwww..."

"C'mon, I'll take you to Rain," the martial artist said gently. "She'll fix you up."

* * *

Zap.

Bzzt.

Krik.

Twitch.

It was amazing what electrical impulses directed to the proper parts of the brain could do. Schneizel, second prince of Britannia, and the Empire's Prime Minister, pondered this as he watched a man with dark teal hair in a purple jump suit writhe on the floor below. The man, a Brittanian soldier named Jeremiah Gottwald, had nearly perished at Narita at the hands of the Black Knights' Guren MK II.

While the prince had saved Gottwald's life, he had then proceeded to turn him into his guinea pig. Embedding cybernetic implants into him, he was working to break the man and make him a suitable test subject for Britannian weapons development. He felt only a slight bit of pity for the fellow, and ultimately turned away.

"AHAHAHAHA!" Jeremiah suddenly cackled as he sprang to his feet. "I AM JEREMIAH GOTTWALD, KNIGHT OF ORANGE! I RUN ON VITAMIN C AND LOYAALTYYYYYYY! ALL HAIL BRITANNIAAAAAAAAA!"

Shameful indeed, the prince told himself, that such experiments had to be done - and on a fellow Britannian no less. But he had other things on his mind...in particular, the activities of DREAM. They had already made it to Moscow, completely bypassing Cornelia as they came along the northern part of Africa. And Suzaku Kururugi was trailing behind, forced to make his way through Area 14 along with the two ZAFT pilots. At this rate, they'd never catch up.

But as luck would have it, the solution to the problem came barreling down the hall, carried by an excited, bespectacled man with lavender hair and eyes, dark trousers, black shoes and a long white lab coat with a popped up collar. He skidded to a stop just in front of Schneizel, and danced a little jig while clutching a number of papers in his hand and a big grin on his face.

"Ah, Earl Asplund, you seem...cheerful..." Schneizel said, not used to see the scientist quite so giddy.

"Prince Schenizel, it works! Britannia be hailed, my beautiful Knightmare-fitted Float System finally works!" the man, Earl Lloyd Asplund cheered ecstatically. "Oh, I haven't been this excited since I first watched the Lancelot's beautiful war dance!"

Schneizel smiled a bit.

"Your timing is impeccable, dear Earl. I would have you work on a Float System to be fitted onto the Lancelot. Its pilot is having some trouble keeping up with Zero and his new band of allies."

Lloyd stopped dancing.

"Pardon me, Your Majesty, but one successful test is not enough to warrant the use of something," the Earl said with a chuckle. "I must run more tests and develop a Frame that will utilize it effectively. Of course, I already have the schematics right here." He handed the Prince the notes, which he perused.

"My lord, pardon my intrusion into your affairs," the aristocrat then said more humbly before assuming a somewhat more sly tone, "But I overheard that His Majesty the Emperor is considering someone as a bride for you. "

"Yes, he is," Schneizel sighed without looking away from the notes. "Ever since the dedication of the Clovis Memorial Museum, he's been completely head over heels for this half-Eleven girl he met. Apparently, she's the one who did the painting I have hanging on the back wall of my chambers."

"I heard she's quite the feisty one, if Kururugi's reports are true," Lloyd said with a chuckle. "Intelligent too...not to mention she's quite fetching for a half-breed."

Schneizel's usually calm expression turned to one of noticeable annoyance at Lloyd's prattling. He wasn't interested at all in a bride...indeed, his only desire was to achieve his own goals, and occupying himself with a woman would only keep him from his vital task. He finished skimming the schematics of the new Frame, and handed them back to Lloyd.

"I've looked over your plans...they seem sound enough. I'll go ahead and allocate funding into the development of your new 'Gawain'..."

* * *

The _Nadesico _was slowly piloted outside, its upgrade finally complete. Attached to it was a new device called the Y-Unit, which increased the ship's firepower drastically. In particular was a weapon dubbed the "Phase Transition Cannon", which was used based on the principles used in Thresholds. Instead of creating holes, then folding space, it simply went straight through the second step, which obliterated anything caught in the blast.

At least, that was the intention of the weapon's designers. Thankfully, it could only perform at its full power in space - but for safety purposes, the ship, along with the Aestivalis, were being taken to an isolated area in the Siberian wilderness, where collateral damage would be reduced to an absolute minimum.

The ship stopped in the middle of a vast expanse of empty tundra, covered only by stunted grasses and permafrost, and the Aestivalis, all in Air Frames, stopped as well.

"Okay, everyone, we've reached the intended area," Yurika said. "Now, we have to wait for those unmanned units. If I'm not mistaken, they should be arriving by air drop..."

"Droppers confirmed," Ruri said. "They're deploying some old Jovian bugs and Moebius units." As the girl made preparations to engage the unmanned drones, she noticed that Omoikane was already doing it, but instead of targeting the unmanned units with the Phase Transition Cannon...it was targeting the craft dropping the drones...

For the first time in a long time, Ruri's expression changed drastically. She began frantically entering commands, trying to get Omoikane to stop. Her already worried expression changed to a look of pure despair when she read the following words, written in red:

_MANKIND IS THE ULTIMATE ENEMY TO THE INFINITE REALITIES I WILL ELIMINATE ALL ENEMIES MANKIND IS THE ULTIMATE ENEMY TO THE INFINITE REALITIES I WILL ELIMINATE ALL ENEMIES MANKIND IS THE ULTIMATE ENEMY TO THE INFINITE REALITIES I WILL ELIMINATE ALL ENEMIES MANKIND IS THE ULTIMATE ENEMY TO THE INFINITE REALITIES I WILL ELIMINATE ALL ENEMIES MANKIND IS THE ULTIMATE ENEMY TO THE INFINITE REALITIES I WILL ELIMINATE ALL ENEMIES MANKIND IS THE ULTIMATE ENEMY TO THE INFINITE REALITIES..._

These words kept repeating over and over, infinitely appearing.

"No no no no NOOOO!" Ruri cried.

"Ruri, what's wrong?" Yurika asked, concerned with Ruri's highly unusual behavior. Then again, showing any emotion was highly unusual for her.

The Aestivalis' eyes glowed red and suddenly began acting on their own as well. They began firing off their weaponry at the drop craft as well as the drones, and managed to shoot one out of the sky.

"Yurika! Ruri! What the hell is going on?" Ryoko yelled. "We can't control the Aestivalis! They just shot down one of the drop craft!"

"Ruri? Please tell me you haven't gone crazy," Jun gasped.

"No...I-I don't know, but Omoikane's acting entirely on its own! Please, Omoikane, stop it!"

Suddenly, the Phase Transition Cannon fired. It struck one of the craft and began to distort the space around it. The crew could only watch in horror as the weapon performed horrifically well, completely annihilating the perceived enemy. It then locked on to some passing Moebius units in the upper atmosphere and charged the cannon again as the Aestivalis started flying skyward.

"Yurika, hurry! The emergency override!" Minato cried. Frantically, Yurika opened up the top of a small column near her captain's chair with a big red button, which she slammed as hard as she could with her fist. The entire ship went dark as Omoikane shut down. The ship's engines, as a safety precaution, didn't instantly turn off - they shut down slowly, allowing the _Nadesico _to gently descend back to the ground, several hundred feet below. After the ship stopped, a series of red lights powered on, and the monitors of the ship came back on. The Aestivalis, meanwhile, were put back under the control of their pilots.

"Switch to system safe mode successful," Ruri reported with a sigh. "Basic propulsion, life support and navigation systems are online. It should be enough to get us back to HQ."

* * *

A thin man with a bowl haircut, thick nose, pointed features, and small eyes wearing Earth Alliance admiral's attire looked at the leaders of DREAM with a look of furious disbelief. Ruri, Inez Fressange and Erina Wong were also present, as well as the entire maintenance team (including Uribatake) and the Aestivalis pilots. Kira, Leeron, Amuro, and Tara were listening in.

"Well, someone better start explaining! You've destroyed some extremely valuable Alliance resources with those shenanigans!" the admiral yelled. "Why did the Aestivalis and _Nadesico _start attacking the Alliance craft when their targets were supposed to just be the unmanned drones?!"

"Hey, don't blame us!" Akito protested. "We weren't TRYING to shoot those craft down!"

"Yes. We dearly love our blue home world, and we depend on the Alliance's sponsorship!" Akatsuki added. "What would possess us to betray them?"

Munetake stroked his chin as he considered this story, and then turned toward Uribatake and his crew. "Fine...then perhaps faulty maintenance is the culprit!"

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, haircut boy!" Uribatake said indignantly. "How DARE you doubt the ability of our maintenance teams!"

"Hmm...Perhaps fatigue among the crews is to blame?" Zero suggested. Uribatake, angry to the point of steam spouting out of his ears, and got right in Zero's face.

"Look, you masked moron, my boys know that when they screw up, people DIE – so every single process is double-checked, triple-checked and QUADRUPLE-CHECKED until we get it right, you got that?! I'm a womanizer and a deadbeat dad, but I do my job damn well, so don't blame us for THEIR SHORTCOMINGS!" He pointed to the pilots as he said those last two words.

"Yes, thank you for sharing that," Zero retorted sardonically before addressing the Admiral more kindly. "Regardless, we had our set of computer experts investigate the matter. Commander Ray, Ensign Yamato, Officer Littner, would you tell us your findings?"

"Well, we found two glaring problems," Amuro began. "First, there are records of a battle against Earth Alliance forces dated back almost a year ago. Second, we found some rather suspicious-looking code in the system."

"My bet is that it was a ZAFT agent who planted it," Kira added. "It's definitely one of the most complex codes I've ever seen, and it's likely that whoever stole the Great Mazinger plans also inserted the code."

"So, it's ZAFT's fault?" Munetake said. "It figures."

"I dunno, the malicious code suggests something else. When I looked at the code, it seemed to be more focused on attacking HUMANS. Especially when you see THIS displayed onscreen."

He showed a screenshot of the message Omoikane kept printing over and over again.

"The second part makes sense, but what does 'mankind is the ultimate enemy of all realities' mean?" Hikaru said, scratching her head. But a light bulb lit up in Akito's mind.

"Wait a minute...the Anti-Spirals!" Akito exclaimed. "Remember that weird floating girl that appeared when we busted Simon out of jail in the other world? She said something about her master being 'one with the great god' and 'for the safety of all realities', I think."

"My thoughts exactly," Leeron said with a nod. "The Anti-Spirals, Admiral, are a group of beings from the universe connected to this one via the Thresholds at Photon Power Labs and on the moon. Apparently, they're some self-proclaimed 'guardians of the realities'. I bet when we fought them, either the messenger or one of the Anti-Spiral grunts injected the code remotely without our knowledge."

"Either way, we couldn't find a way to remove the malicious code without harming vital systems," Amuro said.

"What do you recommend then?" Murrue asked. "We can't very well trust a ship that's going to go berserk and attack our allies."

"It's a simple matter of wiping and rebuilding the ship's system from the ground up," the admiral replied. "The boys in our computer's department that will do the job. Once they arrive and get all set up, they'll wipe its memory slate clean and then reinstall the backup we received from Nergal for just such an occasion."

"Wait!" Ruri protested, her concern for the computer's well-being actually making her express stronger emotion. "First of all, such draconian measures are completely stupid. There's also the matter of the valuable and still unanalyzed data from the mission to Mars AND its time in the alternate universe!"

"The _Nadesico _is operating under the Earth Alliance's jurisdiction," Hunetake argued. "Any memories from when the ship was alone are more trouble than they're worth!"

"I hate to say it, but I agree with the Admiral," Akatsuki said. "It's us humans that protect the Earth, not computers and machines. Shame about having to throw away all that juicy data, though. But we can't have that 'kill all humans' code infecting other systems."

"I'm sorry, Miss Hoshino, but I too must side with them," Zero said with a sigh. "It's a risk we can't afford to take."

"Idiots...you're IDIOTS!" Ruri cried and rushed out of the room.

* * *

And so it began. A small army of white-coated specialists armed with laptops marched onto the _Nadesico_ and entered the main computer room. Meanwhile, Akito returned to the kitchen, and continued to practice his cooking. As he was sampling a little bit of sauce, someone poked him on the shoulder, making him spit out the liquid.

"Hi, Akito!" Yurika said.

"Yurika, what was that for?!" he yelled.

"Hey, Akito, can you do me a biiiiig favor?" she asked.

"No. I need to keep practicing cooking if I'm ever going to be a great chef one day," he answered bluntly. "Ask someone else."

"We can't. It has to be you," Ruri said. Akito looked over toward the table and saw Ruri and Uribatake standing there. "We've got Simon, our Koji, Kallen, Domon, Tara, Daisuke, Judau and Go. But we need you most of all."

"Why do you need so many people?" Akito asked. "We're not going into battle, are we?"

"We'll explain when we get there...come on!" Uribatake said.

* * *

Akito was brought to a secret spot he had never known about on the _Nadesico_, where Uribatake sat down at a rather old-looking computer, typing away. Surrounding them was a wide variety of old models and plastic figures of spaceships both real and fictional. The plastic, glue and cardboard gave the entire room a musty odor. The group gathered around the mechanic, watching him type like the wind, nearly as fast as Kira.

"And there we go!" the mechanic said as he leaned back a bit in his chair. "I had a nice little backdoor to the main system secretly set up at this terminal here so I could access the system for a situation such as this. And now...TA-DA!"

A digital animation of a super-deformed Aestivalis with an apron, a dustpan, a white bandana and a feather duster appeared on the screen and began comically walking back and forth on screen.

"Aw, it's adorable!" Tara said with a smile. "It's like a little maid!"

"Why, thank you, milady!" Uribatake said as he grinned. "This little fella here is a maintenance program that lives in the computer's memory, keeping everything neat and tidy and fixing broken code whenever it finds it, sort of like a cyberspace superhero...janitor!"

"How...odd..." Go said plainly.

"You got a problem with that?" Uribatake said, leering at Getter 1's pilot. "Well, anyway, I was able to scavenge up some data relating to all the mechs that have had their systems checked by the ship. And with a few added tweaks...behold!"

Super-deformed, adorable-looking versions of Lifthrasir, Mazinkaiser, Shin Getter 1, Gurren Lagann, ZZ Gundam, Grendizer, Guren MK II and Shining Gundam all started following behind the Aestivalis.

"Kyaaaaaaaa!" Tara squealed. "So much adorable!"

"Wow, look at Shin Getter's eyebrows!" Koji laughed.

"Okay, so what is this going to accomplish other than looking cute?" Kallen asked.

"Pipe down and let me finish, will ya?!" the mechanic yelled. "Anyway, with these special light-weight virtual reality visors and hooking the program up to the interface there, you'll be able to move your little guys around like cyberspace warriors! Then you can go in and SMASH the bad code to tiny bits!"

"Unorthodox, but I think we can make it work," Simon said, picking up one of the visors and putting it on over his eyes. "Heh, good thing these are wireless." Everyone else picked up a visor and put it on.

"How intriguing...we never had anything like this on Fleed," Daisuke commented as he put his own visor on.

"...Don't worry, by the way; the program automatically knows which mech to assign you, so you'll all be right at home, and if you somehow get blown up, all that will happen is you'll be kicked out of the system. Now, LET'S GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD!"

The brave warriors watched as the program started booting up, and then their minds were beamed into the program...

* * *

The group found themselves standing in what appeared to be a vast, labyrinthine library, and a whole mess of super-deformed robots, each one resembling one of the mechs currently in DREAM. However, the humans who were beamed into the program were super-deformed versions of themselves wearing armor resembling their mechs of choice. Of particular note was that Simon now sported a pair of pointy black shades.

"Holy cow, we're sooooo freaking cuuuute!" Tara squealed yet again! "You look just like Gurren Lagann, Simon! And you look like Grendizer, Daisuke!"

"I have...horns..." Go said, feeling the horns on the sides of his head.

"Geez, we're not even in here thirty seconds and she's already going fangirl crazy," Koji groaned. "Let's just get this over with. The question is, where do we go?"

"Well, we won't find out just standing around!" Simon said eagerly. "Let's gooooo!" He leaped off the balcony they were on and into the maze.

"Yahoooo!" Judau cheered as he followed suit.

"Banzaaaaiii!" Koji yelled as he jumped off. One by one they jumped off. Upon landing, they began their search for the way through.

"I'm pretty sure computers don't look like this on the inside," Akito quipped as he looked around. Suddenly, what appeared to be a tiny, not-quite-so-deformed version of Ruri popped into existence on his shoulder, startling the group. Unlike the others, she wore her normal work clothing. Immediately after, a floating rectangular image of Uribatake appeared before them.

"This is the graphical representation of the computer's systems," the mechanic explained. "Each one of these books represents a file stored in its memory.

"It actually reminds me of Ashford Academy's library," Koji commented. "At least the decorations anyway."

"Yes. Whoever designed this interface must have gone there," Domon said. "I'm not a fan of architecture, but it's actually kinda nice."

"I actually attempted to get a teaching job there," Uribatake chimed in. "But I was rejected...seven times." Kallen and Koji giggled.

Suddenly, the group noticed that Tara was no longer near them. They turned around and saw her looking at what appeared to be a super-deformed version of Granlif, dressed in the same attire as the first Aestivalis they saw.

"We can't take you anywhere, can we, Tara?" Kallen groaned as she zipped over to where she was.

"But it's so..." Tara squealed, grabbing the midget Granlif and hugging it like a plush toy.

"Yeah, yeah, we know, they're soooo adorable," Uribatake grumbled. "NOW QUIT TAMPERING WITH THE PROGRAMS, WILL YA?!"

"C'mon, Tara, we don't have time for goofing around." Kallen said, yanking the girl away by the ear. "If we don't hurry, Omoikane's entire memory will be erased!"

"Yes, we must make all due haste. I'll direct you," Ruri said. She directed them down the labyrinthine corridors of the ship's memory. As they traveled, she explained the nature of their destination, stopping her talk occasionally to give directions and point with an arrow-shaped sign.

"Up this way...our destination is the core of...take a left here...Omoikane's self-consciousness; it's there that the...go right...source of the...hold it, take a left here...problem...okay, now up here...wow, we're making good time."

The group swooped upwards and stopped in front of what appeared to be a Panzer-Hummel Knightmare Frame. It shot lightning bolts out of its two shoulder cannons, tittering evilly as it did.

"What the heck is that thing?!" Koji exclaimed. "That's not our target, is it? I'm gonna bust it up!"

"No!" Ruri exclaimed, the sign in her hand changing on an X as she flew into Koji's path. "That's the military's memory-wiping program. If we try to stop it now, the whole operation will be stopped too soon, and Omoikane will continue to target our allies. Let's just keep moving."

"Yes. Not to mention that we will be suspected of tampering with their official operation," Daisuke added. The group continued onward.

"Take a right here, and then we'll have reached our destination," Ruri said with some relief, even though she knew the hard part was about to begin. The group did so, and headed toward a light at the end of a long corridor.

* * *

At the other end was a vast chamber filled with wires, windows with a beautiful, cloud-dotted blue sky outside, and what appeared to be a mass of tree roots. They all originated at a large, green and leafy tree in the center of the chamber.

"That's it. That tree represents Omoikane's self-consciousness," the _Nadesico_'s engineer said. "It is the source of its wishes and dreams."

"Ships have ambitions and wishes?" Judau said, tilting his head.

"It is...like Getter," Go said suddenly. "This is its heart and soul, the source of its being. Without it, it would be nothing but a mindless, empty shell...a sad existence."

"You're very sensitive, Go," Ruri said with a small smile. "And poetic too."

"Enough with the chit-chat! We have a lot of work to do," Domon said commandingly.

"Karate boy is absolutely right...we gotta take care of what's making Omoikane act all crazy!" Uribatake interrupted. "Okay, Ruri, you know this thing better than I do at this level. Where do they go?" Ruri pointed to a tiny growth at the very top of the tree. As they drew closer, they saw some flowers adorning the tree.

"There. That branch there is, as Go put it, the tree's heart. You must not cut it, or else Omoikane's consciousness will cease to exist. But if you only cut the flowers, you can wipe away the problem memories without harming Omoikane - the flowers can be replaced with new ones in time."

"So we came all this way...to do hedge-trimming?" Koji said, almost disappointed. "Welp, let's get this over and done with. I'm getting hungry."

The group flew over to the small growth at the very top. Using their available cutting weapons, they began trimming away the flowers, while Akito and Koji used hedge-trimmers that appeared out of nowhere. But they didn't have to cut for very long before the sky around them started to darken, and alarms started going off.

"Let me guess," Tara sighed, "We're gonna have to fight its internal security program or something..."

"Kid's smart when she's not all googly-eyed over cute things, I see," Uribatake quipped.

Suddenly, Aestivalis started popping into existence, each of them equipped with a 0G Frame. Eventually, twenty-five Aestivalis surrounded the group.

"Oh, just some Aestivalis? This'll be cake," Judau said confidently.

But then red and green Mugan started appearing.

"Um...that doesn't look like a part of the security program!" Koji exclaimed.

"They're Anti-Spiral troops," Simon explained to those unfamiliar with them. "I bet they're here to protect the malicious program that the Anti-Spiral planted."

"Unfortunately for them," Daisuke chuckled, readying a Double Haken. "We're not your typical computer programs!"

"Right! Let's do it, guys!" Akito called out, readying his machine rifle. Everyone else readied whatever attacks they had and rushed into the fray.

"RUST TORNADO!" Koji yelled before blasting a massive whirlwind out of his mouth, catching several Aestivalis and Mugan in it at once.

"HI-MEGA CANNON, SHOOT!" Judau cried, firing a huge blast from the jewel on his helmet, annihilating several more Mugan and an Aestivalis.

The enemy Aestivalis and Mugan were no match for the powerful and experienced members of DREAM, and before long, the programs' fighting strength had been reduced to zero...at least for Omoikane. The team barely had time to catch their breath when the broken Mugan parts started melding together...and growing larger.

And larger.

And larger.

Before long, the Mugan parts had merged into a single entity – a mass consisting of arms and faces hovering above them seeming to blot out the entire sky above them. Then the sky itself seemed to change...it became a starry void dotted with planets of all colors and sizes, but all of them no smaller than one of them.

"Man, this is some REALLY crazy code..." Kallen said nervously.

"Don't despair!" Tara suddenly yelled, a memory of hers suddenly recalled by the presence of the colossal entity. "That's what the Anti-Spiral wants you to do!"

"That's right! If we don't stop this thing," Ruri said, trying to encourage everyone, "it will turn Omoikane into the Anti-Spiral's slave! Please, you have to fight!"

The entity seemed to respond to Ruri's plea by opening all of its eyes, as well as its mouths, and unleashing a massive number of missiles.

"Scatter and take out the missiles!" Daisuke called out. The group split up, and each one was followed by a single volley of missiles, homing unerringly on them.

"Damn it, they're quick!" Tara growled as she tried to shake the pursuing projectiles without success. She turned around and pulled out both rifles and started firing rapidly. Some of the missiles actually dodged her blasts, but a few of them didn't have time to avoid it and were destroyed...but as soon as one volley was destroyed, another entire set of missiles from each mouth came to replace it.

"Um...time to rethink the blowing up the missiles strategy, Daisuke," Koji panted as he paused to catch his breath after a third consecutive Fire Blaster.

"Let's just attack it with all we've got! If we over-think this, we'll lose!" Simon yelled. "It's always worked for me!"

"Good point," Daisuke said. "Everyone! Concentrate on the Anti-Spiral!" With that, the group charged in and readied their strongest available attacks at this high speed.

"DAISHARIN TURBO SMASHER PUNCH!" Koji bellowed, firing off a pair of fists at the monstrosity. They struck home, smashing one of the faces in, even in spite of being much smaller.

"GETTER BEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMM!" Go cried, blasting another face with a full strength blast.

"GRRAAAAAHHHH!" Judau yelled as he dashed in with a massive beam saber attack and slashing a third face.

"LIFTHRA RIFLE DOUBLE MODE...FIRE!" Tara called out as she aimed both rifles at the enemy and let out a massive beam. She was unable to generate portals in this virtual space, but would do what she could without them.

These attacks all did significant damage to the entity. It responded by using its arms to grab some of the stray planets and toss them at the group. Thankfully, these were much easier to dodge than the missiles.

"Let's do it, Domon!" Kallen called out to Domon after dodging a salvo of planets.

"Right, let's finish this guy off!" he said with a nod. He and Kallen flew together, and both raised their right hands, the latter being the Guren MK II's energy claw.

"These hands of ours glow with an awesome power!" Domon roared.

"Their burning grip..." Kallen cried.

"Tells us to defeat you!"

Kallen and Domon charged in, their arms charged with energy.

"LET'S DO IT!" Domon cried.

"DOUBLE!" Kallen yelled.

"SHIIIINING!"

"FINGEEERRRRRR!" they yelled together as their attacks pierced the monstrous entity's armor. With explosive force, the monstrosity started to rupture. But even that attack wasn't enough...it still refused to perish.

"Looks like we get the finishing blow after all, Akito," Simon said excitedly. "Let's show 'em how you REALLY do an awesome attack!" Akito grinned and nodded. The two charged in, with Akito creating a Distortion Field, while Simon started to rile himself up, emitting Spiral Power by the truckload as he readed Gurren Lagann's ultimate attack – this energy infused Akito with power as well. The Distortion Field he generated around him transformed into a Spiral Energy barrier, which began to form into a drill as they charged forward.

"GIGA!"

"...DOUBLE GEKIGAN!"

"...DRILL!"

"...SPAAAAAAAAAARRRK!"

The two rushed forward as a single massive Spiral energy drill, burrowing violently through the entity from one end to the other. At long last, it exploded spectacularly. Once the smoke cleared, the sky had returned to normal, and no further signs of either Omoikane's security program or the Anti-Spiral computer virus could be found.

"Awesome! We did it!" Akito cheered.

"Great job, everyone!" Ruri chirped, more enthusiastic than she had ever remembered being. "Now we can find the military's reformatting program and terminate it!"

"Yes...but there's still the matter of being found..." Daisuke said.

"Don't worry about it, oh Fleed-bitten one!" Uribatake said with a laugh, "I've been keeping those idiots busy with some good ol' fashioned honey pots...one of the oldest hacker tricks in the book! They're running around trying to delete utter junk data!"

Akito spotted the Panzer-Hummel around another bend, still zapping away and tittering like an imp. With a smirk, he fired a quick barrage of missiles, blasting the program into nothing but scattered 0's and 1's.

* * *

The operation was a success. No abnormalities were detected by the military when the group returned, and a second examination by Kira, Leeron and Amuro after they departed showed no signs of any malicious code, and that Omoikane's data was intact, minus the data involving Earth Alliance ships as being hostile.

At long last, the _Nadesico _was ready to take off once more, this time for the Chinese Federation. As the three ships took off, Ruri looked down at her screen. Omoikane displayed the following words on screen: "Those unforgettable days...for them, I live."

It was good to have her back, but the _Nadesico_'s engineer still wondered why the Anti-Spiral viewed humanity's growing power as such an immense threat, even at this point...

* * *

_Oh man, I would kill to see this one animated. Well, next time, Code Geass plot for sure this time! We're approaching the end of Code Geass R1...boy, I'm excited to see how it turns out! Until next time, mecha fans!  
_


	40. Chapter 26

_Now for a little bit of Code Geass, Evangelion and Dancougar plot! I initially thought that the Chinese Federation was used somewhat in R1 as a location, but then I found out that it was only in R2. Then I thought, what the hell, I'll use it anyway!_

* * *

**Chapter 26 – The Palace of the Empress! Rebirth and Near Death! **

DREAM was drawing ever closer to Japan now - the Chinese Federation, where the Japanese government was currently in exile, was their next destination, and their last stop before the battle with Britannia. It would be here that Zero would gain the support of the third member of the Earth Alliance.

The three ships landed near what was the very image of old imperial China's greatest palace, for it had never actually died. Standing outside to greet the _Nadesico_, _Archangel _and _Ra Calium _were eight men dressed in traditional Chinese court attire, along with a number of Chinese Knightmare Frames. Also interesting to note were two towering robots with stern expressions, one yellow, one green. Those who saw them couldn't help but notice that they resembled GGG's Dragon Brothers. As the members of DREAM filed out, most of them couldn't help but be awed by the beauty of the palace. One of the men approached the leaders of DREAM, as if overjoyed to see them.

"Greetings, friends!" the man in an unusually high voice as he approached and bowed courteously. "Welcome to Luoyang! Please, come with us! The Empress awaits you!"

As he and the others came out, Guy looked up at the yellow and green robots, and actually recognized them...it was no coincidence - they too were GGG - but they were made by GGG's Chinese division.

"FuuRyu! RaiRyu!" he called out to them. The two robots turned their heads toward Guy, and their stern looks changed to smiles.

"Ah, Guy Shishioh!" FuuRyu said happily.

"We heard that you were with DREAM!" RaiRyu then spoke.

"What are you doing here at the palace?" the cyborg asked. "I thought you stayed at GGG China's headquarters?"

"We did, until recently," RaiRyu answered. "Not long ago, the palace was attacked by these unusual orange ships and these mean-looking green robots."

"They appeared out of white portals," FuuRyu continued, "But with the aid of the Empress' attendant Li Xingke and the rest of the palace guard, we were able to drive them away."

"Thus," RaiRyu concluded. "We have been charged by GGG to remain here and guard the Empress with our very lives."

"I see. Well, we can chat more later."

* * *

The leaders of DREAM were surprised to see that the Empress Tianzi was so young - barely thirteen years old. It was little wonder that she let the High Eunuchs handle everything. Also of interesting note was the Empress' full-blown albinism - her skin was almost snow-white, her long, but highly styled hair was a silvery white, and her eyes were somewhat pink. But all the same, they could tell that the problems afflicting her subjects weighed more heavily on her young mind than her own, and that she felt powerless to do anything at all.

When all was said and done, the Eunuchs decided that DREAM would be allowed to remain at the palace and make use of its amenities. Only a few specific rooms were explicitly off-limits: the Eunuchs' chambers, the royal shrine (without permission, anyway), and a seemingly nondescript door in a hallway just off the great throne room.

Akito, being a chef at heart, immediately made a beeline for the royal kitchen, hoping to learn about how to make true Chinese food, as opposed to the take-out lo mein, egg foo young and chow mein he was so used to.

Others opted to talk walks around the grounds, and others preferred to stay on the ships.

Viral, however, wanted to test the warriors of this world to see how well they fought on foot. He hadn't had a good sword fight since his duel with Kamina so many years ago, and was itching to find another opponent. He decided to head for the courtyard where the Empress' guards would train. There, he hoped to find his foe.

To his disappointment, it was empty, save for a single person - a man with long black hair and auburn eyes that gave away the fact that this man was disciplined, well-trained, and devoted. He wore a blue vest, a white undershirt, dark blue shoulder pads and arm guards, simple black trousers and leather boots tied with faded cloth.

But Viral's disappointment changed to interest as he watched the man practice. Unlike Kamina, this man was graceful in his sword work, his technique emphasizing skill rather than brute force. The Beastman grinned widely. Simon may have been his equal overall, but this man could yet be the one. Viral walked down the stairs, their creaking causing the man to pause. And his mild interest turned to baffled surprise when he saw Viral's's bestial hands.

"I take it you're one of the Empress' guests," the man said. "What brings you here to the training grounds?"

"I can tell you're quite the swordsman," Viral said with a smirk. "Let's have a little match. Training with an opponent is much more practical than training alone, after all." The man smiled and nodded. He went over to a rack where swords hung in their sheaths, picked one similar to his own, and heaved at Viral, who caught it with one hand.

"Before we begin," the swordsman said unsheathing his blade, "I think we should at least know our opponents' names...I am Li Xingke, protector of the Empress."

"Viral - nothing more," the Beastman replied, doing likewise. "Shall we begin? We'll fight to first blood."

Li needed no more words. With great speed, he lunged at Viral, hoping to end the duel quickly. But Viral was just as quick - he managed to parry Li's attack and counter. But the Chinese swordsman dodged the attack.

So the duel went - one of them would attack, the other would parry in time, and counter, only for the other to either counter-parry or avoid the attack entirely. But battles of attrition were ones that Viral could win more easily, thanks to his greater endurance.

Finally, after a good ten minutes of furious back-and-forth, Viral felt victory in his grasp as he sensed his opponent could take no more. He lunged furiously at the exhausted Li...only to receive a hit to his left flank. The Empress' steward smirked as Viral looked down at the clean cut in his shirt and the shallow laceration.

"First blood is mine, Viral," Li said with a chuckle. "You lose."

The Beastman didn't care, though. He was just glad to have fought such a skilled opponent. He felt his wound quickly close up on its own, a result of his rapid healing ability granted by Lordgenome so many years ago.

"Impressive. You're as good as I thought you were," Viral said.

"I have to be in order to protect my charge," the swordsman replied, sheathing his blade. "She is, after all, the rightful ruler of this land, and she must be protected from all foes, both without...and within."

* * *

Fa and Kamille followed the Empress to an open courtyard filled with greenery and a few trees almost ready to bear their summer fruit. Standing quietly and solemnly in the center of the area was the royal shrine, a simple but elegantly designed building about fifteen feet square.

"Um...isn't the royal shrine off-limits?" Fa said as Tianzi started up the steps.

"It's off-limits to anyone not in the royal family that lacks permission to do so," the pale girl replied. "I'm giving you permission."

"But why us?" Fa then asked.

"Oh, it's a funny story. When I was asleep two nights ago, I was visited by the four Ssuling, guardian spirits of China - Gui Xian, Qing Long, Zhu Que, and Bai Hu. They told me that a man from another world whose soul needed healing would come to the palace in two days. He would come out of one of three great flying ships, accompanied by the one that cherishes him most wherever he went. I was to take him and his cherished one into the royal shrine and let him drink from the sacred spring. Once that is done, his soul will be healed, and my grandfather's sin will be forgiven." The two Newtypes wondered what that sin was.

As Fa and Kamille reached the top of the stairs, Tianzi put her left hand up her right sleeve, and extracted a small, ornately-decorated key. She then slid open a secret panel and inserted the key into the keyhole concealed there. The door opened on its own, revealing a rocky pool decorated with statues of the four gods. There was Bai Hu the white tiger, who sat on the west edge; Gui Xian the black turtle, who stood at the north side; Qing Long the azure dragon,who was coiled up on the east side; and Zhu Que the phoenix, who stood, wings spread, on the south edge. Cold, clear water flowed from the statues' open mouths.

"Go on, Kamille...drink it," Fa said. The young man approached the spring and knelt down. He nervously cupped his hands and dipped them into the spring, then brought them to his lips and drank.

Even as the cold water slipped down Kamille's throat, he felt more and more like his old self. Only a few moments after swallowing the last drop, the Newtype knew he was finally ready to pilot the Zeta Gundam once more.

"Best drink I've had in ages!" Kamille said loudly and enthusiastically. "Thanks a bunch, Your Highness!" Fa had to resist the temptation to rush straight at him and embrace him with all her might before they exited the shrine, so Tianzi could lock it once more.

The young Empress smiled, and then looked over at the statues of the four guardians before closing the door to the shrine. They all seemed to shimmer a little more, as if affirming the promise they had made her would be kept.

* * *

Everything that was happening with the Evangelion pilots, as well as the Angels themselves, baffled Gendo to no end. He sat in his office at NERV HQ, leafing through data from the previous battles with these deadly entities.

The Third Angel, Sachiel, was Shinji's first battle. Unit 01 went berserk, not so surprising considering his ineptitude at piloting an EVA at the time. It was expected.

But almost immediately, the Angels started appearing out of order.

Gaghiel was fourth in line, when the scrolls predicted he would be the sixth. That was when the Super Robot Dancougar helped Asuka out in her first battle.

Sahaquiel was supposed to be tenth in line, but he showed up soon after Gaghiel as the fifth. Not only that, he wasn't anywhere NEAR the GeoFront. Numerous future DREAM members helped Shinji keep the Angel from crashing into Earth. Furthermore, the Angel also engaged in a completely unforeseen mode of attack, and then it tried to contact the girl named Tara Zifell.

Shamshel was the sixth, and again appeared entirely off target. It was defeated at the same time as a Zonder, and Rei jumped in to protect that Janus boy. Janus was contacted by the Angel as well.

Ramiel, who was supposed to be number five, turned out be number seven. He was quickly annihilated by Kaworu and Unit 04's Lance of Longinus, after the switch. They had planned to use a massive positron rifle to destroy it, but there was no need.

Kaworu, as it turned out, was supposed to be the final Angel born from Adam, but not only did he show up MUCH earlier than anticipated, he was actually fighting for mankind's future. Why an Angel would do that was beyond his comprehension.

He then turned to the data on the other Evangelion pilots - Rei, his son Shinji, and Asuka.

Rei had latched on to that boy Janus and now had an unusual fixation with tangerines, as well as showing genuine emotion. What was worse, there were reports of her calling him "big brother"! She was key to his own plans, and if she chose to reject him, everything he had worked for would have been for nothing.

Asuka had similarly connected with the pilot of the Dancougar, Shinobu Fujiwara. She had been a solitary person, but that changed when Shinji and Rei went out into space. Now she was becoming more and more social. The conflict she had over her feelings for Shinji was starting to resolve itself. Again, not good for Gendo's needs.

Shinji himself was the most problematic. That girl Nunnally and her brother Lelouch were raising his confidence and self-esteem, not the typical traits of a boy suitable for piloting an Evangelion. Granted, he was still able to control Unit 01, but it wouldn't be long before he wouldn't even be able to sync up with it. What was worse, it was going berserk much more easily than it used to. Sachiel had to break every bone in its body to get it to go berserk...that ZAFT mobile suit only slashed Unit 01's throat out.

But the connection, at least for Rei and the Angels was there...the Thresholds. Their very existence was affecting the nature of the prophecy...the question was how. Was the energy of the other universe affecting the way this one worked? Or was the nature of time itself being affected? There were too many questions and not enough answers.

_I need an aspirin_, Gendo thought.

* * *

The Muge Zolbados Empire's attack on Luoyang would go ahead, regardless of the increase in their enemy's fighting strength. That was Emperor Muge's order, and it was never to be questioned.

This time, General Helmut would lead the attack. A cunning alien with a thin, pointed face, green hair, and sharpened teeth, he also enjoyed bloodshed - the more excessive, the better. As such, he greatly relished the chance to slaughter a country with a population in the billions. Though to first inflict maximum despair (which his emperor greatly insisted on), he had to kill the country's symbol - its Empress.

Surrounding his battleship as it floated in the distance were roughly forty orange star-fighters, ten bulky green robots with large pincer claws and horns on their relatively small heads. Inside his ship were a pair of machines that looked like robotic beetles with tall shells and long, whip-like tentacles. Working alongside them was a great purple and maroon humanoid monstrosity that looked like a larger but lither version of the green robots.

"Let's see..." the pointy-eared general said as he accounted for his troops. "Forty Muge Fighters...ten Zei-Fars...two Graysus Units, and a Megalosaurus Granviter...yes, I do believe I've received the exact number of troops I need. Excellent!"

"Lord Helmut," said a soldier. "According to our scanners, Dancougar is among the enemy's numbers. It defeated General Deathgaia's ship with one blow!"

"Yes, I am well aware of its strength, soldier," Helmut replied calmly. "But Deathgaia is a fool who simply tries to overpower his enemies without even the slightest bit of strategy. Meanwhile, Gildrome spends too MUCH time thinking, allowing the enemy time to prepare its defenses. But I am the best of both worlds, without either of their flaws...that is why I am our Emperor's most reliable general!"

After a moment of beaming with pride, he turned back to the same soldier.

"How much longer till preparations are complete?"

"They'll be done soon, Lord Helmut."

"I wanted them done before I had ever thought to ask! Tell those morons in the hangar to get a move on, or I'll rip them open, smash their organs to a pulp and make them mop up the mess with their own blood!"

"Y-Yes, Lord Helmut..."

* * *

"I'm bored, Shinobu," Asuka groaned as she watched him on a few adjustments to the Eagle Fighter, one of the four component mechs of Dancougar. "Let's do something!"

"I'm busy right now. Why don't you head back to one of the ships and watch some _Gekiganger _or something," Shinobu replied, not even looking at her.

"I'm sick of that show," the girl replied. "I've watched half the series already, and it's the same thing over and over."

"Then take a walk around the palace grounds. They're pretty nice."

Asuka lied down on her back, her legs hanging off the ledge she was sitting on. "I've seen everywhere we're allowed to go already. Twice."

"What about schoolwork? I hear Misato is handling the schooling for you and the other EVA pilots."

"...Already did it."

Shinobu sighed. He wasn't really in the mood to hang out with Asuka, but it quickly became apparent that she wasn't going to leave him alone unless he amused her somehow. He had finished all the important adjustments anyway. But before he could do much else, Asuka suddenly changed the tone of the conversation.

"So, what do you see in Sara?" she asked rather frankly.

"What?" Shinobu exclaimed.

"I mean, all she pushes you around all the time. Shouldn't YOU be wearing the pants in your relationship?"

"Hey, you're one to talk. You're don't even have a boyfriend."

Asuka grinned, and had a twinkle in her eye that immediately made Shinobu feel uncomfortable. She slid off the ledge and approached the Eagle Fighter's pilot, backing him against the wall.

"What? Are you scared of me all of a sudden?" Asuka cooed as she pushed herself against him. "I'm so much better than that pushy girlfriend of yours."

Shinobu couldn't understand. Why was this girl acting this way? She was too young for him (he was in his 20's, after all), and he could get in huge trouble for this sort of thing. Forced to act, he managed to push Asuka away and stormed out, avoiding eye contact.

But Asuka simply shook her head and smiled.

_He'll come around_, she said to herself smugly, still completely infatuated with the Cyber Beast Force's leader. _The question is, how do I go about it?_

Unbeknownst to either of them, Rain had seen their little exchange from an even higher ledge. She shook her head and gazed down with pity on Asuka. Having some training in psychology as part of her doctor's training, she could immediately sense that Asuka was hiding something.

_Poor girl. What would compel her to act like this?_

* * *

Alarms sounded on all of the ships, with the _Archangel _having detected the incoming Muge Empire troops approaching in the distance. Amuro was preparing to sortie in the Nu Gundam, when, to his surprise, he saw Kamille inside the open cockpit of the Zeta Gundam making a few final adjustments to it. The Londo Bell's commander was dumbfounded – how did he suddenly return to his old self?

"Kamille, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like, Commander?" Kamille quipped. "The Zeta and I are going to deploy."

"Are you sure?" Amuro said, concerned for his comrade's welfare. "You haven't been in battle since your last duel with Paptimus Scirocco..."

"I'll be fine. Fa did a great job in picking up the pieces," he replied as he finished his last adjustments. Soon after, Puru, Judau, the Cyber Beast Force, the three EVA pilots, Janus, Kouji, Tetsuya, Kallen and surprisingly, Zero himself, all entered their own mechs, though they were on separate ships. Zero headed for a small Burai frame, which was decorated with a red helmet with gold horns on top, akin to a samurai helmet.

"Members of DREAM, hear me!" Zero called out once he had entered his mech. "Our mission is to defend the palace from the enemy at all costs!"

"Zero! You actually gonna fight for once?" Judau called out to Zero once he and Zero were inside their mechs.

"Yes, Judau Ashta. The other Black Knights will be taking the field as well, and I feel my presence on the battlefield would be beneficial."

"Even Tamaki's coming?" Janus exclaimed. "I heard he was pretty incompetent."

"HEY, I HEARD THAT!" Tamaki yelled from the cockpit of his own Burai. "For your information, bucko, I just happen to be Zero's..."

"That's enough...we've confirmed visual contact with the enemy," Zero interrupted, knowing full well just how right Janus was.

"What's the plan, Zero?" Tetsuya asked.

"The enemy is coming in large numbers, and if they have sufficient battle strength when they arrive, we'll be overwhelmed. But we can reduce their numbers easily with a series of repeated hit-and-run attacks by our fastest troops. The bulk of their force consists of light attack craft, which should be easy to destroy. It is these that we must first target."

"But how are we going to hit them when they're so high up?" Kallen asked. "Our Knightmare Frames don't have any method of..."

"It's simple," Chiba answered. "We can yank them out of the sky."

"Indeed," Zero said. "You can use your Slash Harkens to grab them out of the air and pull them down. Meanwhile, the slower parts of the force will remain behind and strike them from a distance. Once the enemy's strength is reduced, we can begin to push them back. Understood? All units...LAUNCH!"

* * *

The first to launch were the Knightmare Frames, which sped along the ground, as the enemies approached.

"Yee-ha! Let's yank these orange bastards out of the sky!" Tamaki whooped as he sped forward. He spotted a Muge Fighter swooping down to take a few potshots at him. With a grin, he fired the Slash Harkens at it. To his great joy, he managed to strike it dead on. With a grin, he pulled back the Harkens down, slamming the Fighter into the ground, causing it to explode.

"AH, YEAH! I ACTUALLY GOT ONE!" he cheered. Of course, the celebrating was short-lived as a second one swooped in and quickly blasted his Burai apart, forcing the cockpit to eject. The incompetent fellow screamed at cursed as he flew all the way over the palace.

The others were much more successful. Their Knightmares dodge and wove with great agility, yanking Muge Fighter after Muge Fighter out of the sky, and then dodging their beam cannon shots. Even Zero, who wasn't as skilled a pilot as Kallen or Kyoshiro, managed to get through without a scratch. Meanwhile, the Super Robots and battleships waiting in the rear managed to get any that had avoided the Knightmare Frames' attacks. By the time Zero was ready to move to Phase 2 of his defense plan, twenty-five of the forty Muge Fighters had been shot out of the sky. As a result, the fighter squadron decided to split up, and try to divide the enemy's attention.

But Zero had anticipated this as well.

"Captains, how are the preparations for your main guns going?"

"Phase Transition Cannon is all charged up and ready to go! We won't be hitting any allies this time!" Yurika chirped.

"Lohengrins are ready to fire," Murrue answered.

"Mega-particle cannons are all set as well," Bright responded.

"_Ra Calium_, aim 30 degrees up in the southwest," Zero ordered. "_Nadesico_, fire 37 degrees up straight west. _Archangel_, aim 25 degrees up west-northwest...on my mark."

Helmut's battleship, a black, sleek-looking monstrosity, came into view, with several Zei-Fars drawing closer, while twelve Muge Fighters came in from the southwest, and the remaining thirteen from the northwest.

"FIRE!"

The three battleships unleashed their main guns. The _Archangel _and _Ra Calium _managed to shoot down ten fighters each, crippling the survivors to the point of being unable to fight. Meanwhile, the _Nadesico_'s new Phase Transition Cannon struck the battleship, substantially damaging it by folding space, though not enough to shoot it down. Three of the Zei-Fars perished in the attack as well.

Things seemed to be going well so far...

* * *

"I must give the commander credit..." Helmut grunted as his ship stopped shaking from the hit it took from the _Nadesico_'s main cannon, "He is a far better tactician than I anticipated. But not even all the tactics in the multiverse won't be able to save them from the Muge Machines I have! Launch the Graysus Units and Megalosaurus!"

The trio of monstrosities were launched out of the damaged catapults, and landed right in front of the waiting Super Robots, while the remaining Zei-Fars charged in.

* * *

Asuka grinned and opened fire on one of the Graysus Units with her gatling cannon at point blank range. It staggered backward, noticeably damaged by the attack.

"How's that, Shinobu? Think your little girlfriend can do THAT?!" she said with a laugh. However, she didn't anticipate it getting back up and wrapping its tentacles around Unit 02's throat. Asuka immediately felt herself struggling to breathe. She tried to go for her progressive knife, but both her arms were then caught by tentacles.

Of course, Dancougar was on the scene, slicing the monstrosity's tentacles off with its blade.

"Last thing you need to be is overconfident," Sara chastised her as Dancougar moved in to finish off the mechanical menace. Asuka scowled as she rubbed her throat.

Zeta Gundam, in its Waverider mode, flew over Asuka's head and fired several beam shots into the Megalosaurus, then changed back into robot mode and fired several beam rifle shots, striking it from behind and knocking it prone.

"I got it, I got it!" Puru called out, "Go, Funnels!"

"Don't leave me out of the party!" Janus chimed in, "Do it, Gran Bits!"

Once adversaries, now allies, Puru's Funnels and Janus' Gran Bits quickly cut loose on the fallen monstrosity. He then flew past Tetsuya, who was in combat with the other Graysus Unit with Kouji. After blocking a tentacle strike, the two Mazingers stood together.

"Kouji, let's combine our attacks!" he called out.

"Heh, got it!" Mazinger Z's pilot said with a grin.

"BREASTO BURN!"

"BREASTO FIYAAAH!"

"Eat this! DOUBLE BURNING FIRE!"

The Graysus Unit was quickly reduced to slag by the intense heat of the two simultaneous attacks. However, even throughout the battle, Helmut's ship was coming closer and closer.

_This is taking too long, _Zero thought. _If that command ship gets any closer_...

"We've got this," Shinobu said with a grin. "Sara! Masato! Ryo! Let's show everyone what Dancougar can REALLY do! Hey, old man Hazuki - give 'em the word!"

"Understood," a voice on the other end answered.

"Give us the likeness of love's soul...the blade that cleaves the dark world!" Shinobu then said, as if casting a magical spell, as he prepared for Dancougar's ultimate attack...

* * *

Up at GGG Orbital Base, the Cyber Beast Force had a friend - A rather dignified scientist, Kotarou Hazuki, the creator of Dancougar, had recently affiliated himself with GGG, and integrated his ship, the Gundor, into the space station.

"Taiga, my good man, it seems..." Hazuki began.

"Yeah, yeah, we all heard!" Geki yelled. "We're on it, glasses boy!"

"GANDOR CANNON! OPERATION...APPROVED!" Taiga bellowed.

"Gandor Cannon charge complete!" Kosuke called out.

A massive silver dragon's head peered out of one of the holes in the orbital base, and opened its mouth.

"Excellent...Gandor Cannon, FIRE!" Hazuki ordered.

* * *

Dancougar raised its sword up high as the four pilots concentrated with all their might. From the heavens came a massive beam of pink light, which struck the Dan Kuu Ken, turning the blade into a massive pillar of light that reached the very heavens themselves.

"Damn, and I though Granlif had a big sword," Janus quipped.

"We call it...Dankuu Kouga Ken!" Shinobu yelled as Dancougar grasped the sword with both hands. "YAAAAAAAATE YARUZE!

As the Cyber Beast Force's mech swung the blade, the entire energy beam followed it, annihilating everything except the battleship at once, as well as anything five or six miles ahead. Of course, the battleship took severe damage. Helmut began ranting and raving as his men quickly turned his battleship around to retreat, lest he turn on them.

"Ha! Another Muge bad guy downed in one blow!" Masato cheered.

"Say what?" Sara asked. "How do you know these are from Muge or whatever?"

"I dunno, the name Muge Zolbados Empire does ring a bell," Ryo replied. "Oh, yeah, we heard about them from old man Hazuki, remember?"

* * *

The battle ended with Shinichiro as the only one shot down. This, of course, pleased the Eunuchs to no end, though more because THEY were safe rather than the Empress being safe.

Though Gao Hai, the de facto leader of the Eunuchs, did wish that those Evangelion pilots had perished in the fight. It would have saved him of having it done tonight.

Unbeknownst to any of his fellow Eunuchs, he had another position in the grand scheme of things...one that transcended the boundaries of nations.

He was a member of SEELE, and the Human Instrumentality Project Committee in particular, and he had the Children of NERV in his power. With a single phone call, he had everything set up. Now the genital-less man merely had to wait...

* * *

Though Rei wasn't quite capable of showing it, she was as happy as could be. Two of her three favorite people in the world, Janus and Shinji, were walking with her on this beautiful evening.

They paused in the garden and gazed up at the sky. The full moon was out, giving the area a calm, enchanted feel. The girl couldn't quite believe that a week or so ago, she was on the moon itself. Yet even now it retained its mystical aura.

It was the perfect time for Rei to ask Shinji THAT question. Janus moved away into the shadows, to let them have a little privacy.

"Um...Shinji?" the girl asked meekly.

"Yeah, Rei?" Shinji asked.

"Um...what do...um...you think of me?" Rei then asked, blushing deeply

Shinji blushed as well. He hadn't expected Rei to ask him that at all. In fact, no one had ever asked him that.

"Well...uh...the truth is...I...uh..."

But the moment was shattered when Rei suddenly spotted someone in the bushes, aiming a high-powered rifle right at Shinji's heart from a mere twenty feet away. The girl shoved Shinji out of the way, and for the third time, took a hit that was intended for someone else. It struck her on her left flank, well away from her heart.

"Rei...Rei? Rei!" Shinji cried, bending down, and trying to find the source of the gunshot. But then he got shot as well, being struck just beneath his clavicle. He cried out in pain and crumpled to the ground. The two teenagers lied side-by-side, blood slowing dripping out of them.

Finally, the assassin came out - he was completely garbed in dark colors from head-to-toe, so Janus couldn't get a good look at his face. Then again, he didn't care. This man had harmed his little sister. The assassin stepped out of his hiding place, pulled out a pistol, which was obviously to finish off his targets.

But the young man knew that this man could kill him just as easily. He knew Rei wouldn't want him throwing away his life to protect her, but all the same, he would do it in a heartbeat. He dropped to his knees in despair, vainly reached his hand out toward the two teens, wishing he could do something as he started to close his hand into a fist...

Janus' thoughts were interrupted when a portal opened near the assassin. To his shock, Granlif's hand reached out of the portal and grabbed the man. He struggled to escape the robot's grip, but Granlif's hold was far too strong.

Janus started to squeeze his fist more tightly, and Granlif began squeezing as well. The assassin struggled and cried out as the robot's crushing grip broke every bone in his body. Janus looked down at Rei and Shinji, still squirming in pain, lying in a slowly growing pool of blood, then back at the assassin.

With a look of complete rage, Janus' body and hair glowed brilliant white, while his eyes turned into pools of gold, a single pair of rainbow-colored wings of light extended from his back.

_Men like you...men like whoever sent you...don't deserve to exist._

Janus let out a scream of fury as he squeezed with all his might. The assassin seemed to crackle and ooze a bit, as if his body had turned into plasticine or putty. Blood sprayed forth, sprinkling Shinji and Rei with blood.

With a sadistic grin, Janus made a motion with his arm as if tossing something away to the side. Granlif tossed the assassin's crushed corpse high into the air and out of sight. After that moment, Janus shifted back to his normal shape then saw the blood staining Granlif's hand. But before he could realize what he had done, he realized that more important matters needed attending.

"Captain Yurika! Captain Ramius! Captain Bright! Please, I need a medic right now! Shinji and Rei have been shot! W-we're in the palace garden."

"Please try not to panic, Janus," Murrue said to him calmly. "I'm sending my medical team over right away. Try to keep them from moving around too much."

"O-okay..." Janus stammered. That wasn't a problem, though...the two were lying very still, although they were still breathing...

* * *

_I'm glad I finally found descriptions of the Muge Empire grunts, but those grey Invaders will be used again! Anyway, next time, still more Code Geass plot, and maybe I'll do some Mazinkaiser plot as well! Until next time, mecha fans!  
_


	41. Chapter 27

_Ladies and gentleman, it's time for the first series finale of the story! Today, we finish up the Mazinkaiser OVA! There's still the plot of the Mazinkaiser movie to do, so the story of Flourishing World Koji isn't over yet! Also, I made this one extra long! I'll make sure more major events are about this length.  
_

* * *

**Chapter 27 - Final Battle At Hell Castle! Your Ambitions End Here!**

Dr. Hell was running out of options. The Vega Empire had been taking more and more of his troops for their own conquests, leaving fewer and fewer for him to use for his own needs. If he was going to truly succeed, he had to take out Koji Kabuto and Mazinkaiser immediately. And with him so close to Hell Island, it was both a big risk with an even bigger payoff.

But at the same time, he couldn't sacrifice Baron Ashura. The two-faced golem was too important for his plans, for without Ashura, he couldn't gain the true power of Mycenae. After requesting to lead yet another attack, the scientist forced his servant into confinement.

But now Ashura was holding a gun to the head of one of his Iron Masks. But before he could say anything, the two-faced being tossed both the Iron Mask and the gun aside, and knelt before his master.

"Dr. Hell, I know that you need my help," his male half said.

"And I need YOUR help, Dr. Hell," his female half said.

"If you wish to defeat Mazinkaiser, then the only solution is..." the male half continued before both spoke in unison; "...to incorporate me in your final, most powerful Mechabeast!"

"But don't you know that your body will be no more?!" Dr. Hell replied, astounded at his servant's insistence.

"I, Baron Ashura, have been prepared to die for the great Dr. Hell for a long time," the female half answered as it rose.

"...But I vow to tear Mazinkaiser and DREAM apart with these hands!" both halves cried in unison, stepping toward their master. "If the actions taken before my last breath ensure your conquest, then my life in service to you will have been worth everything!"

Dr. Hell grinned. "Ah, that's the spirit! Your words and thoughts make the strength of your devotion clear to me!" he declared in praising his most devoted minion. "Ashura, I will grant your wish and take your destiny into my own hands - and with these hands I shall incorporate you into my most powerful Mechabeast!"

Lightning struck outside.

* * *

Zero, Misato and C.C., the former carrying a large box kept closed by tape, were the first visitors for Shinji and Rei that morning after the night of the attempt on their lives. They were separated by a curtain in the _Archangel_'s medical bay to allow each other privacy at night, but they had been talking with each other all the same, and their beds were side by side now. Seeing Shinji alive was a relief to the masked Lelouch, for he feared what would happen to Nunnally if he should perish, and that he would be forced to give her the bad news.

"Good morning, you two," Lelouch said, still maintaining his Zero persona as he laid the box down. "I'm glad to see you both awake and alert. What did the doctors say? Will you be able to pilot again soon?"

"No...Rain said we're probably out of action for a while," Shinji replied. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Misato scolded him. "You were the target of an assassination. Someone must see your Evangelions as a threat of them. It only shows how valuable you are."

Shinji leered at her, and turned away. "Rei, Asuka and I are only valuable because we can pilot the EVAs, aren't we? Once we've freed Japan and taken down the remaining Angels, we'll be nobodies again." C.C. smirked as Zero deftly cut the tape sealing the boxes, then pulled out the contents of each.

Inside the boxes were dozens of cards and notes. They had been gathered over the duration of the trip by Misato, Zero and Kaworu. Many of them were from members of Ashford Academy, others were from the villages in northern Africa, and others were from Japan itself.

"Are these...all for us?" Shinji exclaimed. He had no idea so many people wished him well. Rei simply stared wide-eyed.

Lelouch spotted one he recognized as Nunnally's handiwork, and picked it up to read it, though for all Shinji knew, he picked it at random.

_Dear Shinji,_

_I hear you are going to war on the side of the Earth Alliance, and that you are the pilot of something called an Evangelion. I am writing to let you know that I miss you so much and that I think of you every day. As nice of a person as your friend Kaworu is, life isn't the same without you. I think I miss you more than even my big brother! Please come back soon! _

_Your friend,_

_Nunnally Lamperouge  
_

Shinji had always feared that Nunnally didn't really like him and was just being nice, but he was happy. But at the same time, he felt bad. Would he cause her pain, and as a result cause him pain if he kept going? Doubt of a different sort filled him as well.

Meanwhile, C.C. handed Rei a letter that, to the latter's surprise, was addressed to her. The handwriting was horrible, but not so much that she couldn't read it.

_Dear Tangerine Girl,_

_I didn't know your name was Rei until I heard from the student council's vice president told us about how you, Shinji, and that crazy redhead Asuka were piloting things called Evangelions. I always saw you around school with a tangerine in your hands...that's why I gave you that name. But it must be very hard piloting an Evangelion - you're very brave if you can do that._

_I also think you're pretty, Rei. I don't care what the rest of the grade says - I really like you, and maybe when you get back, we can sit together at lunch. _

_Sincerely,_

_X_

_P.S. I'm sorry I didn't tell you my name. It took up a lot of courage just to write this. My hands are all sweaty right now. _

Rei smiled a bit. While she was touched by this mysterious admirer's words, she just wanted to be with Janus and Shinji. As long as she had them, she would never feel lonely.

But no one in the room knew how this would affect their ability to pilot the Evangelions. Was it truly possible that the mighty weapons would only function in the hands of a teenager whose life was filled with doubt, fear, and loathing?

* * *

Pasder could sense it. The tension that was filling the air around him as the specter of war and bloodshed slowly crept over Japan. Soon, the entirety of Area 11 would be ready to be transformed into a Zonder Metal Plant, and from there he could Zonderize the rest of planet Earth.

"Pinchernone! Polonaise! Primarda! Pizza! Come, my four Heavenly Machine Kings! Your lord and master, Pasder, summons you!"

As before, the four Machine Kings appeared before the writhing Pasder.

"Lord Pasder, what is your command?" Pizza said.

"In spite of your repeated failures, it seems the day off I took was EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED! As a result, I was able to produce one more Zonder Metal than I had PREVIOUSLY CALCULATED!"

"That is good news, lord Pasder!" Primada said, twirling like a ballerina as always. "What's more, you seem in especially high spirits. Have the conditions on the surface changed?"

"Yes, my Machine Kings," Pasder boomed. "The city above us is almost completely saturated with minus thoughts, thanks to the looming specter of war. Every single person will become a superb host for Zonder Metal!"

"Brrbrbrbrrbbreeee!" Pinchernone laughed. "And with so many hosts, we can..."

"YES! We can commence the formation of the Zonder Metal Plant that we have been so long denied!" Pasder replied loudly. "Once the minus thoughts of the humans reaches critical mass, construction can begin! We shall turn this Tokyo Settlement into the hub of Earth's mechanization! All we need now is the proper spark to light the flame..."

* * *

A call came in suddenly to the _Nadesico_, which Ruri answered. It was Professor Yumi of Photon Power Labs.

"Ah, Ruri! It is good to see you alive and well. I trust your group will be on its way to Japan soon?"

"While DREAM, the Atlantic Federation and the Chinese Federation will be working together to battle Britannia for the liberation of Japan," she replied, "when we will be able to begin that operation is still not set."

"Then it may be good fortune. We have good news and bad news that must be conveyed to the commanders in DREAM immediately."

"Can we start with the good news?" Ruri said.

"The good news is that have been able to pinpoint the current location of Dr. Hell's fortress," Professor Yumi replied. "He is operating on an artificial island at coordinates I will be sending you."

"And the bad news?"

"The bad news is that we were able to determine his hiding place because an army of Mechabeasts, the largest he's ever assembled, has just set out from those coordinates, and is headed this way," the scientist replied grimly. "They will be arriving approximately five hours and twenty-five minutes."

"I'll warn the command right away," Ruri said calmly.

* * *

The troops (save for Shinji and Rei) gathered on the bridges of each of the three ships, with Zero broadcasting from the _Nadesico_. Koji also stood next to him.

"Members of DREAM," Zero began. "I know many of you are still sore from the battle yesterday, but we have an even greater one ahead of us...one who possesses power that rivals that of Britannia itself! Koji Kabuto and Tetsuya Tsurugi will explain further, for they are both intimately familiar with our enemy."

"Thanks, Zero," Koji said before launching into his speech. "A long time ago, my grandfather Juzo Kabuto worked with a fellow scientist he had befriended at the university in the study of Photon Power, and its connection to the ruins of an island in the Aegean Sea called Bardos. Unfortunately, my grandfather's friend became obsessed with it, as well as the Mechabeasts buried underneath it. While my grandfather continued his study of Photon Power, the scientist became power-mad."

"During Britannia's invasion of Japan, the mad scientist, now calling himself Dr. Hell, began his own invasion," Tetsuya continued, "hoping to use the Mechabeasts he had unearthed as his soldiers. Prior to the invasion, he created Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger and Mazinkaiser so they could be used to oppose Dr. Hell's ambitions. Sadly, both him and Koji's father were murdered by the madman's servants. Recently, he joined forces with the Vega Empire, an alien force from a distant world."

"Why he chose now to stage his final attack, I don't know," Koji continued. "But if the Professor is correct, he's brought out every Mechabeast he hasn't given to the Vega Empire already and is headed this way. He knows that once DREAM is gone, no one will be able to stand against him, not even Britannia! It's our job right now to stop him once and for all!"

Everyone on the three ships cheered simultaneously.

"Excellent, I'm glad to see that everyone's ready to do their part," Zero said. "As we'll need everyone for this battle. However, if we are to be victorious, we must not only defend the palace, but assault his island fortress as well!"

"Since the majority of his forces are heading for us," Tetsuya said. "We will have to concentrate most of our forces here at the palace. I will be leading that group along with Zero, with the help of the _Nadesico _and _Ra Calium_."

"Meanwhile, Mazinkaiser and I will take some of you to Dr. Hell's Castle on the _Archangel_," Koji then said. "where we can take out his remaining guards, then bring that madman to justice!"

"Koji, you understand that the _Archangel_ can only bring up to ten or eleven mechs to the island safely," Murrue commented. "You must choose the people who you believe will be the strongest, most stalwart allies. I have a hunch that Dr. Hell will have his most elite troops there waiting."

"I know that!" Koji retorted. "So...first, I'd like Tara and Janus to come."

"You rock, Koji! Lifthrasir is with you all the way!" Tara cheered.

"Granlif won't fail you, pal!" Janus said.

"Next, I'll take...Guy Shishioh and Volfogg!"

"GGG is with you every step of the way!" Guy said. "I just hope you can fit Goldymarg."

"I suppose we can squeeze Goldymarg in there somewhere," Murrue replied.

"Yeah! Let's kick that creep's ass!" Goldymarg bellowed in response, excited to get this chance.

"You can count on me," Volfogg answered with a salute.

Koji nodded and turned back toward the others. "Next, I'd like Amuro to come along."

"What? What about me?" Judau exclaimed. "I've been with you way longer!"

"You need to stay with Puru, remember?" Koji replied. "Sorry, my friend." Judau sulked a bit.

"Go, Kei, Gai - Shin Getter and Mazinkaiser make a good team. I'd like you to come as well...Daisuke, I hope you and Hikaru can lend me Grendizer and Drill Spazer's strength."

"Understood," Go replied. Kei did a fist pump and Gai nodded.

"Thank you, Koji," Daisuke replied. "I was hoping to come so that I could see what Dr. Hell knows about Vega's plans. I will use my own Spazer to fly alongside the _Archangel, _while Hikaru rides on the ship."

"Don't worry, Koji. Daisuke and I make a great team," Hikaru Makiba answered. "We won't let you down!"

"Hey, Kira. Think your Strike can take on Mechabeasts?" Koji then said. "I'd like you to join in on the party as well!"

"Sure. I want to protect the _Archangel _as well," Kira replied. Murrue smiled.

"And that leaves you with one more," Zero said. "Choose wisely."

Koji pondered this. He wanted to take Gurren Lagann, but he knew that would leave the palace defense team with insufficient muscle to challenge so many Mechabeasts. He also needed an ally for support roles, such as repairs and resupplying. He turned to Boss.

"Boss! Ready for one last battle?"

Boss leaped up, fist raised high. "You know it, Kabuto! Let's go kick some Mechabeast ass!"

Sayaka was surprised Koji didn't pick her. Of course, he knew the young man had his reasons, so she would ask him before he and his team set out for Dr. Hell's Island.

* * *

Two hours remained before Dr. Hell's Mechabeasts were to arrive, and everyone was working quickly to get ready. Koji had just finished up some minor adjustments to Kaiser Pilder when he suddenly felt someone hug him from behind. It was Sayaka.

"Koji...listen, before you go..." she said. "I just wanted to ask you why you chose Boss Borot over Aphrodite."

Koji turned around and embraced her in return. "It's because I don't want to lose you. You...you're everything to me." Everyone around them stopped what they were doing and watched the exchange. Those who knew Koji well knew exactly what was coming.

"Koji, you idiot!" Sayaka cried. "That's why I wanted to come with you!"

"Sayaka, I WILL come home, I promise," Koji said, leaning back away from Sayaka a bit. "And even if I don't, you've got another me who'd be more than happy to protect you in my stead."

"I'm warning you, Koji," Sayaka sniffled, "if you DON'T come back, I'll never forgive you...both you and him!"

"Oh, just kiss already, you two!" Tara called out to them. "You've dragged it out for long enough as it is!" Koji and Sayaka looked at her, then at each other.

"Heh, she's right. You have a mission." Sayaka said with a giggle. "So, I'll let you finish getting ready. But just in case I don't see you again..." With that, she leaned forward suddenly and kissed Mazinkaiser's pilot deeply. Applause rang out throughout the _Nadesico_'s hangar.

With a few last goodbyes, the team that was to assault Dr. Hell's Island set out on the _Archangel _with thirty-five minutes before Dr. Hell's main force would arrive.

As everyone else watched them leave, Lelouch saw an unusual Knightmare Frame zoom out of the palace. It was almost entirely dark-blue, save for a golden face, red shoulders and decorative horn, black hands, and white armor plates on its shoulders and waist. Following close behind it were FuuRyu and RaiRyu.

"Zero, we heard about the impending attack," came the voice of Li Xingke from within the Frame. "As Her Majesty's protectors, FuuRyu, RaiRyu and myself all feel obligated to aid in the defense of the palace. The Shen Hu, for the time being, is at your command."

"We will show these Mechabeasts the power of our resolve!" FuuRyu said.

"We will teach them not to even think of harming Her Majesty!" RaiRyu then said.

"Your aid is most welcome," Kyoshiro said. "Any fighting strength we can muster will increase our chances of victory." Zero simply nodded in agreement.

"Hey, Xingke, glad to see you've come to join us!" Viral chimed. "You were a formidable opponent...now, let's show those pathetic excuses for scrap metal what two swordsmen like ourselves are capable of!"

* * *

"The defense team has engaged Dr. Hell's main force," Daisuke said uneasily as the _Archangel _drew ever closer to Hell Island, where their enemy awaited them.

"Do you think they'll be able to handle that many, Janus?" Tara said, worried about the others.

"C'mon, they've got Great Mazinger and Gurren Lagann!" Janus reassured her. "I bet those three alone can beat that whole army! And they've gotten the rest of DREAM backing them up, too! They'll be fine."

"Yes, let's believe in them, just as they believe in us," Amuro said in agreement.

"Attention, strike team! We've confirmed visual contact with Hell Island. All units, prepare to sortie!" came Mirallia's voice from the bridge.

"That's our cue, everyone," Amuro said as he got up. "Let's get to the hangar." As Amuro left, Tara turned to Janus.

"Janus...I think things are only going to get more difficult from here," she said in a serious manner. "Everything we've been through so far has just been a warm-up...will you stay by me, no matter how tough it gets?"

"Even if the universe comes crashing down on our heads, I'll stay by you," Janus replied, smiling and putting an arm around her. "Now come on. We gotta go back Koji up."

* * *

Hell Island certainly lived up to its name. It was constantly covered by storm clouds, while the ground was naught but barren, jagged rock. Looming out in the distance was a small volcano-like mountain, with several massive skull shapes carved into it, each one glowing blue from the eyes and mouth.

"Wow, Dr. Hell really went all out when he wanted to show how evil he was," Hikaru quipped from the cockpit of Drill Spazer. "As if he needed to advertise it any more, considering his actions."

Way out in the distance, the group could just make out the shape of a bearded man with a scepter at the tip top of the volcano - Dr. Hell himself. But before anyone could even think about taking a long shot at him, he activated a barely visible, but strong barrier made of Photon Energy.

"Gotta give him credit...he's as smart as he is crazy," Boss quipped as he noticed the barrier.

"As you can clearly see, I will neither run nor hide from you," the scientist said confidently. You who have thwarted my efforts at every turn...Koji Kabuto, you good-for-nothing who has been a constant thorn in my side - you have finally come to my glorious Hell Castle. I congratulate you and your allies for making it as far as you have."

"We're not the types to be defeated so easily, you know!" Tara shouted.

"Ah, the white gadfly. You have come as well. Very well, I shall be your opponent as you so desire...but you shall face my most elite troops!"

As he said those words, a batch of powerful Mechabeasts came forth from the mouth of the fortress, totaling thirty in number. A few looked like Chinese dragons, and others looked like a fusion of Garada K7 and Doublas M2. Other, stronger-looking versions of the Mechabeasts facing off against the defense team also stood guard, prepared to engage the strike team.

"That's it?" Kei exclaimed. "That's our final challenge? This is gonna be a piece of cake!"

"Oh ho, if it's a challenge you desire, then I will be happy to give you one!" Dr. Hell laughed. "Now, come forth, my largest and most powerful Mechabeast, which I created with the full extent of my genius!"

The entire island began to shake as energy crackled across the volcano and lightning began constantly striking it. Soon the mountain began to crack, with glimmers of evil light peering out of every crack.

_Oh man, maybe we should have brought more troops..._ Tara thought as chills went down her spine, wondering what sort of monstrosity Dr. Hell had cooked up as his ultimate creation.

Suddenly, the entire mountain itself blasted apart as something huge rose out of the rocky ground - a colossus easily five times the size of Mazinkaiser. Its entire chest resembled a massive human skull with glowing red eyes and mouth, while its an impossibly huge cape, mauve thighs and upper arms, green forearms and shins, golden joints and dark blue hands at the end on each of its four arms. The monster's head was wicked, demonic mask with a constantly open mouth, deep set eyes, a pointed red mustache, a thick white beard, and topped off with a horned helmet made of two other similar faces with wild, unkempt white hair sticking out the back. In its lower right hand, it carried a sword that was almost as long as it was tall.

And situated right on the Mechabeast's forehead was an all-too-familiar face: Baron Ashura.

"Amazing...what power..." Volfogg gasped. "Guy, we must be careful with this one. It's more powerful than any Zonder we've faced.

"Koji Kabuto...it has been some time since we saw each other. But Baron Ashura, your old enemy, is no more! Now I stand before you as Hell King Gordon, who has been brought forth from the depths of the underworld!"

"Hell King Gordon...what kind of name is that?" Gai quipped.

"SILENCE!" Hell King Gordon roared. "Behold the power which has been granted to me by Dr. Hell!"

He brought up one of his arms and smashed it into the ground with deafening force, knocking those who weren't airborne to the ground...even the steadfast Mazinkaiser, which had withstood sixteen times its own weight, fell backward. With his other fist, the colossal Mechabeast delivered a ferocious uppercut to Mazinkaiser, sending it flying. Even Amuro Ray, battle-hardened veteran he was, couldn't help but feel uneasy about facing Gordon's stupendous might.

"Any ideas? Fearless leader just got walloped," Janus said nervously.

"I recommend AGAINST just rushing..." Daisuke said, but Tara decided to rush in anyway, hoping that Lifthrasir's agility would allow it to dodge the gigantic Mechabeast's attacks.

But not only was Dr. Hell's ultimate creation strong, but it was quick as well. As Tara went for the face of Baron Ashura, the Mechabeast held up its hand and swatted Lifthrasir away, sending it flying.

"You are naught but bugs to Hell King Gordon!" the Mechabeast laughed boastfully. "And I shall squash you underfoot like the bugs you are!"

"Not happening! TURBO SMASHER PUNCH!" Koji yelled as Mazinkaiser sat up from its prone position. The flying fists struck Hell King Gordon in the belly, though it didn't seem to do much but get his attention. The other Mechabeasts began to advance, seeing that victory was within their reach.

"FIRE BLASTER!" Koji then yelled.

"FINGER BARRIER!" the Mechabeast yelled. It used its two upper arms to create an energy barrier. Mazinkaiser's blast flowed around the shield like a river flowing around a great rock, accidentally damaging one or two of the incoming guards.

"What's the matter, Mazinkaiser? Is that all the power you can muster? Now it is my turn...FINGER SHOCK!"

Lightning poured from the two hands that had created the barrier. Amuro and Kira were able to avoid the blast, but the rest of the group got hammered hard. Even so, they remained standing.

"Man, this guy's kicking us around..." Kei growled.

"Yeah...that Fire Blaster was Kaiser's best attack, right?" Kira said. "How do you suppose we stop it now?"

"Fools! This is a single island in Hell itself! Scream all you wish, but no one shall be able to save you! Mechabeasts, destroy them - but leave Mazinkaiser to me!"

"No! I won't accept this!" Guy cried. "Everyone, hold off Dr. Hell's minions...Goldymarg!"

"Right!" Goldymarg bellowed. Just as before, the tank transformed into its hand form, and GaoGaiGar readied its own ultimate attack.

"HAMMER CONNECTO!"

"How amusing..." Hell King Gordon chuckled.

"GOLDION...HAMMEEEEERRR!"

The humongous Mechabeast readied its sword to block the attack. However, since there was no Zonder involved, Guy decided to cut straight to the chase.

"HELL KING GORDON! HIKARI NIIIII...NAAAAREEEEEEEEE!"

"Foolishness!" the massive monster laughed. He raised his sword, and lightning energized it, with just enough time to parry Guy's attack.

Goldion Hammer met Gordon's sword in an energetic clash. The sword began to crack under the power of the hammer, but Gordon quickly bounded out of the way as his sword gave away, causing Guy to entirely whiff the attack. However, another Mechabeast had foolishly charged in in an attempt to attack GaoGaiGar, and instead got a face full of Goldion Hammer.

"What the?!" Guy exclaimed when he saw that his attack had missed its intended target.

"You are strong, King of Braves," Gordon laughed. "But you are not strong enough to defeat me! Away with you!" He rushed in with great speed and slashed GaoGaiGar with great force, the blade biting through the Gao Machines and sending it flying.

"Then try Getter on for size! Go, let's show this maniac how we do it!"

"Yes. GETTTEEEEER TOMAHAWK!"

Shin Getter drew its massive axe and rushed at Hell King Gordon as well. Axe met sword in many clashes, but unlike Guy, the red robot could continue his assault.

"Shin Getter Robo! It gives me great joy to face you, when I was denied the chance by the Vega Empire. But your fate shall be same as all the others!"

After blocking a seventh swing, Gordon used its free hand to grab at Shin Getter. But to his surprise, the Getter Team was quicker on the draw that he was, splitting apart into the individual machines.

Everyone else was too occupied with the Mechabeasts to stop Gordon, who strode up to Mazinkaiser, who had been forced straight into the ground by the lightning attack. Satisfied, Hell King Gordon decided to leave the battle for the moment. He could finish Mazinkaiser at his leisure, and no one else had been able to challenge him. Even if the others were able to hold off the other Mechabeasts, they would still pose no threat to him.

Victory seemed all but inevitable...

* * *

"BREASTO BUUUUUURN!"

"ROCKETO PUUUUNCHIE!"

"I-FIELDO BARRIEEEEEERRR!"

"CHOUDENJI SPARK!"

"TENKUU KEN!"

"GURREN BOOMERANG!"

"HI-MEGA CANNON, FIRE!"

"SHINING FINGER SWOOOOOORD!"

"DOUBLE FIRE!"

"DISK M! SET ON! DAZZLING DOUBLE V!"

It was an absolutely frantic battle. Those who had opted to stay behind and defend the palace were fighting with all of their might to keep the Mechabeasts, a mishmash of Garada K7s, Doublas M2s, Abdora U6s, Gorongo S2s, Glossam X2s, Genocyder F9s and Kasimor T7s, at bay. Even the Knightmare Frames were doing relatively well, the more skilled pilots picking off the enemies by striking weak points. But even so, the enemy greatly outnumbered them, and the defenders were getting tired. Meanwhile, Fire Bomber was doing their best to keep everyone's spirits up, but even they were starting to get worn out.

"Damn it, these guys just don't give up," Judau groaned. "Every time we knock 'em down, they just get right back up!"

"Gundams and Knightmare Frames aren't designed for fighting enemies this big, I guess," Kamille grunted. "But we still have to do everything we can!"

"Hey, if you need a break, I'll cover for you!" Asuka chimed in. Of course, that was only so she could impress Shinobu with her abilities. She drew her progressive knife and sliced an Abdora U6 wide-open.

_I wonder if we can hold out much longer, _Zero thought. _Everyone's been giving it their all, but there's no end in sight...no...we can't give in! I won't let some mad scientist put an end to everything I've worked for!_

As if to make things worse, Great Mazinger took a nasty hit from a Glossam X2, and it shut down as its power source suddenly dislodged from its place.

"What? No, Great, don't give out on me now!" he cried.

"Tetsuya!" Harry cried out. He rushed in with all his might and smashed the Mechabeast aside. Suddenly, he too was overwhelmed by the enemies, whose immediate priority was the destruction of Great Mazinger, the enemy of their creator.

But as Harry and the others struggled to fend off the beasts, suddenly three large volleys of missiles rain down, destroying six Mechabeasts in one go and forcing the others to retreat and regroup.

"Greetings, everyone!" a voice from the radio called out. "Diamond Force, reporting in!" It was Gamlin Kizaki, along with Docker and Kinryu, all aboard VF-17 Nightmares.

"Hey! Those are Macross' Variable Fighters!" Kallen said excitedly."Man, you guys know how to make an entrance!"

"Gamlin!" Mylene cheered. "I knew my mother would understand!"

As the fighters drew closer, everyone noticed that between them they were hauling what appeared to be another Great Mazinger. However, its hands and feet were blue instead of black, like both Tetsuya's own as well as the mass-produced ones.

"Oh, by the way," Docker quipped. "We have a present for a mister Tetsuya Tsurugi. Looks like we came at a great time to give it, too!"

They stopped in mid-air and lowered the new Great Mazinger to the ground. Tetsuya excitedly ejected the Brain Condor, Great Mazinger's answer to the Pilder, and flew over to his new ride.

"CONDOOOORR...ON!"

The new Great Mazinger's eyes flashed brilliantly. As it awakened, an image of Juzo Kabuto appeared on Tetsuya's console.

"Tetsuya Tsurugi...if you are seeing this message, then this final version of Great Mazinger has reached its intended owner."

_He built this...for me?_

"And this also likely means that Mazinkaiser has been awakened as well, and hopefully it is in the hands of Koji Kabuto, your adoptive brother."

Tetsuya growled. He hated being reminded that he wasn't Kenzo's true son...such a distinction was important in Japan.

"I built this completed Great Mazinger at the same time I worked on Mazinkaiser," Juzo's holographic image continued, "Using your father's plans and improving upon them! It is far superior to the prototype Great Mazinger you may have been using, and, like Mazinkaiser, allows one to surpass both god and demon!"

_This Great...is as powerful as Mazinkaiser? _

"Tetsuya...you are as much our kin as Koji is, if not in blood, then surely in heart. That is why I have entrusted you with the final version of Great Mazinger! Now, show me that I was not wrong!"

_Yes, grandfather... _Tetsuya replied. He turned now to the gathering army of Mechabeasts, who were preparing for another charge. Foolishly, they had clumped themselves together.

"True Great Mazinger! Let's do it!"

Tetsuya raised Great's finger up high, and lightning struck it, causing electricity to course through it. Its pilot grinned, immediately sensing that this Great Mazinger was indeed greater than the one he had been forced to abandon.

"Mechabeasts, your hour is nigh! THUNDER BREAAAAAK!"

Tetsuya pointed at the enemies and the lightning shot out from its outstretched finger, zapping all of the remaining Mechabeasts at once, shorting them out.

"Now, the final blow! BREASTO BUUUUUUUUUUUUURN!"

The heat blast the new Great Mazinger fired was nearly on par with Mazinkaiser's Fire Blaster, and turned every last Mechabeast there into slag.

"Nicely done, Tetsuya," Zero said. "That takes care of the problem here. Anyone who can still support the strike team, return to the ships. We depart for Dr. Hell's island fortress immediately!"

_Stay alive, Kabuto, _Tetsuya thought as he flew the new Great Mazinger to the _Nadesico_.

* * *

Things were looking bad. Even after scrapping the thirty other guards, Hell King Gordon remained standing, having deflected most of their attacks and taking mere scratches from others. Meanwhile, everyone from DREAM was at the brink of collapse from exhaustion.

"I have played with you fools long enough," the Mechabeast laughed. "Now I shall finish you all off...starting with Koji Kabuto and Mazinkaiser!"

Hell King Gordon strode up to the now limp Mazinkaiser and pointed his massive sword at the trapped robot.

"Try as you might to withstand this sword, which is powered by the spite and rage of all the Mechabeasts you destroyed...but this will be the final blow!"

He raised his sword high, once again energizing it with lightning.

Tara suddenly heard a faint, but familiar sound, which awoke her from her exhausted state. She quickly noticed that the sound was getting louder and louder.

_That sounds like...Totsugeki Love Heart?_

"DIE, KOJI KABUTO!"

As Hell King Gordon brought his sword down, a dome of white energy suddenly surrounded Mazinkaiser, deflecting the attack. One could make out a large Z symbol in red appearing at random amidst the energy.

"Grr...this light is...no matter, it is merely a last desperate attempt to avoid the inevitable," Gordon growled.

"Hey! Hell King Gordon!" Basara yelled, as he swooped in. "You're not doing anybody in today! LISTEN TO MY SONG!"

"Gragh! That annoying racket! Cease it at once!" the Mechabeast roared as Basara continued singing Totsugeki Love Heart. However, everyone else immediately felt rejuvenated, and even fired up again, by the rocking beat and melody of the song. What was more, they heard more reinforcements coming in. They appeared to be a trio of VF-17 Nightmares.

"What are those things?" Amuro exclaimed. "They look like fighter jets..."

"Those aren't just fighter jets! They're Macross' Variable Fighters!" Kei exclaimed. "Hey, Gamlin! Where the hell have you been?!"

"It wasn't easy getting the official support from the Macross government," Gamlin Kizaki replied. "While they haven't authorized the Battle 7 to join, at the very least you have Diamond Force to back you up!"

"Yeah, let's rock this overgrown Halloween costume's world!" Docker cheered.

"Indeed. We'll keep him busy while you regroup," Kinryu replied.

"Cursed gnats! I'll swat you out of the sky!" Hell King Gordon yelled. Unlike Lifthrasir, the Variable Fighters of Macross were much quicker than him, and gracefully dodged every swing of his sword. It also helped that Basara's singing was driving him crazy.

"And for my next number, let's TRY AGAIN!" Basara shouted. He quickly began playing his biggest hit, and his most effective song. As he did so, everyone felt their strength return, and then felt even more energized than when they had arrived.

"Amazing!" Volfogg exclaimed. "This song...its working like Mic Sounders' Disk P...it's increasing my power!"

"Yes...what a rush..." Amuro panted as he got Nu Gundam to its feet.

One by one, the others arose. But inside the glowing orb, something else was happening...

* * *

Koji looked around, confused as to what was going on? He wasn't dead, he knew that much. Suddenly, a voice called out to him.

"Koji...Koji Kabuto..."

"Huh? Who's there?"

The silhouette of a man with a cloak, wild hair and an unkempt beard appeared from the control panel. The only feature that was not to be covered by shadow was a pair of strong golden eyes.

"I am a hermit sage who knows the truth of the past, and can foresee the future."

"A hermit sage? What's a guy like you have to do with..."

The sage interrupted any further questioning by dramatically pointing at Koji, his hand nearly poking the pilot in the eye.

"Koji Kabuto, you have matured much. Through your battles and trials, you have proven yourself as a true pilot for Mazinkaiser. But I foresee even greater battles ahead of you."

"What kind of battles?" Koji asked, baffled as to what this fellow was going on about.

"Battles that will require that you take your power to incredible new heights...to unlock the full potential of Mazinkaiser!"

As he said this, Mazinkaiser's controls shined a brilliant red for several moments, and then returned to normal...save for a Z symbol shining on a circular panel in the center.

"Now, win, Koji Kabuto...and prove your worth as Mazinkaiser's pilot by unleashing the power of the awakened Kaiser Blade!"

Without another word, the sage disappeared. Then, Koji began to hear that familiar tune that immediately riled him up...

* * *

The energy sphere surrounding Mazinkaiser disappeared in a brilliant burst of power. Kaiser, to everyone's surprise, stood there, free of its rock confines, its arms hanging limp and its head tilted down a bit.

But it sprung back to life as a huge beam of light burst out of its chest and two smaller beams burst out of its eyes as Koji seemed to be struggling to control some massive energy. After a few seconds, the light dimmed somewhat, and one could make out the handle and hilt of a sword poking out of its chest.

Mazinkaiser slowly pulled the sword out of its chest, and by the time it had finished, the sword itself turned out to be nearly as long as Kaiser was tall.

"KAISER BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAADE-O!"

"Awesome, fearless leader is back in the saddle!" Tara cheered. "And my, what a large sword he has!"

"Let's dance, Baron Ashura!" Koji yelled as he spurred Mazinkaiser into a charge. He and Hell King Gordon clashed blades, and to the latter's shock, Kaiser was able to withstand his much larger blade, and even knock his sword out of his hand. He turned around briefly to see where his massive weapon had landed.

This was the opening Koji needed. With a tremendous swing, he sliced off of the rear faces, which was under the control of an Iron Mask, who screamed as it plummeted to the Earth. The blow also caused Gordon to stumble backward, stunned.

"Everyone, we must hit him while he's off balance!" Amuro called out. "Now...FIN FUNNEL!"

Nu Gundam launched its funnels, which quickly began firing beams at Gordon, who writhed and flailed, vainly trying to swat them out of the sky.

"Baron Ashura, your time has come! Hikaru, let's combine!"

"Got it, Daisuke!" Hikaru said, flying Drill Spazer in closer to prepare for combination.

Grendizer leaped high into the air and combined with Drill Spazer, which then dashed forward, its twin drills spinning.

"SPACE THUNDER!"

As the cosmic bolt struck the Mechabeast, the combined mech struck it with incredible force. Meanwhile, GaoGaiGar, though drained somewhat from Goldion Hammer, had one more trick.

"GOLDION…MAGNUM!"

GaoGaiGar fired the Marg Hand off its arm like its normal Broken Magnum, and Volfogg quickly moved in as well. After striking the Hell King, Goldymarg changed back to its tank form and launched a few shells at it.

"ULTIMATE STRIKE! DAIKAITEN MADAN!"

The ninja robot began spinning rapidly like a top, striking the staggered Hell King Gordon with massive force, knocking it over. Kira, having activated his berserker state during the fight with the other Mechabeasts, quickly turned to Dr. Hell's ultimate creation and jammed its beam saber through its other rear face, then fired a few beam rifle shots at Ashura from point-blank range. He zipped away as the Mechabeast tried to grab the mobile suit.

"Janus, let's blast this thing sky-high!" Tara called out once Kira was out of the way. Janus nodded and used a portal to warp to the opposite side of the Mechabeast, who was now struggling to get up.

"LIFTHRA RIFLE…DOUBLE MODE!"

"GRAN FIRE!"

The two concentrated blasts of energy at the fallen monster. Then they raised it up with all of their might, using the energy blasts to keep it in place.

"Koji! It's all you!" Tara called out. "Finish this guy off!"

"Let's go, Getter Team! Follow my lead!" Koji said eagerly. He opened Kaiser's wings and took off towards Hell King Gordon, who flailed helplessly in midair. Shin Getter took off after him with Tomahawk in hand. As Mazinkaiser got above Gordon, Koji turned it around and dove back at Ashura, readying the Kaiser Blade.

"Curse yooooouuuuu!" the Mechabeast roared.

"Farewell, Baron Ashura!"

"Be sure to send us a postcard from the underworld!" Kei taunted loudly.

"DYNAMIC! DOUBLE! IMPACT!"

Getter's tomahawk and Kaiser's sword cut the fiend into four separate pieces. As blood dripped down Ashura's face, it could only bemoan its defeat, even as Kaiser and Getter landed next to each other. With a grin, Koji made Mazinkaiser shake Shin Getter's hand in congratulations for such a spectacular finish.

"How...sickeningly ironic..."

"That Baron Ashura...dies here..."

"Please forgive us, Dr. Heeeeeeeelll!"

The Mechabeast exploded so spectacularly and with such force that it nearly blew everyone off the island. Though when all was said and done, the last and most powerful creation ever was no more.

It was then that the other two ships of DREAM came into view. Launching out of the _Ra Calium _was Zero's Burai, being carried by Tetsuya's Great Mazinger.

"It seems we missed the battle," Zero said.

"We still have to capture Dr. Hell," Koji said. "I'll take you to his lair if you want, Zero."

"Yes. I would have a word with him," Zero replied. Of course, it was Lelouch vi Britannia that wanted to speak with him, not Zero.

* * *

Meanwhile, Dr. Hell had stumbled about in his throne room as a result of the explosion, and landed on his throne. As he watched his servant's last moments, the scientist felt an ache in his heart for his servant, who gave up everything for his sake.

And now, he would never be able to control the true power of Mycenae, for Ashura had been the key. He would have to start entirely anew.

Suddenly, the far wall burst open, and Mazinkaiser loomed there, with Zero standing silently on his right hand, since the other had been used to break the wall down. Koji let Zero down, then opened up Kaiser's cockpit and followed suit.

"Dr. Hell, I presume?" Zero said.

"Ah, you must be Zero, one of DREAM's leaders. I must say I am very impressed. I had not anticipated that your group would be able to defeat my ultimate creation and back me so far into a corner. But...I must ask you something..."

Zero silently awaited the question, while Koji paused and wondered what the scientist would ask. To both of their surprise, the scientist cast off his cloak, revealing a wrinkled, but surprisingly well-chiseled, body underneath.

"DREAM possesses incredible power, tremendous courage, and an incomparable drive to achieve victory...why do you waste it on something as small and insignificant as the liberation of a single country?"

"Shut up, you creep!" Koji shot back. "We wouldn't expect you to understand! All you care about is yourself!"

"Come now, don't be like that! Ah, I have an idea," Dr. Hell replied. "Become my servants, and the world will be your oyster! Britannia, PLANT, the Earth Alliance, and the rest of the Earth Sphere will be yours to do with as you wish!"

"Don't make me laugh, Doctor," Zero taunted. "You think we'd join you, after we've worked so hard to take you down?"

"Yeah!" Koji added. "My grandfather would never let Mazinkaiser become a demon, and I have no intention of dishonoring his hopes!"

"Very well then…it is time for me to go! Farewell, Zero...and you as well, Koji Kabuto - until we meet a...!"

Unceremoniously, Zero whipped out a concealed gun and fired a dart from it, striking the scientist in the neck. The scientist slumped over, landing face first. Koji looked stunned.

"Zero...you...what did you do that for?!"

"He's still alive. I merely tranquilized him," the masked man replied. "We'll take Dr. Hell and hand him over to the military, so that he can stand trial for his crimes." Of course, Lelouch vi Britannia needed some important information from the man. If he was to achieve his goal, he needed every available resource...

* * *

"I see...very good," Clovis said. He had received word that Suzaku, Yzak and Dearka had reached Area 11 before DREAM did, thanks to a side conflict with the scientist known as Dr. Hell. As usual, Rau Le Creuset stood nearby.

"Well, Rau...the stage is set. The Earth Alliance has cast its lot with my dear brother, and even know they are preparing to engage the armies of Britannia over who will control Area 11! It's all thanks to us and my darling little brother Lelouch!"

"People will look for any excuse to fight," Rau replied. "It's their nature. All we're doing is encouraging nature to take its proper course." Clovis smiled and took a sip of wine.

"By the way, Rau...I'd like to join the fun once it starts," the prince said suddenly. "Do you think someone at ZAFT can build a Knightmare for me? I've been developing one with the help of my dear friends at the Geass Order, and I just finished the blueprints this morning." He handed the masked man a data disk with a single word written on a label.

Rau smirked. When he had first met Clovis, he would have never dreamed of fighting. But now he was itching to do battle, humanity's favorite pastime! If he had any tears to cry, he felt he would be weeping for joy right now.

"I'll see what I can do," the masked ZAFT commander replied as he looked at the "Ah, 'Bedivere'. A fine choice for a name..."

* * *

"My Emperor, I regret to report that Dr. Hell has been utterly defeated," Zuril reported to his liege from the bridge of his new battleship. He had found out about the scientist's defeat by DREAM when his spies reported his island blowing up.

"I expected this would happen," Emperor Vega replied with a chuckle. "We will continue without him. Take part of his Mechabeast army for yourself, then distribute his remaining forces among the other generals. We must prepare for our next move."

Zuril smirked and nodded. "Yes...we will strike while those wretched apes are quarreling over Japan, I take it? A most cunning plan, Your Majesty."

"With that accursed Duke Fleed occupied with the Earthlings' petty conflict," Vega chuckled. "...He'll be unable to effectively counter our invasion!"

"And what about the Coordinators of PLANT?" Zuril then asked. "We have a truce with them, and they appear to have taken Britannia's side in the conflict. I trust you have no intention of actually siding with them."

"We will proceed as planned, General," Vega commanded. "Until that time comes, maintain your current position and report any signs that their war has started."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

* * *

Hell Island sank beneath the waves as Mazinkaiser and Zero flew back to the three shipswith Dr. Hell in custody before returning to Luoyang. The scientist was placed in the same makeshift prison quarters that had held Akito when he went berserk on Mars and attacks Fukube. But before long, Zero approached him. There was no one else around (he had said that he needed to speak with Dr. Hell in private), so Zero took off his mask, revealing his face.

"Oh-ho...I recognize you," Dr. Hell chuckled. "You are Lelouch vi Britannia, the estranged son of Charles zi Britannia. I am most honored to have one of such _high_ prestige visit me."

"Dr. Hell, I have questions I have to ask you."

"Heh. As long-winded as I may sometimes be, I shall tell you nothing."

"On the contrary, my dear doctor," the prince said with a cruel smirk, "From this moment forward, you will truthfully answer every question anyone ever asks you...Lelouch vi Britannia commands you, OBEY!"

With that, Lelouch's Geass power lashed out and attacked Dr. Hell's brilliant mind. But as diabolical and fiendish as he was, it was no match for Lelouch's power to force absolute obedience. His fiery eyes lost their light.

"Now, Dr. Hell, my first question is this: what is the secret to controlling Bardos Island's Mechabeasts?"

* * *

_And that concludes the events of the Mazinkaiser OVA! Man, I'm so glad I got to write as much as I did for this one. Okay, now for SURE we will be getting back to Code Geass plot. The end of R1 is drawing very close, and it's going to blow your minds! Stay tuned!_


	42. Chapter 28

_Alright. Actual Code Geass plot this time! Also, a major development!_

* * *

**Chapter 28 – Shikine Island Raid! The Birth of a New Partnership!**

Things were definitely looking up. After hearing about the victory of DREAM over Dr. Hell, the Military District of India, with a little prodding from Rakshata Chawla, the Black Knights' scientist-on-board, donated a massive black submarine for the Black Knights to operate from. Now, the number of flagship vessels under DREAM's direct control had increased to four. The Black Knights immediately left the other three battleships to move into their new mobile base of operations, which Kallen, as inspired by Tara, dubbed _Kuro-no-Kishin, _or just _Kuro _for short_. _It was certainly better than just calling it "Black Knights' Submarine".

And almost immediately, a restructuring was in order. The various Black Knights met aboard the _Kuro_, and stood to attention as Zero handed out the different roles. He was careful in who he assigned the roles - he knew each individual he selected was the absolute best choice for the role.

When all was said and done, the Black Knights truly felt like a proper military organization as opposed to a ragtag band of rebels.

Of course, not everyone in DREAM was up for this sort of conflict.

"I see. So, you don't want to fight as part of the campaign," Zero said thoughtfully as Tara, Koji, Boss, and Sayaka stood before the Black Knights' leader to ask for permission to leave combat duty for the duration of the campaign.

"If there are any non-violent assignments you can give us," Sayaka replied, "We'd be happy to do it. I just don't want to hurt any more human beings, Natural or Coordinator."

"Of course, if, say, a Zonder Robo or a bunch of Vega Empire troops show up, we've got no problem with that," Tara added.

"I understand your concerns. I think I have an assignment for you."

"What is it?" Sayaka asked.

"I want you to monitor the activities of one Suzaku Kururugi," Zero said. He's a student at your school, and Japanese like you as well. However, he was recently granted knighthood by Princess Euphemia, the sub-viceroy of Japan. If you learn of any military operations that involve him, contact me with these." He handed them each a special radio communicator, which was marked with the colors of the Black Knights' emblem.

"Walkie-talkies?" Koji said, puzzled by their appearance. "Don't you need to be a little closer to use them effectively?"

"They work at distances of up to 1,000 miles, and the signal is heavily encrypted," Zero explained, "So you shouldn't have to worry about anyone intercepting your communications as long as you're not heard, and you'll be able to reach me as long as we remain in the area."

* * *

In a ceremony that was televised across the region, Suzaku had been officially knighted by Princess Euphemia, sub-viceroy of Area 11. But the real celebration, at least for him, began back at Ashford, where the school was holding a party in honor of Suzaku's new status. Yzak and Dearka were off elsewhere, for reasons they couldn't tell their traveling companion.

"Okay, guys!" Rivalz said, tossing a bottle of orange soda from his left hand to his right and pointing it at him. "Time to raise a glass to Kururugi here, valued member of the Student Council and Knight of the Realm, and get this party started!"

Everyone in the room all cheered for Suzaku's great success, including Nunnally, Milly Ashford and even Kaworu. Nunnally had not gotten back in the Mark Nemo since she first found it, especially after hearing from her caretaker about how she was like an entirely different person.

If losing herself was the cost of getting her eyesight and leg strength back, Nunnally felt like it would be better to remain helpless in darkness. After all, she had people looking out for her. As long as she knew that, life was okay...she was even able to plan the entire party.

"You must be tired of all the celebrations," the girl said, "but we wanted to honor you too, if you don't mind."

"Not at all," Suzaku said, blushing a bit with embarrassment. He looked up from Nunnally and saw three more people come in, one of them with a bandage wrapped around his upper chest. The first was Lelouch - there was no doubt that he was happy to see him.

The one who he WASN'T happy to see was Shinji Ikari, who he had encountered back in northern Africa. He felt his head throb a bit just from the memory of being whacked on the head by him. The girl standing next to him, he guessed, was Rei. Nunnally had told him about her.

Kaworu also saw Shinji, Lelouch and Rei come in, and could immediately sense that Unit 01's pilot had malicious ideas running through his mind...and it involved Suzaku. Thinking quickly, he turned to Nunnally.

"Nunnally, Shinji and your brother are back!" Kaworu said to her excitedly.

If Nunnally's eyes could open, they would be wide as dinner plates, so elated was she to hear this news. Kaworu wheeled her over toward the entrance, where the trio awaited. Instantly, Shinji's vengeful expression disappeared when he saw Nunnally and Kaworu. Suzaku also began to follow.

"Shinji! Big brother! You're back!" Nunnally said joyously. "Oh, it's so wonderful; Suzaku just got knighted by Princess Euphemia!"

"Oh," Lelouch said with half-feigned surprise. "Congratulations, Suzaku."

"Yeah, great," Shinji grumbled. He wanted so much to give the traitorous Kururugi another two-by-four to the face, but not with Nunnally and Lelouch around, let alone all these other people.

"Oh, Suzaku, I'm sorry, but I never introduced you to my friend Shinji," Nunnally then said. "Shinji, this is Suzaku - he, my brother and I all grew up together."

"We've...crossed paths before," Suzaku said awkwardly.

"Come now, Shinji-kun, let's not get all steamed up over the past," Kaworu interrupted, seeing that his attempt to ease the tension between the two had backfired. "Let's all have some pizza before it gets eaten up."

* * *

"Mom? Dad?" Tara called out as she stepped into her house. To her shock, she saw her father lying on the downstairs sofa, sobbing uncontrollably, his hair unkempt, and empty sake bottles strewn across the floor. Zengar, her parrot, looked completely starved, but still alive.

"Dad?! What happened? Where's Mom?" she exclaimed. Her father looked up, and Tara gasped when she saw his face – his chin was covered in stubble, his eyes puffy and red from non-stop sobbing, and a look of absolute anguish on his face that only seemed to change a bit when he beheld his daughter's face.

"She's gone...the Empire came and took her away from me three days ago...they said if I didn't hand over the research on Thresholds and the blueprints for Lifthrasir by midnight of the day after tomorrow...they'd strip me of my nobility...but what's worse...they'd..."

Tara didn't care to ask her father what he was going to say, but surely involved something with her mother. She gave him a quick hug, and then went over to the fridge and removed several apple slices from a container. As she stuck them between the bars of her parrot's cage, the starving bird stumbled its way over to them and began to eat them voraciously. Once that matter was dealt with, the girl returned to her father's side.

"Oh, Tara, I'm sorry...I've just been so absorbed in my own grief, I didn't even consider feeding poor Zengar..." her father groaned as she sat down. As she embraced her father around his chest, Tara knew what she had to do.

"Dad...do you have any idea where they might have taken her?" she asked him. "Please, stop crying and try to think."

"...Most likely Shikine Island...but don't bother," her father replied, finally ceasing his sobbing. "I'm just going to hand over the plans for the Threshold generator tonight."

"No, you're not! Mom and I would never forgive if you did that!" Tara replied, the very idea of it completely unthinkable in her mind. "Britannia will ruin the whole world if they get their grubby hands on the Thresholds! I'm gonna go to Shikine Island with Lifthrasir and bust Mom out, no matter what it takes. You're not going to hand over one scrap of data to them."

If she had known it, then the whole situation would be truly ironic...for Shikine Island was where the first big battle was to take place.

* * *

"Headquarters seems to be under some sort of attack," a Britannian soldier said grimly as Euphemia, Suzaku, Lloyd, and a young woman with dark purple hair and wearing an officer's uniform, named Cecilia, stood at the dock where a transport ship had weighed anchor on the island. Also present was Athrun Zala, sent to reinforce the Britannia forces here along with Yzak and Dearka. The Aegis was standing nearby.

"We'll have to retreat to the Settlement," Cecilia said. "Can you arrange an escort?"

"Negative, it's too risky to leave right now," the soldier replied. "They're jamming us with some sort of wide-range interference. We also just received word that the prison was under attack."

"I'll deal with the prison," Athrun said. "Your Highness, I can call my subordinates Joule and Elsman to cover your escape."

Suzaku, who was wearing the same uniform as Cecilia, turned to his charge. "You're going to be fine. Don't worry, Princess, I won't let any harm come to you." But Euphemia, a pink-haired young woman with some of her hair tied in buns on either side of her head, with the back flowing freely, turned to her Knight.

"No, Suzaku; you should help those men fend off the attack," she replied. Suzaku was quite surprised that Euphemia would ask him to do something like this when his first and foremost duty was to protect her.

"But Sub-Viceroy, he's an Honorary Britannian, and it's likely we're dealing with the Black Knights here. What if he turns the Lancelot against..."

"You do realized you're questioning royalty here, right?" Lloyd chimed in. The soldier realized his error and apologized. With that, Euphie turned once again to Suzaku.

"Suzaku Kururugi - demonstrate your valor to us today," Euphemia addressed him, "So that we may finally silence all these naysayers."

"Yes, Your Highness!" Suzaku replied. The Lancelot was brought out, and Suzaku got in and sped off to the battle...

* * *

The battle was on as DREAM mounted its assault on the Shikine island base. Kallen, Kyoshiro, Chiba, Amuro, Christina, Harry, Kira (using a Aile Striker Pack), Cagalli (piloting the Skygrasper 2, sans a Striker Pack), Tamaki and Tetsuya were mounting a direct charge on the base. Meanwhile, Zero, Yoko, Loran, and Amuro stood on a high ledge taking potshots at the enemy from a distance. The rest of DREAM had opted out to remain on standby, in case things went awry.

"First Squad, continue advancing!" Kyoshiro ordered loudly. "Zero Squad, I want you covering them from their flank!"

Several Sutherlands charged out into the open, guns blazing, yelling racial slurs at the Japanese pilots. The Guren quickly rushed in and grabbed hold of one of the Frames. Kallen then activated its energy claw, causing the enemy Frame to explode.

Kira, meanwhile, was laying a beating down with the Strike's beam rifle, making sure not to hit the enemy's cockpit, so they could eject. As another Sutherland rushed in, Kira sensed it, whirled around and slashed it in half with his beam saber.

Then he looked up, and saw the Lancelot. As he took aim, Kyoshiro immediately called out to the assault team.

"Target confirmed. All units, assume formation 3 and fall back! Do not fire at the target; I repeat, do NOT fire at the target!" With that, the assault team began to withdraw, baiting Suzaku to follow. As that happened, Zero and Suzaku met gazes, even at such a great distance.

_That's right, Suzaku...come_, Lelouch thought as he moved his Burai in. Once the Lancelot started to follow him, the masked commander started to retreat, leading him toward a sand pit surrounded by strange devices.

_He's not equipped to enter that sand_, Suzaku thought. _Is he trying to lure me into a trap, using HIMSELF as bait? Fine then..._

The Lancelot bounded into the air and fired a slash harken at Zero, missing him by mere inches, but enough to make him turn around. He landed in the pit in front of the Burai and held out the Lancelot's sword to the Burai's throat.

"Zero...I've got you right..."

"...Where I want you," Rakshata chuckled, pressing a button on a control panel with her tobacco pipe.

* * *

Elsewhere on the island, Lifthrasir was having their own time battling their way to the prison where Tara's mother was being kept. A slew of Sutherlands, Gloucesters, and mass-produced Great Mazingers threatened to destroy her at every turn. She managed to use her machine's fibered wings to deflect an incoming Breast Burn. She blasted the Mazinger's head with her rifle, then quickly whirled around and fired at an incoming Gloucester, blowing it up with one shot. The pilot was able to eject, but Lifthrasir was able to catch it in midair, such was its speed.

"All right, pal, come out and show yourself. If you don't try anything funny, I'll let you live."

The pilot of the Gloucester hesitated, but then opened up the cockpit and gazed up in terror of Lifthrasir.

"...Good. Now, I'm only going to ask this once - where is Haruhi Zifell being held?"

"...Haruhi Zifell? S-she's in Block R, in the sixth cell along the east wall...four floors up...n-now let me go!"

"Thanks a bunch," Tara said with a smirk, putting the ejected cockpit down. "Now get out of here before I change my mind." The pilot scurried out of the cockpit and ran headlong into the forest, frightened out of his wits.

"Xemmey, can you locate her?" she then asked her AI co-pilot once the soldier was out of sight.

"Yes. I've just confirmed her location. I'm projecting her position relative to ours." After a moment, the computer produced a 3D wire-frame image of the facility, with a single light flashing, which marked the location of Tara's mother.

"Alright," Tara said. "Create a portal on the floor beneath her, and another on the lower part of the wall near us."

"Understood."

Lifthrasir created two small portals in the exact places, the energy actually passing through the walls of the prison. After a second, Haruhi tumbled out of the second portal. She looked around, wondering what was going on, then saw Lifthrasir before her. Excitedly, she exited the mech and ran to embrace her mother.

"Mom! Oh, Mom, I'm so glad you're safe!" Tara cried joyously.

"Tara - I can't believe you actually came for me," Haruhi said. "I guess you've truly mastered piloting Lifthrasir, then." Tara nodded. They returned to the Lifthrasir, and both got into the cockpit. As the white mech took off, Xemmey spoke to her programmer.

"Mrs. Zifell, I'm also glad to see you safe and sound. Your husband has been drinking your stash of sake since you departed, such is the depth of his misery."

Haruhi sighed. "Well, it can always be replaced," the scientist said. "Tara, I believe you're worthy of using the full extent of its power. But to do that, you'll need a partner."

"Huh?" Tara exclaimed. "But Janus is already the pilot of Granlif."

"I'm not talking about him," Haruhi replied as they took off. "I'll explain everything when we get home."

They didn't notice Athrun approaching in the distance. The Gundam didn't perform as well in Earth's gravity as it did in space, so it had no chance of catching the white robot.

* * *

_Great...I knew he was leading me into this, but I had to follow him anyway..._ Suzaku thought as he considered the predicament he was now in. Gathering around him were the various members of DREAM that had participated in the assault.

Meanwhile, both his Lancelot and Zero's Burai were paralyzed by the ring of devices surrounding the sand pit - it was known as a Gefjun Disturber. The device emitted energy that disrupted sakuradite's ability to react chemically and mechanically, making anything powered by it shut down. It also blocked numerous kinds of waves and particles...truly a wondrous device, all of Rakshata's design.

"So, traitor," Tetsuya laughed. "How do you like our little surprise?"

"Tsurugi, that's enough," Zero said. "I suggest you come out, Kururugi...we need to talk. Your secondary systems should still be working."

"You will be treated as a prisoner under international law," Harry added. "We'd rather not have to gun you down, but it WILL happen should you refuse to cooperate with us."

"I had heard you'd gathered a force that included soldiers from an alternate universe," Suzaku said with a scowl as he got out of the Lancelot and looked around. "You aren't satisfied with making everyone in this world your pawns...you use those Thresholds to go to other worlds and bend THEIR people to your whims!" Zero had exited his Knightmare as well.

"We joined Zero of our own free will," Yoko replied. "It's Britannia that's making you bend to their whims! Wake up, and help us!"

"Sorry," the Lancelot's pilot replied. "I already told him that results gained through contemptible means are worthless...obviously, you can't see that you're working with a cold, ruthless terrorist. Can you really call yourselves good people - people who desire peace?!"

"And the peace you have NOW is worth something?!" Kira shot back. "I'm not a fan of hurting my fellow man, but I'm not going to sit back and let your people get trampled on!" As he said that, he could understand why ZAFT was resisting the Earth Alliance.

"Seven years ago, if I'm not mistaken," Christina continued. "Japan was willing to resist to the very end. But if that happened, your nation would have become a pie that the European Union, the Chinese Federation AND Britannia would split. Stuff like that happens in our world all the time, and personally, it makes me sick."

"Yeah...and they'd still be fighting over it now!" Cagalli added.

* * *

_Damn it...I'm too late... _Athrun thought. He decided to wheel back around and see how Suzaku was faring. As it happened, he received a message from the base.

"Commander Zala? D-do you read?" a voice over his communicator said. It was Euphemia, who was riding inside a Portman Knightmare Frame.

"Zala here. I've lost the prisoners and the ones responsible for the breakout."

"The base is set to fire surface-to-surface missiles at the Black Knights' current position, and Suzaku is trapped with them. I'm going in to see if I can stall the missile launch; please, save my knight! Save Suzaku Kururugi, even if it means you can't save the Lancelot!"

"Of course, Your Highness," Athrun replied. He spurred the Lancelot forward, praying that Kira wasn't tangled up in this battle...he knew he was there when DREAM killed Andrew Waltfeld...but was he so much of a thrall to the Earth Alliance that he'd work with terrorists if they asked him to?

* * *

"Indeed...Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi, elected by the people, didn't choose to surrender. That selfish decision was made by his killer...with the government was thrown into chaos, the only logical choice was surrender. Because of that, the people's will was crushed, thanks to a single egomaniac with a selfish agenda...YOU."

"H-how on Earth do you know that?" he gasped, shocked that Zero was privy to such a deep dark secret.

"You want to atone for your crime?" Amuro said, feeling somewhat like Char as he spoke. "You can start by joining us, so we can free your people! Present them with the choice they didn't have seven years ago...the choice to fight for their freedom!"

As compelling as their arguments were, Suzaku's resolve to oppose Zero wavered little, if at all.

"Fine. If that's the way you want to do it," Zero said, pulling out a pistol. Those with more sensitive natures turned away. "Farewell, Suzaku."

But before Zero could pull the trigger, several beam rifle shots struck a few of the Black Knights' Knightmares, and the Gefjun Disturber's wires, which cut the power to it. Kira looked up and recognized the source of the blasts - the Aegis. It was Athrun.

"Major Kururugi, get back in your Knightmare!" the Coordinator called out. "They're gonna blast this place with missiles!"

"Athrun!" Kira called out, flying upward to meet Athrun in combat, but his friend quickly chose to bolt, hoping that Kururugi would follow. Kira fired several beam rifle shots and managed to score hits on two of the Aegis' engines, sending it spiraling to the ground. Kira, as he silently prayed that Athrun survived, turned back and saw dozens of missiles heading for their position. The other Black Knights did as well.

"Everyone, destroy those missiles!" Amuro cried out. "Empty all your weapons if you must!" As the Black Knights' attention was turned elsewhere, Suzaku took this chance to finish what he had started. He grabbed Zero's gun, got him into a submission hold, then dragged him up into his Knightmare and shoved him into his cockpit.

Kallen, desperate to save Zero, opened up the Guren's cockpit and rushed down into the pit.

"Wait! Suzaku, let Zero go!" she cried. "It's me, Kallen Stadtfeld, from the student council!"

"Zero...it's my duty as a soldier to see this through the end! I will ALWAYS follow my orders!" the Japanese Knight declared as he aimed at the masked man's head.

"Hah! Easier than following your own heart, then?! How do YOU really feel about this?!" Zero taunted loudly, with both defiance and indignation in his voice.

But before Suzaku could answer, a great shadow loomed over the site - a massive battleship, roughly as large as the _Archangel_, emblazoned with Britannia's insignia. The Black Knights switched their targeting to the massive interloper, but their bullets helplessly bounced against some sort of barrier.

"He completed a Float System?" Rakshata quipped in a surprisingly calm tone. "Well, looks like I'm not done topping him..."

The battleship opened a hatch at its bottom, revealing two red energy cannons that were immediately starting to charge...

"Damn it, Suzaku, DO SOMETHING! DO YOU WANT TO DIE?!" Zero screamed.

"Better to die than shirk my duty!" Suzaku yelled in reply.

That was it for Lelouch. He wasn't going to let his best friend die, even in this situation. He raised a slat from his left eye, which was emblazoned with the symbol of Geass on it.

"LIVE, YOU STUBBORN FOOL! LIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!" Lelouch cried as the ship's cannons fired. His Geass power lashed out at Suzaku's mind...but little did Lelouch know that this Geass command would affect his friend in a most unusual way...

* * *

After a tearful reunion between husband and wife, the couple took their daughter over to a small, oddly bare corner of their living room. Haruhi pressed a hidden button on the floor with her foot, revealing a hidden stairway. Tara followed her parents down the dark stairway to a hidden room beneath the house. Gilbert flipped on the lights, revealing what appeared to be a workshop for building electronics. In the center of the room was a table; on said table was something human-sized, covered beneath a sheet.

Tara could guess what was underneath it, but she wasn't one hundred percent sure. She merely watched as her father went over to the table, and dramatically yanked the sheet off.

It was a naked woman with long silver hair and rather prodigious assets, just as Xemmey did. Upon closer inspection, Tara realized that this wasn't a person...it was an android. A very, very realistic looking one...enough to fool anyone at first glance.

"You have Xemmey's personality core, Tara?" Gilbert asked.

"Yeah," her daughter said, producing a flat black disc from her pocket. "Where do I put it?"

"In her chest area," he answered. "You'll have to move her breasts apart, though. They conceal the slot to minimize the damage she would receive."

Tara looked at her father like he was completely crazy, then turned to her mother. She merely shook her head in disappointment.

"It was either there or in the crotch area," she sighed. "Your father and his colleagues were probably drunk when they first came up with that design aspect." Gilbert scratched his head and grinned with embarrassment.

Nervously, Tara approached the android, and poked its cantaloupe-sized breasts. They had a lot of give, but bounced back to their usual shape easily. Tara pushed the two substantial orbs aside, and spotted what looked like a covered disc slot with a small button next to it. She pressed the button, causing the slot's cover to retract.

Tara finally inserted the disc, and the slot automatically sealed itself again. The android started to hum and whir faintly, but that could only be discerned at this close proximity. After a few tense moments, the android opened her eyes, making Tara stagger back in shock. They were the same color as her hair - a glittering silver. She sat up in an incredibly natural way - this was thanks to GGG's willingness to let the two borrow partial plans of Guy Shishioh's cyborg body.

"Good morning, Ta..." the android began before realizing something was amiss. Wait, this isn't the cockpit of the XEM-00! Oh, Dr. Haruhi! Dr. Gilbert! I..."

She looked down, then grabbed the sheet to cover her exposed body as she realized she was naked.

"...Would really appreciate some clothes, if you wouldn't mind."

"Modesty matrix is working just fine," Tara's mother said with a smile. "I'll see what I can find."

* * *

_Well, Xemmey has gone from a computer buddy to a buxom android. Of course, her assets won't be the only thing that are well-developed, I hope. Also, I think you all know what's coming next. Stay tuned!  
_


	43. Chapter 29

_Yep. It's time for "Character Development While Being Stranded On An Island"! Also, I think I'll throw some GaoGaiGar plot in, because it's getting close to the end of that show's first major plot arc!_

* * *

**Chapter 29 - Machine King Melee! Stranded on the Island of the Gods! (Part 1)**

Kamine Island, not far from Shikine. This island, full of thick rainforest, was mostly uninhabited, but on this day, six people would find themselves washed ashore.

Cagalli was one of them. In the blast created by the new Britannian battleship's cannons, the forces of the Black Knights and DREAM were scattered, as were Euphemia and Suzaku. Her Skygrasper was blasted out of the air and forced to crash land on this island, separated from the rest of the group.

She had to find a way off and rejoin the, but with the Skygrasper nearly totaled, she had to do it on her own. And so Cagalli began to look around, staying at the edge of the forest to avoid being seen by Britannian troops, but to call out to Alliance troops if she spotted them. But as she approached a large rocky outcropping, she saw someone walking around near a very familiar mobile suit...it was the Aegis, which meant that the person walking around was a ZAFT soldier.

As fate would have it, it was Athrun Zala, though, having never met him, didn't recognize him as such. She pulled out the pistol at her hip.

"Freeze!" she yelled. Athrun turned around, and Cagalli opened fire. He dodged and ran away as fast as he could, but the bullet had managed to graze his arm, causing him to drop his own gun. The Coordinator looked for a place to hide, hoping to avoid his pursuer. But he heard her draw closer and closer.

Realizing he had to fight, but lacking his pistol, Athrun pulled out a curved switchblade, forged from super strong alloys found only in the asteroid belt. He then saw Cagalli step out near his weapon, which she then picked up. Athrun, thinking quickly, charged in, dodging and weaving to avoid her gunfire. With a graceful leap, he jump-kicked one of the guns out of her hand, caught her in a submission hold, slammed her on the ground (causing her to drop the other), bound her hands and legs, and held her down, readying his knife to kill her.

Cagalli, terrified for her life, let out a loud cry.

Athrun stopped himself, and stared at Cagalli, dumbfounded.

"A girl?" he quipped. The blonde pilot scowled, tears in her eyes left over from her terror.

"Geez, what IS it with you men?!" she cried. Athrun got up off her, and, as a gesture to show he no longer meant any harm, walked over to the shore, removed the clip from his gun, and tossed both into the water..

"So...I guess you're with the Earth Alliance forces, then?" Athrun said as he returned to his bag and unzipped his pilot suit, revealing a short sleeved shirt.

"Why should I tell you?!" Cagalli shot back. She wasn't about to tell him. "It's not like I'm here because I..want to!"

She tried to lunge at him, but all she accomplished was landing face flat in the sand. Athrun watched as she struggled and writhed, almost like a fish out of water.. After a few moments, Cagalli ceased her struggling, and he started to walk back toward the Aegis. He needed to get the two engines repaired enough for him to get to a ZAFT base.

"Hey...you aren't one of those guys who attacked Heliopolis, were you?" Cagalli asked. Athrun paused and turned back toward her.

"I was there, you know..." she continued, leering at him.

* * *

Elsewhere on the island, Suzaku looked down at the ocean from another cliff before turning away and heading toward a waterfall. Until he could get in contact with his superiors, he had to find a source of fresh water and then camp.

But as he approached the waterfall, he saw someone there - a red-haired girl in the nude, using the clean, cold water from the falls as a shower. Suzaku recognized the girl, and couldn't believe his eyes.

"Kallen? It can't be..." he said to himself. He approached Kallen, and called out to her.

She turned around, and was surprised to see him as well. Suddenly, her expression turned to fury. She snatched up her uniform to cover herself, pulled out a small pink wallet and began to charge as she extended a sharp knife that was concealed within it.

"A Black Knights uniform?! It really is you?!" Suzaku gasped as his classmate rushed in, screaming with battle fury. His battle instincts kicked in. He grabbed her wrist, flipped her over, and slammed her on the rock before holding her down.

"Kallen! Kallen Stadtfeld! You're..."

"Don't you DARE call me by that name!" Kallen replied angrily, hating her Britannian last name. "My name is Kallen Kozuki, and I'm Japanese!"

"Then...it really is you," Suzaku gasped. He had never imagined this girl to be like this - she had always appeared very sedate, even sickly at school.

"Yeah, I'm a Black Knight! I'm tired of hiding it anyway," the girl answered spitefully.

"Well then, Kallen Kozuki, I'm placing you under arrest for rebellion against the Empire..." Suzaku said with a hint of regret in his voice.

* * *

Lelouch, still wearing the mask and attire of Zero, was on a still different part of the island. As he pondered his situation, he suddenly heard someone behind him. He whirled around only to see Euphemia.

Her hair was soaking wet, her dress was ruined, but otherwise, she looked fine. However, even now Lelouch had to keep up his act.

"Lelouch..." she suddenly said.

Euphiemia had addressed the masked prince by his real name, which made him pause in shock. He couldn't believe that EUPHEMIA, of all people, had figured it out. Then again, she could be bluffing. The prince, so used to wearing a mask and assuming everyone had ulterior motives, didn't know what to think in the face of her innocent sincerity.

"Lelouch, it's you, isn't it?" Euphie said hopefully. "I-I haven't told anyone, I swear!"

A drop of sweat dripped down Lelouch's face.

"Please. before you shoot me...at least let me see your face," she pleaded.

Lelouch realized there was no point in keeping up the facade in this situation. He removed his helmet, then pulled the mouth cover off, revealing his face to his half-sister. She began to weep tears of joy, overjoyed to see her brother again.

* * *

While the _Archangel, Kuro _and _Ra Calium _searched the skies and seas for Zero and Cagalli, the _Nadesico _had opted to remain out of the battle and instead prepare for the likely invasion of the Settlement. Mamoru, however, returned to school, with GGG providing excuses for the teachers as to the reason behind his long absence.

Today, the younger classes were off to the Britannian Victory Memorial Center, a required field trip by schools all over the Area every year. The red tower, consisting of countless steel beams and girders, was once known as Tokyo Tower. Now it served as a reminder of the power Britannia had over Japan, and any Japanese child who had any pride of his or her heritage dreaded visiting it.

As Mamoru stepped off the school bus behind his friend Hana, he suddenly was overcome with a strange, uneasy feeling. Hana turned around and noticed Mamoru looking nervous.

"Is something wrong, Mamoru?"

Mamoru smiled awkwardly. "It's nothing, just got a little queasy from the ride."

"Now class, let's stick together. Follow me," his teacher said, as she led them to an elevator. As they rode up, two of his classmates began arguing about who had been to the taller structure, while the others just admired the view.

Even as they walked around, Mamoru couldn't shake the feeling that something very, very bad was about to happen. As the boy looked down at the traffic below, he saw the streets jam-packed with cars and trucks - many of them trying to evacuate the city before the battle came to the settlement. But more disturbingly, he saw the cars suddenly start glowing purple as a figure was hopping from car to car..

He looked way down at the parking lot, and saw Pinchernone (though he didn't immediately recognize him) sitting on a bench below. Suddenly, he vanished into the thin air. A nearby police car also disappeared.

The police car's identity he knew - it was Volfogg, using his police car form to hide in plain sight.

_Volfogg...but...what do I do? _Mamoru thought. _If I leave, people will get suspicious. Hana knows, but no one else does..._

And then, things got worse. Beams of purple light began shooting out from the city out in the distance. Mamoru looked up at the hair sticking out from his forehead. It was still brown.

_That's weird...I don't feel any Zonder...but what I CAN feel...I just don't know what it is...all I know is that it isn't good at all..._

Even as the crowds within the tower began to panic, they didn't fully grasp just how much danger they were truly in - purple, flowing Zonder Metal began to cover the tower, as well as the rest of the settlement, devouring all in its path, even people. Before long, the entire area around the Memorial Center was being consumed by the purple matter. Not only that, the Zonderians' made it so only the ghettos beyond the 5th Circinate Line were consumed first, as if the Japanese needed any more to complain about...

* * *

Athrun fiddled with the communicator on the Aegis. Nothing was working. He looked out at the shoreline and saw that girl lying in the surf. She had been trying to inch her way up to the mobile suit, but with an oncoming storm, the tide was going to rise.

He used the Aegis's arm to launch a small distress signal, which had the added benefit of blocking the rain over Cagalli.

"Hey, help me up here!" she complained. Athrun sighed, feeling a little sorry for the poor girl. He helped her up, his hands on her shoulders. A tiny crab walked out from under Cagalli's hair. Athrun watched the crustacean skitter up his arm, pause at his elbow, then slide off into the drink.

The absurdity of the moment made him burst out into laughter. Cagalli wondered what was so funny. She hopped out from under the Aegis' arm and let the rain shower her.

"Um..."

"What? I'm covered with sand. I just need to wash it off," she answered. "Ah, that feels nice!"

Athrun finally decided that he wasn't going to let Cagalli humiliate herself further like this. Besides, she wasn't a threat anyway, now that she lacked weapons. He took his knife out and cut the ropes he had bound her with a few hours before.

"Um...thanks," the girl said.

"Eh, you're no threat me anyway without a weapon," Athrun replied. "Oh, you've got another crab in your shirt."

Cagalli suddenly felt something moving in her shirt. She lifted it up, causing another small crab to unceremoniously drop out of it.

* * *

"Gotcha!"

Suzaku managed to snag a medium-sized fish straight out of the water with his bare hands, with Kallen watching from shore, her hands tied behind her back and her Black Knights uniform hanging over her shoulders.

"Hey, you're pretty good at that," Kallen commented as Suzaku tossed the fish to shore.

"You wanna try it? I promise I'll let you go if you help me find food," he replied. Kallen turned away in contempt.

"Man, you're stubborn...not at all like you are at school..."

* * *

The night was still young, and Euphemia and Lelouch, blissfully unaware of the chaos happening back at the settlement, sat down to a rather odd dinner - several unusual fruits, which were laid on top of a large leaf that served as a dinner plate. The princess was contentedly eating the fruit, while Lelouch could look on.

"Oh, you should try them, Lelouch. They're actually quite tasty! It's too bad about your trap though, but we can always try it again tomorrow."

Lelouch simply nodded.

"Hey, Lelouch," Euphie suddenly said as she swallowed a bite of fruit. "I want to ask you something."

Lelouch hated answering questions, but Euphie was too kind-hearted, and admittedly too dim compared to the rest of the royal family to have any ulterior motives.

"Why did you become Zero?" she asked. "You never used to be like this."

"...Because of Nunnally...because Britannia stole her eyesight, her legs, and our mother!" Lelouch answered furiously, rising to his feet, pacing back and forth, and gesturing as he ranted. "I won't rest until Britannia is in ashes and the world is one where she can be happy in! And if I have to kill you to do it, then I'll gladly rip your throat out right here and now! I'll do it, no matter what it takes!"

Euphie looked away in shame, feeling like she was partly at fault for her siblings' rage. Suddenly, gears started turning in her head.

"Lelouch, I've been thinking about something, and I wanted your input. I was going to meet with Schneizel about it before you and the Black Knights."

"I'm sorry, Euphie...if I had known..."

"Well, I won't tell anyone about your identity, okay?"

Lelouch was surprised. He had just said he would be willing to kill her, and then she goes and asks him for his opinion. For a laugh, he decided to let her speak her mind.

"Alright...I'm all ears, Euphie."

"Well, my idea is this...what the Japanese want is their freedom back, right? That's why they've been following you. To be free again."

Lelouch wondered where she was going with this. She obviously had something planned.

"Well, let's do more than it! Let's help Japan rebuild and survive on its own again," Euphie said excitedly. "You, me, and the rest of Britannia working together with the Japanese overseers of Japan's rebirth as an independent nation...well, as soon as we get off this island. But...I know we will!

"You do realize that working with Zero is going to cost you," her brother replied skeptically.

"I'm well-aware of the consequences I'll have to pay," the princess said. "So that's why, as soon as I can...I'm going to formally cede my claim to the throne."

Lelouch laughed. A royal, giving up their only chance at power? What a ridiculous concept.

"And I suppose it was for my sake that you did this," he said.

Euphie giggled.

"Oh, you're as conceited as ever...but I did it for Nunnally's sake," she replied.

"Huh?"

"Nunnally...in one of her letters she said all she wanted was to be with her big brother. If that was all she had, then she would be happy. If that's all, then if you two can peacefully live in an independent, free Japan together, then I'll have achieved my goal"

Lelouch was dumbfounded. Rash, reckless Euphie had come up with an idea that was far better than his, and had been prepared to do it at the cost of everything...all because of a petty excuse by Nunnally. For the first time, his resolve had faltered.

"Really? So you'll do that?" Lelouch said excitedly, "no matter what it takes to achieve it, or how long it takes? Even if you have to betray the rest of the family?"

Unbeknownst to him, his Geass power again activated on its own; and it was this command, or rather, request, that Lelouch's power began to engrave in Euphemia's mind. The pink rings appeared around her irises, though she was far from zombie-like, since this act was not entirely outside her nature.

"Yes, Lelouch! I'll do whatever I have to...Nunnally's happiness, your happiness and Japan's freedom are all I want now. " After a moment, the rings around her eyes disappeared.

Lelouch had noticed the slight, but sudden change in Euphie's attitude. He looked at his reflection in a pool of water left over by the tide, and realized what had just happened. He had Geassed Euphie into pursuing those three things, no matter the cost.

_Well...it could have been worse_, Lelouch thought, _I could have Geassed her to 'kill all the Japanese' or something. _

"Listen, let's both get some sleep. We need all the rest we can get if we're going to get off this island."

Euphie smiled and nodded.

* * *

The nature of the situation in Tokyo was not out of GGG's grasp. After gathering all of the information from Volfogg and other Intelligence Robots in the corps, they had determined the nature of this enemy - the Four Machine Kings themselves.

The Britannian military was making moves against these menaces throughout the day, but more to preserve their own facilities than to save any Japanese. Tanks, fighter planes and Knightmare Frames all gathered from across the Area to do what they could, but the energy barrier blocked any and all attempts to get inside. Of course, the worst part was what was going on inside...the formation of a Zonder Metal Plant. The Machine Kings intended to turn everyone inside, Japanese and Britannian, into Zonders.

Meanwhile, the _Nadesico _and the mechs that didn't participate in the attack on Shikine Island had stayed at GGG's Bay Island Base, where the crew had temporarily transferred back to in order to monitor the situation.

The Britannian forces that had been caught in the inital growth of the Zonder Metal Plant were reduced to scrap when Gurren Lagann, Combattler V, Voltes V, all the members of Fire Bomber, Dancougar, EVA Unit 02, all five Aestivalis, Mazinkaiser, Zeta Gundam, ZZ Gundam, Shin Getter, Boss Borot, Granlif, and all of the available members of GGG arrived on the scene.

The group looked up, and saw that where this part of the Tokyo Settlement had been was replaced by an unbelievably massive rock and earthen column rising hundreds of meters into the air. Koji whistled in astonishment.

"Man, that's tall. I hope everyone's alright," he said.

"Only one way to find out...we go up." Guy replied as GaoGaiGar started flying straight up. Those who could fly followed suit, while those who couldn't either hitched a ride on the ship or were airlifted by one of their comrades.

It took them quite a few minutes to reach the top...but by the time they did, the entire area was consumed by Zonder Metal. The cries and moans of civilians were barely audible. Everyone could only watch, dumbfounded at this sight.

"Top floor..." Izumi quipped as they reached the top of the columb. "Lingerie, Zonder Metal Plants, and innocent people writhing in agony... repeat..."

"Geez, Izumi, now is REALLY not the time!" Ryoko yelled.

"Okay, let's go over the plan," Guy said, hoping to get everyone's attention back on track. "Our mission is to find the heart of the Zonder Metal Plant."

"And how do we plan on destroying it?" Koji asked. "I assume we can't just blast it away, or people will die."

"Hey guys, a little help?!" a familiar voice called out over their communicators. Everyone looked further in, and saw a familiar mech fighting it out with some copies of EI-13 and EI-03. In addition, a massive, plane-like Zonder was dashing about, and the other mech was doing its best to dodge - everyone recognized it instantly.

"That's Lifthrasir!" Guy exclaimed. "Everyone, let's help Tara first!" With that, all of the flying mechs started towards the location of their comrade.

As the group drew closer, Guy recognized the speedy plane Zonder's appearance.

"Machine King Pizza!" he called out. The plane Zonder suddenly broke combat and sped toward GaoGaiGar.

"Ah, King of Braves! We meet again!" Pizza bellowed as it dashed toward GaoGaiGar. Meanwhile, Granlif landed at Lifthrasir's location while the others started attacking the EI copies.

"Tara, I thought you got Zonderized! Are you and your folks alright?"

"Yeah, but Ashford isn't!" she replied. "Nunnally, Rei, Shinji and all of our other friends are trapped in there! Who knows what agony they're going through?"

"Janus, is Mic Sounders with you?" Xemmey suddenly asked.

"Yeah...he came with us." Janus quipped. "By the way, what's with the new voice, Xemmey?"

"We can talk about that later," Xemmey answered. "We have something very important for him, courtesy of Tara's parents and GGG Atlantic."

"Whoa, heads up!" Janus called out. "GRAN BITS!" Granlif shot down several of the bladed bits, which quickly cut an incoming copy of EI-14 to pieces.

"C'mon, let's find Mic before he gets scrapped!" Tara exclaimed. With that, the two took off in search of Mic. Little did they know that this battle would only be the beginning...

* * *

_Wanted to make this one a little short, I hope it's still to your satisfaction. Also, I had an entirely different plan for averting THAT event at first, but I thought this would be a little better. It involved something that probably would have forced this to an M rating.  
_


	44. Chapter 30

_Alright, more GaoGaiGar and Code Geass fun! I hope this doesn't feel too rushed...  
_

* * *

**Chapter 30 – Machine King Melee! Stranded on the Island of the Gods! (Part 2)**

Pizza was having a grand old time fighting DREAM. Fighting GaoGaiGar was fun enough, but to face off against so many challenging opponents at once was a supreme pleasure...more so than the pizza he had not too long ago.

Suddenly, he noticed a mech standing atop the _Nadesico _- the Astray Blue Frame. Something about it tickled Pizza's fancy, and he broke combat with GaoGaiGar to both test this new mech and to take out the humans' battleship.

"Well, well, I was wondering when someone would notice me," Gai Murakumo quipped as he took aim. Concentrating greatly, he waited for Pizza to get into close range before firing.

In fact, Gai, a Coordinator bred for combat, timed his shot to make contact just as Pizza was mere inches from him. Even the supremely agile Pizza couldn't dodge that quickly at his high speed, yet there was sufficient force behind the shot to stagger EI-26, but he quickly sped away to try for another pass.

"To hit me, who rules the sky, is a commendable feat!" the Machine King said. "But you shall not do so twice!" But as he prepared to charge forward once more, Gurren Lagann dashed in and struck EI-26's cockpit with a Skull Breaker.

"That's the problem with you villainous types," Simon quipped. "You talk way too much!"

* * *

Nunnally couldn't help but feel worried about her brother, and everyone else. There had been talk on the news about a horrific outbreak of some weird purple substance, and she had then heard that the substance had reached all the way to the concession area.

But then she remembered - she had Mark Nemo. With it, she wasn't powerless. She could do something about this...or at the very least, protect everyone at Ashford Academy.

At the same time, she had learned from Kaworu that when she piloted the mysterious Knightmare Frame, her personality changed drastically - she became bloodthirsty and merciless, killing without regard. To date, she had killed five Britannian soldiers. Was bearing the knowledge that she had killed someone's brother, son, or father worth it?

As if Kaworu knew what she thinking, he offered an answer.

"Only those who are prepared to fire should be fired at."

That was the answer she needed. To attack was wrong...to defend and protect was acceptable.

"Kaworu, thank you." Nunnally said. Kaworu smiled, took hold of her wheelchair, and teleported them outside. The Zonder Metal Plant was slowly spreading, but it had only just begun to infiltrate the campus, and it was starting with the western dorms.

But marching in was Polonaise, who had assumed the form of a cross between a metallic chameleon and a bullet train, as EI-28. The Zonderian turned its head in their direction. Even though she couldn't see him, Nunnally's spine tingled unpleasantly. Kaworu, however, looked on calmly.

"Whoever you are," Nunnally commanded, "I demand that you leave right now!"

Polonaise laughed heartily. "You've got a lot of spunk for a blind, crippled girl," he answered. "Come, and let me take away the minus thoughts that plague you, and join us in Zonder bliss!"

"No!" Nunnally replied. She concentrated hard, and then forced her eyes to open. This act called forth Mark Nemo, who slept in Nunnally's spirit, to be called out at any time. She reappeared inside the Knightmare Frame, and readied its katana.

"Listen, you freak, clear out before I cut you to ribbons!" Nunnally demanded again, this time in a much more unnerving fashion.

"Interesting," Polonaise chuckled. "Let's put your resolve to the test!" EI-28 charged forward, blowing its steam whistle all the way.

Nunnally dodged the onrushing Zonderian with ease thanks to her Geass power, and Kaworu calmly put up his AT Field to stop him from damaging the building. On impact, it was knocked backward into the advancing Zonder Metal Plant, and stopped, failing helplessly on its back.

"Gotcha!" the princess said, launching the wire-guided knives. The blades failed to strike, as the barrier around its body protected Polonaise from harm. It rolled upright once more and charged in again.

This time, Nunnally drew Mark Nemo's katana and readied for Polonaise's attack. As it passed, she bounded atop EI-28, landing gracefully on its back. With a twisted grin, she jammed the katana into the Zonderian's head, then started running down its body, slicing it open like one would gut a fish. This cause Polonaise to go out of control, and barrel headlong into the school festival grounds, only to be stopped by the stone building that Boss had built. It collapsed on top of the Machine King, crushing him.

But to her surprise, he managed to crawl out of the rubble, battered and dripping purple blood, but alive.

"Foolish girl," he chuckled. "We Zonderians have immortal bodies...however, I don't have enough energy...to maintain my perfect form...but I will..."

But before he could teleport away, Nunnally with a hot-blooded cry, jammed the katana through his torso, skewering him like a pig to be roasted on a spit. To Polonaise's shock, the esoteric power emanating from Mark Nemo overwhelmed him - his Zonder body began to fade away.

"Primada...my love...I'll wait...for you..." he wheezed before turning to shiny purple dust that blew away at the first breeze. Nunnally's personality returned to its normal nature, causing Mark Nemo to disappear.

For a few brief moments her eyes remained open, but an unknown power forced them shut again as her legs gave out once more. Kaworu rushed over with her wheelchair and helped her back into it.

* * *

Lelouch and Euphemia had spent the morning walking through the forest in hopes of finding a way off, hopefully in the form of rescue. As they walked they discussed Euphemia's plan in greater depth. Lelouch offered her suggestions for how to best handle certain things, and provided criticism or praise to Euphemia's own suggestions. Through it all, the prince was trying to anticipate the conditions Schneizel would place on the deal and work around them.

Schneizel was the only person whom Lelouch could never beat at chess...or anything that involved wit and ingenuity, really. It was little wonder that he was Prime Minister of the entire Empire, administering the worldly affairs while Charles kept to himself.

"Well, you've certainly been most helpful, Lelouch," Euphemia said gratefully after they paused for a moment near a clearing. "I think I can work it out with Schneizel now...still, I wish our time together wouldn't end when we find rescue."

"It can't be helped...and I've really been such an undependable knight. I couldn't even get food for you. Besides, that's a job for Suzaku Kururugi, your real Knight."

Euphemia smiled awkwardly.

"By the way," Lelouch asked. "Why did you choose an Honorary Britannian?"

The princess started to answer, but then her brother heard rustling in the nearby foliage. He took hold of Euphemia's arm and pulled her into the bushes while he hastily put on his cape and helmet, once again ready to assume the part of Zero, rebel leader.

To his surprise, he spotted Kallen (hands still bound) and Suzaku coming toward them. But then he saw Euphemia stepping out of the bushes as she called out to her Knight. He darted out of the bushes, grabbed Euphie by the arm, and pointed a gun at her head.

"Don't move! This girl is my prisoner!" he proclaimed. Euphemia wondered why her brother was acting like this, and Lelouch could see that.

"Just play along," he whispered. "We'll do a prisoner exchange. You return my subordinate to me, and I'll give you the princess."

Just then, Athrun and Cagalli rushed out into the open, wondering what was going on.

"Zero?!" Cagalli exclaimed. Athrun, thinking quickly, grabbed Cagalli, wrapping one arm around her body and holding a gun to her head as well. He slowly stepped toward Suzaku, and noticed that Kallen was starting to remove her bonds. Unfortunately, he had his hands full with Cagalli, and didn't want to let the masked rebel catch on.

"I see another of your associates has a subordinate of mine," Zero then said. "You really are in no position to be looking down upon me. If your mission is to eliminate terrorists, will you be sacrifice anything for it? Will you let your mistress die rather than shirk your duty?"

"Grr...you..." Suzaku growled. Suddenly, Kallen lunged at Suzaku, grabbing him from behind, using her own bound hands to restrain him. In reaction to this, Athrun pressed the gun against Cagalli's head more forcefully, but she also managed to wrest herself from his grip, yank the pistol out of his hand and rush to Zero's side.

"Everyone, please stop!" Euphemia cried out.

"Can it, you puppet princess!" Kallen retorted. "You're not capable of doing anything yourself!"

Euphemia let out a gasp of indignation, and turned to Suzaku and Athrun.

"Never mind me, Suzaku! Commander Zala! Fight!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" Suzaku said loudly. He forced Kallen's hands back over his head, rushed at Zero and forced him to let go of Euphemia. The pilots of the Lancelot and Aegis quickly got between Zero and Cagalli.

"You stubborn little..." Lelouch growled. But as they shifted position, the entire clearing suddenly lit up with the symbol of Geass, reacting to Lelouch's power. The ground beneath their feet suddenly began to plummet into darkness...

* * *

Mic dodged and wove as numerous EI copies lunged at him, trying to pull him down.

"So not cool!" he groaned. Suddenly, he saw Lifthrasir and Granlif headed his way. Lifthrasir held what appeared to be a giant disc, similar to his Disc M and Disc P.

"…Yeah!" Mic cheered.

"Mic, catch!" Tara called out. Lifthrasir flung the disc like a Frisbee, which Mic caught easily.

"Awesome! This is the best!" the robot replied excitedly. "C'MON, ROCK N' ROLL!" Mic opened the hatch on his chest, and switched Disc M for the new one.

"DISC X! OUT AND SET ON! DAZZLING DOUBLE V!"

As Mic began to play, a very different tune than either Disc M or Disc P started up. It sounded rather ominous, with a heavy emphasis on organ, with a low bass guitar accompanying it.

The song quickly got to work. Every last bit of Zonder Metal came under attack by the music, which was accompanied by powerful microwave radiation. This radiation attacked the structure of the Zonder Metal at the atomic level, breaking it up with incredible ease. Theoretically, Disc X could tear anything apart using this same principle. But with only a single setting, the Disc would only serve as the bane of Zonder Metal, leaving all else untouched...

* * *

The group didn't fall very far. They landed in a large cavern, lit by torches and lamps, revealing what seemed to be some sort of ancient ruin.

They had been standing atop a stone platform supported by four now-collapsed columns. The platform now blocked a pair of large stone doors, carved with a series of lines and circles with the symbol of Geass prominently featured at the point where the two doors met.

Surrounding them were Lloyd Asplund, General Bartley, a portly bald man in military regalia and wearing a monocle, and Prince Schneizel himself. The prince was a blond man in his late twenties wearing a more practical version of a royal outfit. Also present were a half-dozen Britannian soldiers. As it turned out, they had been investigating this ruin on orders from the Emperor.

Lloyd tried his best to discern who was who inside the cloud of dust that had been kicked up.

"Major Kururugi...Commander Zala...and that looks like...Zero!"

"Uh-oh..." Cagalli said as the soldiers lined up and pointed their guns at her and Zero.

"Stop, you fools!" Bartley cried. "They have Princess Euphemia with them! Capture them! Capture them!"

Zero quickly looked around, hoping for some sort of way out. Then he spotted it - the Gawain. Wasting no time, he rushed toward it. Kallen flashed a bright light which shined in both the visual and infrared spectrum, blinding the onrushing guards before spin-kicking them. Kallen picked up one of their machine guns and began firing, which forced the guards to surround the princess, Suzaku and Athrun.

Meanwhile, Lelouch began fiddling with the Knightmare's controls right after jumping in. While he was no Coordinator, the prince's genius mind allowed him to quickly figure out how to make it work.

"Ha, what luck...this Knightmare is already activated!" the prince said. "Truly a marvelous design..." As he started it up, Kallen and Cagalli hopped onto its shoulders. He looked down at Schneizel, whom he recognized. He was about to open fire on him, but he decided against it...if the plan he and Euphie had come up with was going to go forward, Schneizel had to be alive. Instead, he spurred the Knightmare forward, with Kallen and Cagalli hanging on for dear life.

"Stop him!" cried Schneizel's right hand man. "Don't let them steal the Gawain!"

Some Sutherlands charged into the cave, but Lelouch was ready. He put his hands on the triggers, grinning evilly.

"Disappear..."

He pulled the trigger, and two hatches on the Frame's shoulders opened, and the same two red beams that the _Avalon _had fired blasted forth from it...only, they ended up scattering, blasting the cave apart just as much as it wrecked the enemies before them.

"Damn it...this weapon's not finished?!" Lelouch cursed. But even so, they were outside. As more Sutherlands opened fire, Kallen and Cagalli had to hide a bit.

"Hey, Zero! You gonna drive us into the water!" the blonde girl shouted.

"Don't worry, there's one more system that's operational," Lelouch replied. He pulled a lever back, causing green energy wings to flash between the rods on its back...

And then the Knightmare Frame began to rise off the ground.

"Woah! A Knightmare that can fly! Amazing!" Kallen exclaimed as the Gawain soared through the air, over the trees and out to sea.

"Ah-hahahaha! Incredible! Yes, what a machine!" Lelouch laughed. This Frame, black and gold, was perfect for him - it was an incredible stroke of good fortune to find this magnificent piece of work at all, let alone take it as easily as taking candy from a baby.

"Um...excuse me, Zero?" Cagalli said, causing Lelouch to suddenly stop his laugh.

"What are we going to do about my Skygrasper?" the girl asked. "And Kallen's Guren MK II?"

"I'm sure the Guren has been recovered," Zero replied. "As for the Skygrasper, we can return for it when Britannia's forces leave that island. For now, we need to meet up with the _Kuro -_ I'll contact them immediately."

His mood turned somber again as he pondered the sad fact that he had to use his Geass on Suzaku to ensure he would escape alive. During the blast, he had turned off the Gefjun Disturbers, allowing Suzaku to flee in the Lancelot. The cannons used by the _Avalon _ended up scattering its shots, just as the Gawain's did. If it had been a single concentrated blast, no one could have survived.

Outside the cave, Bartley and Lloyd watched with dismay as the prized experimental Frame took off into the distance. Schneizel, on the other hand, seemed rather unconcerned with the matter.

He instead turned to Suzaku and Euphemia, who were exiting the cave with Athrun in tow.

"What matters right now is that you two are all right," he said. He smiled at his younger sister, who smiled back and walked up to him.

"Euphie, I'm sorry for taking so long," the prince said. Euphemia shook her head.

"It's okay. You're here now." The two suddenly heard several Britannian soldiers walk up to Suzaku with guns ready.

"Major Suzaku Kururugi, you are under arrest for violation of grade two military..." an officer began, before Euphie suddenly stepped in, pushing them away.

"What do you think you're doing? This man is my Knight!" she yelled. "Unhand him or I'll have you stripped of your rank!" Unknowingly, the Geass that Lelouch had used on her activated, since she knew that Suzaku was key to the happiness of her siblings. Being so strongly reproached by a royal, the officer and soldiers backed off.

Schneizel, Athrun and Suzaku could only look on, dumbfounded at Euphemia's drastic change in behavior. She reverted back to her usual personality.

"Oh...um...I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," she said awkwardly.

"Excuse me, Lord Schneizel...if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to recover the Aegis," the Coordinator said. The prince turned to Athrun.

"Yes, of course. We'll bring it on board with the Lancelot," he replied.

* * *

Amuro and Murrue filled Zero in on everything that was going on since the Shikine Island raid. Due to the chaos caused by the Zonder Metal Plant in the Tokyo Settlement, the Chinese Federation, with the old government of Japan as figureheads, had successfully captured Fukuoka Base, and from there declared it the beginning of the new Japan.

But to everyone's surprise, Zero didn't seem too pleased with the news of the victory at Fukuoka when he assembled the Black Knights and those in DREAM who had participated in the Shikine Island Raid. When prodded further, he explained.

"We cannot cooperate with Sawasaki," the Black Knights' leader said, speaking of Genbu Kururugi's former right hand man. "The Chinese Federation will simply make Japan into a puppet state; A mere changing of names and masters. Other than that, it will be the same as now. This false Japan is not what your nation needs."

"Okay then, what do YOU think we need?" Tamaki asked.

"Isn't it obvious?!" Zero answered. "Japan must once again become an independent nation!"

A clamor arose among the crowd. As excited as they were, they were not expecting to achieve so great a goal.

"Zero, I'm sorry, but let's be realistic here," Ohgi said.

"Yes, we're going up against a nation that controls one third of the world," Murrue added.

"Actually, I already have a plan," Zero continued. "One that you may not like, but is necessary if we want to have the best chance of succeeding in our dream...it so happened than I encountered Princess Euphemia on the island while I was stranded. She and I got to talking, and eventually she suggested something that I found worth trying."

"What did she suggest?" Kallen asked, suspicious of anything a Britannian suggested.

"As it turns out, she and I both agree that Japan deserves to be free once again. Her plan, as it stands now, is to turn Area 11 into a Specially Administrated Zone. She and I will work with the Japanese people to resurrect this nation."

"That sounds good, but then what?" Loran asked.

"Once the country can function on its own once more, control will be turned over to Japanese officials, democratically elected by the people."

"It sounds too good to be true," Natarle commented. "The last thing an empire would want is to cede its own territory. There must be a catch."

"At the moment, there is no catch," Zero replied, "However, the Princess said she would speak with the Prime Minister, and I'm sure he will attempt to put conditions before Britannia would accept the idea. I am not so naive as to wholeheartedly believe that this won't come without strings. Thus, unless Britannia's conditions are fair, they are still our enemy."

"So, what are we going to do?" Kira finally asked. "Are we going to have to fight both the Chinese AND the Britannians?"

Lelouch had not pondered that when he agreed to the deal with Euphie. But he had come this far - turning back now was not an option anymore. The only way to go now was forward.

"Tell me…doesn't the corruption and tyranny inherent in your governments sicken you?" the masked prince continued. "The powerful use violence and intimidation to keep the weak in line, all the while sending them out to fight their own battles! It is a sad fact, but we can change it! By creating an independent nation where the strong do not control the weak, the rest of the world may yet follow!"

Zero's speech made the crowd start to stir.

"To finally answer your question, Yamato - yes, we may have to fight them both. It all depends on what they choose to do. But we of DREAM will no longer bow before the whims of any one nation...we will fight for an independent Japan, even if it means taking on the entire world to achieve it!"

The more idealistic members of the crowd, moved by Zero's words, began to cheer, as did the Black Knights. Even Bright, Amuro and Murrue even seemed optimistic. Only Natarle seemed to show any distaste for DREAM's new cause. After all, she was an Alliance soldier, and this reeked of treachery. But at the same time, Zero's speech struck a chord with her somewhere.

Her thoughts were interrupted when alarms started going off like crazy. Meanwhile, Zero received a distressing message from the upper deck.

"Commander Zero! There's something massive going on at the Tokyo Settlement! We have to get over there and back up our forces there!"

"Is Britannia or the Chinese Federation involved?"

"Negative. It's something else!" the operator replied. "It's huge...it's monstrous...it's completely absorbed Tokyo Tower! Please, hurry!"

* * *

No sooner did Mic finish clearing out the Zonder Metal with Disc X than did the entire levitated area begin to quake violently. A massive, sinister purple tower that ultimately stood at over three hundred meters tall began to rise from the very spot where the Memorial Center once stood. The tower was covered with pulsing vein-like tubes, robotic parts, and razor-sharp spikes, all over its form. Once it had reached its full height, the tower started to emanate a strange power. The entire Tokyo Settlement and everything within a quarter-mile of any part of it began to slowly rise into the air as a result of this.

At GGG Bay Island Base, everyone in the operating room was monitoring the situation. It didn't take long for them to discern what it was:

"That's..." Geki gasped.

"There's no mistaking it," Leo said grimly."It's the same being that crash-landed here two years ago..."

"The one that took the lives of my mother and father..." Mikoto said, both shocked and angry that this being would finally rise again.

"...EI-01!" Taiga exclaimed.

* * *

Pizza, Primada and Pinchernone had also been affected by the power of Disc X, but not in the same way that the Zonder Metal was. While they might have been able to withstand it if they were at full strength, they were all beaten down badly by the forces of DREAM. They seemed to be awakening from a long nightmare, but at the same time, they realized what they had been doing.

"My...friends...it seems...we have been freed..." Pizza grunted. "But now, our former master...is entering the field of battle..."

"Yes," Pinchernone, in the form of a massive sea battleship with legs and a single eye, said. "If nothing is done, this entire city will be brought out into space. We must act, or else he shall escape to space and reunite with the other part of his program..."

Primarda tried to push herself up, but was too weak. "If only...we had the strength to...ggh!"

"I will...not be denied...a warrior's death!" Pizza growled as he managed to get to his feet. We must...do what we can..."

Suddenly, a young boy with a drooped hairstyle and six wings like Mamoru approached them. Unlike Mamoru, this boy glowed pink. Pizza smiled when he saw this boy, for he knew him very well.

"Arma...it's good to see you again," he said.

"Yes, it has been too long," Pinchernone replied, shifting back to his monkey-in-a-sailor-suit form.

The boy smiled and held his hands together, and spoke a chant...

"Temperum...mundus...infinitum...ledile!"

Pizza felt the corruption of the Zonder Metal fall away from him as his true form awakened once more...

* * *

_Alright! Next time, it's time for another major series boss! Oh, I'm gonna enjoy writing it...I'll make sure it's extra long too!_


	45. Chapter 31

_First off, I'd like to say "Happy Thanksgiving" to anyone who is reading this soon after it was posted (11/22/2012) that lives in the USA._

_Well, merely four chapters after one major "boss battle", it's time for another! Today, it's DREAM vs. Pasder, aka EI-01! What sort of awesomeness will occur? Read on to find out!_

* * *

**Chapter 31 – ** **Defeat EI-01! Mankind Stands Together!**

All across the Earth Sphere, people watched as Pasder, better known as EI-01, rose from the depths of the Tokyo Settlement and began to levitate it slowly. Even on PLANT and Macross, people stopped and watched in horror and awe at this stupendous event. Even Charles, Muruta, Clovis and Rau Le Creuset couldn't help but gape in stunned amazement.

"PITIFUL WEAKLINGS! YOUR TIME HAS COME!" Pasder laughed. "NOW, WITNESS MY POWER!"

The tower soon began to change - it grew a pair of powerful arms with wicked nails, spikes on its back, and the face of a demon. Its entire body crackled with red energy, which it was absorbing from the Settlement itself. It also called forth a small army of EI copies to serve as its guards. This allowed it to concentrate on lifting the Tokyo Settlement into space.

The other members of DREAM were forced to retreat to the battleships for the time being, which landed in a clear area amongst the ruins of the Settlement. Soon enough, the _Archangel _also arrived, and finally, all of the members of DREAM had gathered. But unlike before, it would be Taiga who would speak, from within the GGG Bay Island Base.

"Heroes of GGG and members of DREAM..." he began, "Now is our chance to put an end to the threat of the Zonderians. Right now, we are the only hope for the Earth Sphere...do not ever forget this. Chinese, European, Japanese, Britannian, Natural, Coordinator...it matters not."

Kira smiled and nodded at this statement.

"At this moment, we are ALL people of the Earth. And as its people, we must not allow EI-01 to escape to outer space. We must all combine our strength to survive this battle! Our only hope for survival...is through victory!"

Guy nodded as well.

"Gutsy Geoid Guard! Members of DREAM! Usage of maximum fighting strength...APPROVED!"

* * *

Primarda, mustering all the energy she could, crawled all the way to the three ships, where preparations were still being made for the battle against EI-01. Arma had reminded her that the pilot of Granlif needed her help...she had a gift from her people that she had held onto for the countless eons that she was thrall to Pasder.

As soon as she stepped out into the open, she was spotted by Gai Murakumo, who drew a gun on her.

"You're one of those Machine Kings, aren't you?" he said coldly. "You've got nerve showing your mug here again."

"No, wait...I mean no harm," Primarda said weakly, the strain of the journey taking a heavy toll on her body. "I must...speak with the pilot of Granlif...before I fade away."

As it happened, Janus and Tara were both close by. They approached her uneasily.

"You are...Granlif's pilot?" she asked.

Janus nodded. What would one of the Four Machine Kings want with him?

"I have been...waiting...to give you...this."

She held out a flat black disc, which Janus took. Tara recognized the disc...it was the same kind that Xemmey's personality was stored on; she wondered what Primarda was doing with something like it.

"My task...is done," the ex-Zonderian sighed with a smile. "Now, I can return to my beloved's side...and sleep for...eternity..." She closed her eyes as her strength gave out, turning to glittering purple dust upon hitting the ground, which blew away with the first wind. With a look of solemn determination, Janus rushed back to his mech to see what Primarda had spent her final moments of life bringing to him.

* * *

"What IS that thing, Lord Schneizel?" Suzaku gasped as he and the prince, as well as Lloyd and Cecilia, looked on from the safety of the _Avalon_.

"EI-01," he answered. "You remember that strange incident two years ago, in the Yokohama area?"

"I think so," Suzaku replied. "Something really big landed in the area, but other than destroying a single house, no other damage was reported."

"I didn't think much of it either," Lloyd added. "Until more like it started appearing all over the world. There was one that attacked the imperial capital one day, but those GGG fellows were nice enough to stop it when our own military couldn't. It's a pity they're mostly Elevens or Honorary Britannians."

"What bothers me right now associated with the Black Knights," the prince commented. "What could have possessed them to work alongside Zero, a known terrorist?"

"Zero could have convinced them," Lloyd guessed. "He IS rather persuasive, that fellow. Still, if DREAM really is going to take this monster on, they might not be so bad after all."

"DREAM would gain nothing from allowing this monster to have its way," Suzaku said with a scowl. "But I bet if they do destroy it by some miracle, they're going to milk it for all its worth. I just know Zero will try that."

* * *

Inside Granlif, Janus immediately noticed that a pedestal had appeared next to the harness he used to control the machine - said pedestal had a slot just big enough to fit the disc. He slipped Primarda's gift into the slot, and the pedestal sunk back into the floor of the cockpit. The entire mech seemed to hum and whir as it processed the incoming data. After a few moments, an image of what appeared to be the floating head of a middle-aged man with a stern expression, unkempt silver hair and piercing gold eyes appeared on one of the screens. His hair style absolutely "wannabe samurai".

"The sword of the beginning has awakened!" the head bellowed loudly.

"Um, hey there," Janus said awkwardly, surprised that his robot's personality was like this.

"You! Are you Janus Olendra, the chosen pilot of this machine?!" the head said in a calmer, but still hot-blooded manner.

"Um...yeah, I guess," Granlif's pilot replied, wondering why he insisted on yelling all the time.

"Good! I am the artificial intelligence of the XNG-0A Granlif! I control all automatic functions of this robot and serve as your assistant in battle!"

"Awesome! Hey, Tara!"

Tara's image appeared onscreen, but she looked busy. "Hey, Jan, can it wait? We've got bigger problems. Problems named EI-01."

"Hey, Tara. You're good with naming things. I want you to name my mecha's personality. You're really awesome with those."

"What's his model number?" Tara asked.

"The machine's model number is XNG-0A!" the floating head answered.

Tara giggled. "That's easy, then. Xengar! Like my birdie's name, but with an X instead of a Z! I named him after a character from one of my favorite mangas!"

"Is that name acceptable, Janus Olendra?!" the head asked.

"Yep," Janus replied with a nod. "You're going to answer to Xengar...X-E-N-G-A-R."

"Data acknowledged and stored!" Xengar replied. "Enough words! We must defeat EI-01 if we are to protect this city! Onward, warriors!" Janus began to wonder if there was a volume control for Xengar.

* * *

It took fifteen more minutes of preparation, but at last, everyone was ready. Unlike before, the enemy's numbers were fewer, but each one was individually stronger. On the other hand, now everyone could participate. It was just as well, since GGG suddenly revealed a new tidbit of information – EI-01 was absorbing all the energy in the Settlement through six primary pipelines, one in each direction except for southeast and northwest. These pipes, GGG's analysis team concluded, needed to be severed before the Zonder behemoth could even be touched. As such, DREAM divided into seven teams, six to handle the pipes, one to keep EI-01's attention.

Team 1 consisted of GaoGaiGar, Volfogg, Mic Sounders, Goldymarg, and ChoRyuJin. They would attack EI-01 directly.

Team 2 consisted of Mazinkaiser, Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger, Grendizer, Drill Spazer, Boss Borot and Aphrodite A. They would tackle the southwest pipe, which was heavily guarded.

Team 3 was made up of Gurren Lagann, Yoko M Tank, King Kittan, Combattler V, Voltes V and Shining Gundam. They would deal with the southern pipe.

Team 4 included the four Aestivalis, EVA Unit 02, and the _Nadesico_. They would work to destroy the eastern pipe.

Team 5 consisted of Londo Bell's three Gundams, Turn A Gundam, SUMO Gold and the _Ra Calium_. They would work on the western pipe.

Team 6 consisted of Diamond Force, Dancougar, and the Black Knights sans Zero, whose new Gawain was undergoing some last-minute tweaks. They would handle the northeastern pipe.

Finally, Team 7 consisted of the leftovers – Granlif, Lifthrasir, Shin Getter, the Strike, the _Archangel_, and the Astray Blue Frame. They would deal with the northern pipe, and would then be the first to back up Team 1.

Fire Bomber, meanwhile, would move between groups to provide support as needed.

The battle was on, and the entire Earth Sphere was watching.

* * *

Athrun, Nicol, Yzak, and Dearka watched the battle unfold before them on ZAFT television as they relaxed on board a ZAFT flying carrier, where the Aegis was undergoing full repairs.

"So, who are you rooting for, Zala?" Dearka asked as he casually munched on some more figs. "I mean, on the one hand, this guy could wipe out all the Naturals for us, and we don't have to do a thing."

"Yeah, that's true," Athrun replied. "But something about this thing...I don't think I've ever felt that something was pure evil...at least, not until just now. It's as if my very heart is telling that this thing has to be defeated...and I'm frustrated that I can't do anything about it."

"I bet that stupid Earth Alliance built this thing themselves..." Yzak quipped derisively. "And they're trying to pass it off as alien just to make themselves look good!"

"If that's the case, then why didn't they send it after us?" Nicol asked. "Why would they destroy their own potential resources for mere public image? All the sakuradite and Japanium in the Mount Fuji area would go to waste."

The news camera suddenly zoomed in on a very familiar ship - the _Archangel_, and then shifted over to show the Strike fighting a copy of EI-02 with the help of the rest of its group.

"Well, what do ya know? The legged ship really is a part of that outfit!" Yzak quipped before turning back to the television. "And there's the Strike! Come on, you stupid monster - rip that traitor to bits!"

"To be honest, I want the Strike to be okay," Nicol said. "I mean, you would seriously root for an alien monster?"

"Hey, the Naturals think of us Coordinators as monsters," Yzak replied, glancing back at the TV. "So I'll root for my fellow monsters then."

Athrun listened silently to the two go back and forth on this matter, but only one thing was on his mind.

_Kira...please, you've got to live._

* * *

"Target sighted," Kallen said with a grin as she spotted the northeastern pipe, which was more like a great vein-covered tentacle. "Kyoshiro, Gamlin, keep 'em busy! Time for us to cut this guy off, 'cause he's had WAY too much to drink!"

"Roger," Kyoshiro answered. He wheeled his Gekka around a corner, and bounded up onto a copy of EI-06, and slashed at it, the spinning blade he wielded piercing its heavy armor before leaping off again. Gamlin then swooped in and let fly a torrent of missiles, blasting a huge hole in the monstrosity.

Gamlin squinted as he spurred his Variable Fighter down. As he neared the Zonder, he switched to its Battroid mode and landed inside the machine. Upon landing, he started firing everything in his arsenal, causing the copy to start exploding. He reappeared from out of the same hole just in time to avoid the explosion.

Kallen, meanwhile, reached the pipe. She quickly jammed the Guren's energy claw into the pipe, and gripped hard. Being metallic and liquid filled, the pipe quickly began to overload and collapse. For good measure, she quickly sliced the pipe in two.

"This is Kallen. Northeastern pipeline has been cut."

"FULL DRILLIZER!"

The dozens of drill-tipped missiles shot from Gurren Lagann annihilated a copy of EI-13, while Yoko and Kittan pounded down a copy of EI-15.

"Man, this is a hoot!" Kittan whooped. "I haven't been this excited since we beat Lordgenome!"

"I could hardly call these kinds of foes exciting," Domon said as Shining Gundam crushed the head of a copy of EI-10 with its Shining Finger. "They're nothing but mindless monsters. Give me a skilled Gundam Fighter any day."

"Guys, pipeline dead ahead," Yoko informed the others. "Let's leave these jokers in the dust and cut the flow to EI-01!" She took aim with her Gunman, and let several shells fly, making holes in the tentacle.

"We'll finish it!" Hyoma called out. "C'mon, Kenichi!"

"TENKUU KEN!"

"CHOUDENJI SPIIIIIIIINN!"

The two robots struck in perfect unison, ripping the tentacle to shreds.

"Hey, guys! All done here in the southern section!" Kosuke said into the communicator.

* * *

"Eat this, you big creep!" Asuka cried as she lunged at a copy of EI-22, jamming her progressive knife into its central eye before picking it up and smashing it into a nearby building.

"Asuka, enough damage has been caused already!" Akatsuki scolded her. "There's no need to cause more!"

"Don't get your undies in a knot, squirt!" the Evangelion pilot retorted. "The pipeline was attached to it anyway." She grabbed hold of the large tentacle, and stabbed it repeatedly.

"That's not how you cut something up!" Akito yelled. "You're being sloppy!"

"Now is not the time for cooking lessons, Tenkawa!" Ryoko shouted as her Aestivalis drew its knife and helped Asuka out. The other Aestivalis pilots also joined in, and soon wrecked the pipe beyond any obvious repair.

"This is the eastern squad. Pipeline has been nicely fileted! BAM!" Izumi said over the communicator. "Hey, Yurika, how about a Gravity Blast to tenderize it?"

"Um...when did this suddenly become a grill?" Yurika asked. "I'm confused."

_Idiot..._ Ruri thought.

* * *

And so the battle went. Each of the teams managed to sever the pipelines that Pasder was using to fuel his might.

Yet none of them realized that Pasder wasn't at all worried. They were merely delaying the inevitable, even though they were destroying the Zonder Robo copies he had called forth. At the moment though, he was occupied with dealing with GGG, who was struggling to pierce the barrier he was using to protect his main body.

"TOOL CONNECTO!"

GaoGaiGar flew at EI-01, with the Dimension Pliers, in hopes of ripping the barrier out of existence. But with a simple sharp focusing of its mind, he blew the King of Braves off of him, shattering the Pliers as he did.

"Impossible...he stopped a dimensional rift..." Volfogg gasped.

Pasder's next move was the most shocking. With a mere thought, the pipelines that the other six groups had fought so hard to sever simply regenerated, and then, all at once, he drew the entire energy supply of the Tokyo Settlement into himself. This also caused countless tiny shards of metal to began levitating.

The jewel on his forehead then began to shine. Guy instinctively raised GaoGaiGar's Protect Shade, but even that was no use...the massive data processing power Pasder now possessed was able to set a trajectory for a purple beam. It completely avoided the barrier, blasting pieces off of the mech.

"Fools. Your pitiful resistance ends here."

With a single wave of Pasder's hand, every member of DREAM that wasn't airborne was immediately struck by a massive shockwave, knocking them. The lasers he fired and reflected off the countless aluminum shards, meanwhile, had equally ravaged DREAM's air power. And then, as if to kick them while they were down, he began to leech their energy out of their mechs. For most of them, this was more frustrating than anything else, but for Guy, whose very life depended on the G-Stone powering his cyborg body, death was a very real possibility...

* * *

At GGG's Bay Island Base, the support crew could gaze in horror and despair at everything that was going on. Guy's face came on screen. He was bleeding and bruised badly, but the look of determination never left his eyes.

"Please...I beg you...launch Projectile X. Do that...and I can promise you...victory..."

The feed of Guy cut out as the signal died. Everyone in the room wore faces of horror, frustration and grief. But even then, Leo Shishioh would not give up. Not on his only son.

"Chief...everyone...we must believe in Guy and in DREAM," Leo said. "At this moment, the only way to surpass the enemy's power...is with Projectile X. No other way exists!" Taiga considered this for a moment, and then nodded.

"I agree. In this dark hour, it's a risk I'm willing to take. We've come this far...to let EI-01 win now would be nothing short of betraying the entire human race." The rest of the team nodded. Seeing everyone's approval, Leo turned to some screens covered with numerous strips of tape and ripped them off, causing the systems controlling Projectile X to start up.

"The seals have been removed! Let's see...all parts are normal, and the GS-Booster is ready!"

"Coordinates are set;" Kosuke said as he furiously typed. "Adjusting launch angle..."

"All preparations complete!" Leo called out.

"Good. Projectile X...LAUNCH, APPROVED!" Taiga bellowed.

"Roger!"

Leo punched one of the glass panels next to the central screen, and then the other. Alarms went off through the facility as the massive shell was launched...

* * *

"There. That should do it," Rakshata said as she made some final adjustments to the Gawain. "It's rather short notice, but I think this should work." The scientist was going to try using Gefjun Disturbers to focus the beams of the Gawain's hadron cannons and prevent their spreading effect.

"Good. Prepare to launch the Gawain," Zero said. Since his face couldn't be seen from the outside, he had no need to wear his mask. "I'm not going to sit back and let my allies die."

Sitting with him this time was C.C., who handled the piloting, while he sat above and behind her, and would handle the weapons, as well as the third important operational element – the Druid System, a powerful computer designed to examine and determine probable enemy movements, as well as calculate incoming projectile direction.

"Are you sure you want to risk such a rare unit in battle against an enemy like EI-01?" C.C. asked. "DREAM has a tendency to come back with a burst of strength at the last moment."

"We can't depend on such things every time, C.C.," Lelouch answered as the Gawain was moved into position. "At the very least, my presence should boost the troops' morale."

"All set, Commander," one of the _Kuro_'s operators said.

"Excellent. Gawain, LAUNCHING!"

* * *

The large Knightmare Frame blasted out of the catapult on the _Kuro_, and moved at full speed towards EI-01, who had managed to levitate the city up nearly a mile at this point. But the Gawain's Float System was working just fine. It didn't take long at all for the Frame to catch Pasder's attention. This was good, as the Gawain's scanners detected Projectile X out in the distance.

It had to be some sort of secret weapon – he just needed to stall EI-01 long enough for it to land.

"What's this? Another puny weakling dares to challenge me?" Pasder said with a laugh.

"I am Zero," Lelouch answered. "Defender of the weak, agent of justice, and bane of tyrants like you. I won't allow you to have your way any longer!"

"That self-righteousness won't save you from my power!" the alien bellowed. "Die!"

As soon as Pasder launched his beam, the Druid System, which nearly matched even the computing power the Zonder, was quickly able to calculate the trajectory of the beam. With Lelouch's own keen intellect, he was able to anticipate where Pasder's shot was going to come from, even accounting for the aluminum bouncing the beam.

"What?! Impossible!" the Zonderian cried when his attack missed. "How could you anticipate my attack angle?!"

"Like we'd tell you," C.C. replied with a smirk. "Let's see if we can pierce that barrier, Zero."

"Right...HADRON CANNONS, SHOOT!"

The Gawain quickly charged and fired its twin hadron cannons. Unlike before, the blasts were concentrated streams. And unlike every other attack that DREAM had thrown at Pasder, pierced his barrier as if it wasn't even there.

"IMPOSSIBLE? HOW DID YOU GET PAST MY BARRIER?!"

"Our hadron cannons fire streams of super-energized subatomic particles," C.C. said, "Which are small enough to pass through just about anything, if I'm not mistaken."

"Then I won't let you fire again!" Pasder roared. He lunged at the Gawain with his arms, only for the Frame to dodge downward, its pilots having anticipated the attack. After doing this, the two heard a loud crash...Projectile X had landed right near Teams 1 and 7, exactly where it needed to land.

Guy, meanwhile, got GaoGaiGar to its feet and started making its way to the device, with the other GGG members close at hand.

"Zero, thank you!" Guy called up to Lelouch. "Please stall him a little longer."

"Don't think that machine will save you, weaklings!" the Zonderian roared. He prepared to fire another beam, but was struck by another hadron cannon blast.

Also swooping in came Basara, who had avoided the worst of Pasder's assault.

"Hey, EI-01! LISTEN TO MY SONG!"

He immediately started belting out, to everyone's surpise, NOT one of the songs Fire Bomber had sung, but instead, the song stored on Disc P:

_Nemura nai machi neboketa Freedom  
Itami naki jidai itsuwari no yuutopia  
_

GGG, even within the thick walls of Projectile X, could just barely make out Basara's singing – though in truth, it was the power of Spiritia permeating everything in the vicinity. But that was soon drowned out by the hum of the machine as numerous green lights turned on.

_Ima, atsuku naru toki same ta kokoro kogase  
Ima, arashi yobu toki saa yami kirihirake  
_

Janus and Tara awoke to the sound of Basara's voice, and almost immediately felt themselves re-energized. Not only that, it was affecting their mechs - the projects of Xemmey and Xengar started bobbing their heads to the beat.

_Fight it out taikutsu na mainichi ni keri tsukete  
Fight it out tai no naka hageshiku kake meguru Power  
_

"Grrrr...Curse you, Anima Spiritia!" Pasder roared as he swatted at Basara. "How dare you get in my way AGAIN?!" While it didn't damage his systems as Mic's Disc M or X could, the catchiness of the song made it difficult for the Zonderian to focus and aim properly. Meanwhile, even Mic was starting to come around, and he started following along with Basara's playing using Disc P, heightening the effects of the music.

_Desire azayaka ni Desire maiagare ima  
Desire jikuu wo koe Desire mabushiku odore  
_

Inside Projectile X, Guy turned to his companions, who stood in a circle with him.

"Everyone, you all realize what may happen if we do this," he said calmly but grimly as GaoGaiGar put its hand in the middle of the circle. ChoRyuJin put his hand atop GaoGaiGar's.

"We're prepared, Captain," the fused robot said.

_Fight it out masshiro na kodoku wo nuritsubushite  
Fight it out yakedo suru you na iro ni someru Power  
_

"This is our desire," Volfogg replied, placing his hand atop ChoRyuJin's.

"Yeah, let's do this!" Golydmarg cheered, placing his hand atop Volfogg's.

_Desire azayaka ni Desire maiagare ima  
Desire jikuu wo koe Desire mabushiku odore_

Basara's singing was revitalizing and charging up every member of DREAM who was in this battle...Even the usually calm Zero and C.C. got excited by the music.

_Desire azayaka ni Desire maiagare ima  
Desire jikuu wo koe Desire mabushiku odore_

"For the defeat of EI-01!" the four said in unison. The machine started whirring louder, and the green lights shined brighter. The four were bathed in an extraordinary amount of G-Stone energy, powering their GS Rides to previously unattainable levels...and that was before the Spiritia permeating the area. Their bodies began to turn the same green color as the G-Stones that powered them.

* * *

Just as Basara and Mic finished the song, Projectile X blasted apart, saturating the area with a mixture of Spiritia and G-Stone energy. A massive column of green energy blazed into the heavens at the spot where Projectile X had landed, piercing the storm clouds.

Meanwhile, Granlif and Lifthrasir got a gigantic dose of said energy due to their close proximity to the machine. But the two mechs began to glow a brilliant white instead of green.

On both of their screens, a strange, esoteric symbol appeared. It consisted of eleven circles arranged in a vaguely tree-like shape, with lines connecting each. Strange letters they had never seen before also appeared. They noted that the lowest circles in the formation were filled in.

"Enumerations one through four, online..." Xemmey and Xengar chanted in unison. "Malkuth, Netzach, Yesod and Hod permissions confirmed...releasing secondary seal..."

Granlif and Lifthrasir's golden fiber wings changed to look more like proper feathered wings. Besides that and a constant silvery glow, they didn't change drastically. However, the two mechs' power levels were now on par with the super-charged GGG.

But even without a sudden and mysterious upgrade, everyone's mechs started running at full throttle. This sight, of course, didn't worry Pasder at all.

"Fools! No amount of G-Stone power can match the power of the Zonder! BEHOLD!" Pasder let out a great roar, and the purple aura surrounding him grew larger. In response, GGG's green aura quickly rose to match it. The Zonderian scowled.

Inside GaoGaiGar, Guy had a serious expression that could only begin to reveal the sheer amount of furious courage flowing through him, itching to explode out all at once...a tranquil fury of sorts. But in a single cry, he let out a hot-blooded cry unlike anything ever heard before.

"LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The four GGG mechs charged forward with far greater speed than was usually possible – leaving afterimages in their wake. Granlif and Lifthrasir looked up at EI-01 before dipping into portals formed beneath them.

_ES Windows? No...those are Thresholds! Could it possibly be them?_

His thoughts were interrupted by a raging Guy colliding with his barrier, with GaoGaiGar's right fist spinning rapidly, twisting and warping the wall of power. Volfogg, ChoRyuJin, and Goldymarg were also pushing hard against the barrier.

Pasder could only stare in bafflement before GaoGaiGar broke through and smashed into his chest. Volfogg sprang high into the air and unleashed an extremely powerful Melting Siren, which shorted out the Zonderian's barrier.

It was then that Granlif and Lifthrasir reappeared and started their own attacks.

* * *

The thousand-foot colossus writhed and swatted blindly as he was struck from every angle. Empowered by this turning of the tables as well as the residual G-Stone power and Spiritia, the rest of DREAM began to converge on EI-01, and unleash their own assaults. They were like a pack of wolves attacking a bison, using their attacks to weaken and pin Pasder down. The GGG crew gaped in awe at this sight.

"This is the power of Projectile X...incredible..." Taiga gasped, awestruck by this display of unbelievable might.

"When two opposing energies meet," Leo said grimly. "They cancel each other out...but the stronger energy shall remain!"

* * *

There was one thing that DREAM was unable to do in spite of their great effort...expose the Zonderian's core. He was regenerating far too quickly. But then Tara and Janus simultaneously figured out a solution. They did something they had never done before...they opened a Threshold directly ON Pasder, using the very power in his body to stabilize its form. This left an opening in his chest, exposing the core. However, the monstrosity started to force it closed through sheer willpower. Tara and Janus had to focus their portal cannons on the spot to keep it open.

"Guy!" Janus yelled.

"Finish this freak off!" Tara yelled.

"GOLDYMARG!"

"YEAH!"

GaoGaiGar readied the Goldion Hammer once more, just as Pasder let out another shockwave to force everyone else back. He then thrust his hand out, creating a barrier to stop the incoming hammer. The two titanic forces struggled against each other.

Cracks formed in GaoGaiGar's weapon. Pasder chuckled at this, assuming victory was his.

But he suddenly let out another cry of pain as several of DREAM's sturdier members launched another attack on him. His entire arm shattered, and GaoGaiGar, now blazing with power, began to dissolve the Zonderian's body.

"EI-01! HIKARI NI NARE! TEH-YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH H!"

Pasder disappeared in a massive blaze of golden glory, unable to withstand GaoGaiGar's full power, and the Settlement gently returned to its original place.

The world let out a great cheer at DREAM's victory. For a few moments, there was no difference between Japanese, Britannians, Chinese, Europeans, or even Natural and Coordinators. There was only mankind.

But even that did not stop the plotters and schemers of the world from getting right back to their usual affairs...

* * *

"The purple devil who claims kinship to the Angels has fallen," spoke SELEE member 07.

"The warriors of the G-Stone are surely going to be as bothersome as those accursed Evangelions," 06 said.

"But it is the existence of the Thresholds, not the G-Stone," 04 argued, "that is causing the prophecies to go awry."

"Indeed, 04," 15 agreed. "The Angels are appearing out of order, Tabris has forsaken his mission, and the Children are becoming far too strong."

"At this rate, everything will fall apart!" 11 cried.

"Peace, SEELE," 00 boomed. "There is still time. The world is about to be thrown into chaos...and it will begin in Area 11."

"00, who is one with God, has spoken!" 01 said. "His words have never failed us! The time has come for us to play our hand, for we cannot allow DREAM to have its way. We must remember that we collectively hold the reins of destiny over the entire Earth Sphere, and can manipulate it as we need - no masked self-proclaimed messiah will deny us what the scrolls have said will be rightfully ours!"

* * *

Unbeknownst to the world, a single piece of Pasder roughly the size of a small boulder had managed to escape into orbit over the Earth. While the rest of his body had been destroyed, the menace chuckled evilly, knowing that his mission had been accomplished. Now all he had to do was wait.

And he didn't have to wait long...from a distance came what appeared to be a human-sized, child-like clown with a conical hat, gold eyes, green hair and a colorful outfit, balanced on a ball of some sort. But this was no mere clown...it was his other half.

The clown paused before the boulder, opened up its mouth like a snake about to swallow something much larger around than it, and sucked up the piece of Pasder.

"Information collection...complete."

The clown licked its ruby-red lips as it processed the data. Its neutral expression turned to a frown.

"Presence of Threshold and basic Sephirot technology detected...threat level increased to 7. Recalculating attack plan..."

* * *

"Schneizel, why do you continue to bother me with these trivial affairs when I'm doing my research with Shapiro?!" Charles roared as Schneizel started to report to him the latest goings-on in the Empire while the Emperor was still perusing the same ancient scrolls as before. But after the battle with Pasder was over, the Prime Minister had met with Euphemia in regards to the plan for granting Japan its gradual independence.

"But father, it's about Euphemia..." he began.

"I'll listen to him, Your Majesty," Shapiro interrupted. "That's why you keep around, don't you?"

"Very good. Report the details to me later," the Emperor said. He got up and entered another side chamber, where he could read in peace. Shapiro turned to Schneizel.

"Well, what is my dear wife-to-be trying now?" the pink-haired man chuckled.

"She wants to gradually release Area 11 from direct Britannian rule. Today she presented a surprisingly well-thought out plan for it. Apparently she's more intelligent than we give her credit for. I decided to see if it could be implemented in a way that benefits both parties."

Shapiro broke out into uproarious laughter at this statement.

"Oh, Schneizel, you really need to come up with better jokes," Shapiro said as he composed himself. "You honestly think we're going to just hand those vermin their country back?!"

"That's essentially what we're doing," the prince said in a matter-of-fact way. "Not all at once, of course."

"You're...not joking, are you?" Shapiro said, now in disbelief. "You're REALLY going to hand over the Area that was promised to ME back to those...worms?!"

"I've delivered my message. Good day to you, brother-in-law." With that, the connection was severed. Shapiro could only stand in the dark, fuming with hatred.

_Zero...Euphemia...Schneizel...DREAM...you all stand in the way of my destiny! For your impudence, I'll see to it that all of Area 11 is either worshiping me as the god that I am or is burnt to a cinder!_

* * *

_Well, it didn't turn out quite as long as I had hoped. But then again, it was pretty much nothing BUT the battle with Pasder. Also, yes, there are going to be a lot of Kabbalah references. I mean, I've got both Evangelion and more traditional angels in my fic for crying out loud! But anyway, it's gonna be Gundam SEED and Code Geass for the next few chapters. Stay tuned!_


	46. Chapter 32

_After so many harrowing battles, let's give DREAM some much needed rest, relaxation and celebration! Today we'll continue with Code Geass!_

* * *

**Chapter 32 – Party Time! Declaration at the School Festival**

In spite of everything that had happened, Ashford Academy had gotten out relatively unscathed. Nunnally's battle with Polonaise did destroy the stone pavilion intended for the annual school festival, but it was nothing Boss Borot couldn't fix.

What was more, the incident with Pasder seemed to bring all other conflicts on the Earth itself to a halt. Britannia and the Chinese Federation agreed to a ceasefire, as did the European Union in its own conflict with Britannia. Meanwhile the members of the would-be Sawasaki regime, which had been supported by the Chinese Federation, were utterly snuffed out by the rise of Pasder...the Fukuoku Base was wiped off the map.

Zero couldn't attend to these matters because he had other things to attend to...in particular, because Lelouch Lamperouge was getting detention for being absent so often and for so long.

That went for quite a few people also involved with DREAM - Koji, Sayaka, Asuka, Janus, Tara, Boss, Nuke, Mucha, and even Kallen; even Shinji and Rei, who were still recovering from their injuries, had to held back. Of course, the teacher knew little, if anything, about their membership in DREAM. Suzaku, even as Euphemia's Knight, was accountable for his constant absences.

As the teacher ranted on about how they would have to repeat a year even in spite of their good grades, Lelouch was scribbling away in his notebook as he pondered the situation with a smug smile.

_Everything is almost too perfect. EI-01 was a menace to the Earth Sphere as a whole...and thanks to DREAM and the Black Knights, the rebellion has been granted great legitimacy. And with negotiations about Euphie's plan underway, I may not even have to go through with my plan!_

Lelouch frowned.

_No, I can't be so naive. People can easily be tricked into believing something that is obviously not true in spite of contradicting evidence. Besides, there's still the matter as to what conditions Schneizel will have on the deal. I have to assume they'll keep the situation the same as it is now for the time being, and simply move forward..._

* * *

"Excuse me, Miss Mikamura?" Leo Shishioh asked as he approached Rain, who was chatting it up with Kira and Ruri. The members of DREAM who didn't attend Ashford gathered at GGG's Bay Island Base for a celebration party.

"Yes?"

"Now that EI-01 has been dealt with, our team was able to spend some extra time working on Miss Hoshino's request. She asked me to give the results to you once the work was completed."

"A request, Ruri?" Rain asked, wondering what Ruri had asked GGG to do. Leo grinned and pulled the sealed vial of DG Cells out of his pocket. But they were no longer that dark green color they had originally been - they were now colored like white gold.

"Remember those DG Cells I found?" Ruri answered. "Well, I pondered the idea of having them reprogrammed. They are tiny computers, after all."

"There was a lot of nasty code to remove, but not even malicious code can stand up to the power of the G-Stone!" Leo said proudly as he handed her the vial. "These 'DG Cells' will no longer respond to the commands of the Devil Gundam that plagues your world...but their ability to self-recover, self-adapt and self-evolve remains intact! I've already given these little marvels a new name: 3G Cells!"

"3G Cells...I actually like that," Rain said happily. "Does this particular sample have any special function?"

"Indeed it does. This batch serves as a supremely effective treatment for wounds, even those that could otherwise be fatal! Of course, it can't regenerate lost body parts, but I'm sure it will still be a great boon to the field of medicine. Use it on someone you feel needs it most."

Rain smiled and pocketed the vial. "Thank you, Dr. Shishioh."

"Don't thank me, it was little Ruri's idea!" the old scientist said, patting Ruri on the head.

* * *

The next morning was the big day - the Ashford School Festival. Unlike pretty much any other public event in the entire Tokyo Settlement, this annual festival was open to all - Japanese, Britannian, European, it didn't matter one bit. And with people looking for respite from the tragedy of the previous day, anyone who was willing and able to come, did. What was more, Ashford Academy happily agreed to serve as a place for those who had lost their homes to the Zonder Metal Plant and Pasder to get supplies such as food, water, clothing and other important supplies. Even those who lived across the ocean in Britannia proper were donating food.

Two people who had agreed to help out with the charity effort were Guy and Mikoto. The man was known fairly well as the pilot of GaoGaiGar, which had delivered the final blow to Pasder, and had thus become a great hero in the eyes of the oppressed Japanese, his renown rivaling that of Suzaku himself.

"Guy! Lookie! Lookie at what I got!" a young Japanese boy cheered. He was clutching a GaoGaiGar action figure that some company in the Militarized Zone of India was manufacturing as part of a merchandising deal with GGG.

"That's neat," Guy said pleasantly. "It looks just like the real GaoGaiGar."

"Look, it even does Broken Magnum!"

The boy pressed a button on the toy's back, causing the hand to fly off, though it accidentally headed toward Mikoto. Guy quickly snatched it in mid-flight and handed it back to him.

"You be careful with that," Guy gently warned the boy. "I don't want you or anyone else getting their eye put out, okay?" The cyborg then handed the boy's mother one of hundreds of large boxes of supplies stacked behind them.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Shishioh," the woman said with a heartfelt bow. "What you've done for us is a debt we may never be able to fully repay. We're so lucky that our home is still intact."

"Your thanks are more than enough, miss," the cyborg answered. "Besides, GGG's Carpenters will be able to repair the damage in no time! Now go on and enjoy the festival!"

"Awesome!" the boy cheered as he started off into the crowd. "You're really awesome, Guy!" The boy's mother followed after him, calling for him to slow down.

* * *

"You guys are awesome for agreeing to play at the Festival, Mr. Nekki," Milly said gratefully as she, Rivalz, and Shirley watched the band unpack their instruments. "We can't even begin to thank you enough!"

"Yeah!" Rivalz added excitedly. "We've already broken our all-time attendance record twice over, and it's only mid-morning! If it wasn't for GGG contributing their own funds and resources, we wouldn't be able to accommodate nearly this many people!"

"The more people that can listen to my song, the better!" Basara replied. "Besides, I've never done a concert like this before. It'll be a new experience!"

"Yes, and all of our friends from DREAM will be there!" Mylene innocently said. At this, everyone's eyebrows went up with surprise, while the other band members groaned. The band members had agreed to keep their affiliation with that group just between themselves and their fellow DREAMers.

"You're...with DREAM?" Rivalz exclaimed. "That group working for the Earth Alliance that the Black Knights are affiliated with?"

"Well," Ray stammered, "Um...uh..."

"So what? You didn't see Zero's heroic stand against that hideous monster?" Mylene answered indignantly. "While I can't say I approve of his methods, I know he's a good person at heart! Why else would he have taken that thing on in single combat?"

"...You know, I never thought about it that way," Milly said thoughtfully. "I should really try to consider both sides of the story like you do. After all, I am trying to become a journalist. Anyway, we just wanted to pop by and say hello, so go ahead and do whatever you need to do to prepare.

"Yeah, and don't worry," Shirley added. "Your secret is safe with us!"

* * *

C.C. had been awoken by all the noise that was going on. Donning a student's uniform, she walked around, seeing what there was to see. As she did so, she overheard words that were absolutely music to her ears.

The largest pizza in the world.

To her, pizza was the food of the gods - she couldn't have enough of it. The puffy crust, the sweet but tangy sauce, the gooey cheese and the endless variety of possible toppings were one of the few joys in C.C.'s existence - an existence that had lasted for centuries, thanks to the Code embedded in her forehead.

As she wandered around, the girl saw someone whose appearance she could never forget - the man called Pizzaro, or just Pizza. But this time, he looked somewhat different. His clothing was noticeably brighter, save for his pants, which were no longer fringed. His skin was also a healthier-looking color. But there was no mistaking that nose...it had to be him. Walking next to him was a purple-haired boy with extremely long bangs that seemed to defy gravity. He wore a dark purple shirt, a white coat and a red pendant on a gold chain.

"I'm surprised to see you again, Pizza," C.C. said. "Who's your friend?"

"Kaidou Ikumi," the boy replied calmly. "I understand you and 'Pizza' here know each other."

"We met once before," C.C. replied. "But tell me, are you here for the world's largest pizza as well?"

"Actually, yes," Pizza replied with a smile. "If I heard correctly, the oven being used to make it will be over in that direction." He pointed to the direction C.C. had just come from. "Why don't you come with us?"

C.C. smiled, and the trio walked towards the oven together, eager to have a bite of the world's largest pizza.

* * *

Unbeknownst to all but a small few, Princess Euphemia had chosen to come to the festival. However, due to the size of the crowd, they had to enter through an alternate entrance. Disguised in a hat, sunglasses and a tourist's jacket, and accompanied by a pair of similarly dressed bodyguards, the princess wandered about the grounds. She wanted to speak with Nunnally and tell her the wonderful news.

She found her with Kaworu and Shinji, hanging out in a less-crowded area. They all seemed to be having a pleasant chat. It would be very tricky to get Nunnally away from them without blowing her cover.

But as soon as the red-eyed boy met her gaze, he knew exactly who she was. Kaworu turned to Nunnally, and gently touched her shoulder to get her attention. Meanwhile, he surreptitiously extended an AT Field that stretched all the way to Euphemia's position. That way, no one could hear them talking.

"Nunnally, isn't that the person you said was coming to visit?" Kaworu said, pretending not to know that the person in question was Euphie

"Oh, yes!" the girl replied. She waved to her sister, beckoning her to come closer. She approached, smiling pleasantly. Shinji looked a little puzzled. She looked very familiar, yet he couldn't place her.

But Kaworu, knowing no one could hear them, answered his question.

"Hello, Princess Euphemia," he said as soon as she was close enough. "I'm so glad to finally meet Nunnally-chan's older sister." Euphie, Nunnally, and Shinji gasped.

"Wait...Nunnally...you're a princess?" Shinji exclaimed in a loud whisper, not aware that he could be as loud as he wanted and none would hear him. The two bodyguards, seeing this, tried to enter the area, but were stopped by the AT Field.

Nunnally sighed and nodded. With the truth finally out in the open, there was no point in hiding it anymore.

"Yes...my real name is Nunnally vi Britannia, and my big brother is really Lelouch vi Britannia. My brother and I are the two children of the late Empress Marianne vi Britannia."

"Nunnally," Kaworu asked, "Would you like to be alone with your sister?"

"No. You two are among my dearest friends. Please, come with us...if that's all right with you, Euphie?"

Euphie smiled and nodded. She didn't mind if a few Elevens heard the good news.

* * *

Kaworu, Shinji and the two princesses quietly left the festival grounds and went to Nunnally's dorm room. Sayako, the caretaker and maid of the two royal exiles, prepared drinks for the four.

While the boy-Angel was calm and courteous as always, Shinji was a nervous wreck, even though he tried his hardest to not show it.

"So, did you get my last letter?" Nunnally asked. Euphie took a sip of tea and nodded.

"I actually thought long and hard about it," Nunnally's sister replied, "And I figured out the perfect way for us to be a family again! I even had Schneizel help to iron out the details!" Euphie looked over at Kaworu and Shinji, who were listening intently.

"All right, you ready? I'm going to declare the entire area within a hundred miles of the Tokyo Settlement to be a 'Specially Administrated Zone'! Elevens will be able to call themselves Japanese again within the Zone, and they'll have the same rights as Britannians do!"

"That's wonderful!" Nunnally said joyously.

"Oh, it gets better," Euphie continued,. "We'll install a temporary government that will oversee reparations and rebuilding. Once Japan is back on its feet, the people will pick who will run the new government, at which point it will be completely independent!"

"A democracy...that's very daring, Euphemia-sama," Kaworu said, taking a sip of tea. "I take it your father isn't too happy about losing part of his empire, though."

"If my father refuses, then I'll make him understand, Kaworu," Euphie said, the Geass taking effect once again. "I'm not going to back down from this...not now, not ever! Nunnally, Zero and I vowed that we would help Japanese and Britannians to live in peace together, even if it takes me the rest of my life.""

"Zero? The terrorist?" Nunnally said, rather concerned.

"Zero? Oh...actually, he was all for my idea," the older princess reassured her after snapping back to her usual self. "He agreed that he would disband the Black Knights and work as part of the Zone's temporary government...apparently he was only using force because he felt there was no other option."

"Yeah, but...if wouldn't your family, I dunno, disown you?" Shinji asked.

"I've prepared for that possibility as well," Euphie answered before finishing her cup of tea. "I'm going to cede my claim to the throne as part of the deal."

"You really want this, don't you, Princess?" Kaworu said after a moment of silence. "I admire your resolve." Euphemia smiled as Sayako poured her another cup.

* * *

"And now, ladies and gentlemen," Rivalz, who was dressed in a pink apron and chef's hat, announced over a microphone as he stood near something large covered by a sheet, which was front of a massive oven. "The time is just about right to begin the making of the WORLD'S LARGEST PIZZAAAAA!"

The crowd let out an excited cheer.

"The ingredients are all set and ready to go, so now, it's time to meet our master chef...please give a big round of applause for Ashford's very own Boooooss Borooooooot!

"Today, he'll be piloted by Ashford's very own dress-code monitor and Princess Euphemia's Knight, SUZAKUUUUU KURURUGIIIIIII!"

The sheet was pulled off, revealing Boss Borot, already adorned with a white apron, chef's hat, and a curly, comical mustache right where one's nose might be. But the usual suspects weren't piloting the mech. Instead, Suzaku sat in Boss' position, Akito sat where Nuke usually was, and Boss himself occupied Mucha's normal spot. Akito was there to serve as the cooking expert (at Kallen's suggestion), and Suzaku's great coordination was required to toss the dough. As soon as light poured into the cockpit, Boss grabbed the small microphone. Meanwhile, Suzaku used Boss Borot to start flattening the massive pile of dough at incredible speed.

"HELLO-AH, EVERYONE!" Boss yelled comically, doing his silliest Italian accent while using the Brittanian language. "IMMA DE CHEF BOSSA BOROT, AND I MAKE-A YOU DE BEST AND BIGGEST PIZZA YOU EVER TASTE!"

Suzaku could only snicker at how corny Boss sounded as he managed to finish flattening out the dough. He then picked up the pie and started tossing it into the air.

"Okay, Suzaku...to get to the optimum width and crust thickness," Akito instructed, "you need to toss and catch it exactly 20 times. But don't throw it too hard!"

"Geez, take it easy..." Suzaku said. "I know what I'm doing."

Boss Borot started tossing the pizza up, and skillfully catching as it came back down and occasionally twirling it on Boss Borot's finger. Meanwhile, Boss himself started to play a recording of a little tune he, Nuke and Mucha had composed and sung:

_Ha Yoi yoi yoito sa-sa-sa!  
Here I come, mighty as any man can be (Sore!)  
I'm the king of comedy, loved by everybody (Dokkoisho! Dokkoisho!)  
Even if hordes of foes come our way  
Like a barricade, I'll be here to save the day (Ha! Dokkoisho! Dokkoisho!)  
I'm the coolest man in all the land  
Borot is my name, and guts is my game  
Ha! Yoito yoito sa-sa-sa!  
_

To Rivalz' surprise, some people in the crowd started to bob their heads up and down to the music.

_Ha Yoi yoi yoito sa-sa-sa!  
Here I come, cool as any man can be (Choi!)  
I carry people's hopes and expectations in me (Dokkoisho! Dokkoisho!)  
As I hurtle through a throng of foes  
I'll show you my skill and my will of steel (Ha! Dokkoisho! Dokkoisho!)  
Even across the globe, I am great just the same  
Borot is my name, and guts is my game  
Ha! Yoito yoito sa-sa-sa!  
_

More and more of the crowd started to get caught by the catchiness of the music, including C.C., Pizza, and Kaidou.

_Ha Yoi yoi yoito sa-sa-sa!  
Here I come, brave and bold as any man can be (Sore!)  
Any ideas that reach me, new weapons they will be (Dokkoisho! Dokkoisho!)  
Hear their bones crunch with my Hammer Punch  
If I don't do it, who else will (Ha! Dokkoisho! Dokkoisho!)  
I am a man of world-renowned fame  
Borot is my name, and guts is my game  
Ha! Yoito yoito sa-sa-sa!_

As the last lyric resounded, Suzaku allowed the dough to land safely on the massive pan it had been resting on. The crowd let out a great cheer.

"NOW THATSA FINE-A LOOKIN' PIZZA, AH?!" Boss asked loudly. The crowd cheered again.

* * *

The carrier where the Zala team was staying was resting in the water behind an island just west of Area 11. The Aegis' repairs were complete, but to everyone's surprise, all ZAFT forces in the area were ordered to remain on standby for further instructions. Apparently, the incident with EI-01 had convinced the PLANT Supreme Council to temporarily cease their campaign on Earth as part of a ceasefire.

Athrun himself sat on the deck, watching the surf and the wildlife go by as he ruminated over his situation. After a few minutes of silence, he heard someone approach him - his subordinate and teammate, Nicol.

"Hey, there's a school of flying fish just off the port side!" the green-haired Coordinator said excitedly. "Let's go see!"

"No...I don't feel like it," Athrun replied with a sigh.

"If you're worried, don't be," Nicol replied after a moment. "I believe in you, Athrun...erm...I mean, Commander."

They started talking about different things, and eventually, they came to an unusual subject.

"Nicol...why did you enlist? Of course, if you don't want to talk about it..."

"It's okay," Nicol reassured him. "I guess I joined because all the injustices the Naturals were inflicting on us Coordinators made me want to fight. What about you?"

"I'd say that about sums up my reasons," Athrun replied. After another moment's pause, he asked Nicol's plans after he left the service.

"I'm thinking about becoming a concert pianist," Nicol answered, lying down on his back. "I'm actually going to play in one about a month or so from now. I'm a little nervous already."

"I believe in you, Nicol," Athrun said with a smile. "And I'll do my best to attend that concert so I can hear you play."

"...Thanks."

There was once again silence, but soon they found other things to talk about as the sun started to get lower and lower on the horizon.

* * *

"Omigod omigod omigoooood!" Tara squealed excitedly as she bounced up and down in her seat in anticipation for the Fire Bomber concert. Janus, Koji, Sayaka, Mirallia, Hikaru Amano and several other members of DREAM all got front-row seats to the concert, and it was scheduled to start in the next minute or two.

"I'm excited too, but calm down a bit, will you?" Hikaru said, somewhat surprised at just HOW crazy Tara was acting even at this point. "You and I both know concerts NEVER start on..."

But right at the appointed hour, the lights surrounding the stadium began to dim, and the lights on the stage started to brighten.

"Ladies aaaaaand gentlemen," Lelouch's voice resounded over the loudspeaker after he cleared his throat, "it gives me great pleasure to introduce that hot-blooded rock sensation all the way from Macross...Firreeee Bombeeeeeeeeerrr!"

"I have to admit, that was pretty good," Kallen said to him. "You kinda sounded like Zero. He has a nice baritone like that."

"Really?" Lelouch exclaimed, faking surprise as Fire Bomber jumped onstage and immediately launched into Planet Dance. "I wasn't really trying."

* * *

Even when the sun had gone down, the party was still on. While there was still a large crowd, the vast majority of the guests had long since left to return to either their homes or whatever shelter was housing them after the disaster.

Euphemia and Nunnally had opted to remain inside until more of the crowd dispersed, and now that there was more room, they stood behind the crowd, near the sound booth where Lelouch and Kallen were hanging out. Suzaku was off elsewhere at the moment, working on the relief effort.

"My, this music is quite catchy, Nunnally. I can see why your friend Tara likes it so much," Euphemia commented, recalling Nunnally and Lelouch's stories about the antics of the president of the manga club.

At that point, Mylene started singing one of her personal songs, 'My Friends', and Nunnally started bobbing her head side to side in time with the song.

"Oh, I LOVE this one!" Nunnally squealed.

Euphemia started doing the same thing, and even started dancing.

But she then spun around a little too hard, and a gust of wind knocked her hat off, exposing her distinctive hairdo.

A person in the crowd saw this, and before long, everyone was calling out to Princess Euphemia. Fire Bomber stopped playing, as they too were surprised to see Euphemia here. Luckily, Basara knew just how to deal with this kind of situation.

"Hey, everybody! Looks like we've got ourselves a surprise guest!" he yelled. "Sub-Viceroy Princess Euphemia! C'mon down and jam with us, Princess!" The crowd let out an excited cheer, and as Euphemia walked toward the stage, the other audience members clamored to talk to her or even touch her. Of course, her two bodyguards kept them away.

Once she reached the stage, Basara whispered something in her ear.

"Tell 'em about the big plan you and Zero made up." Every member of DREAM and the Black Knights was in on the plan, and had more or less approved of it.

Euphemia nodded, then looked down at one of the reporters.

"Is this concert being broadcast live across the Area?" she asked. The reporter nodded.

"It's being broadcast worldwide," another reporter said. With that, Basara handed Euphemia a microphone, which she took and held in both hands, while the rock star stepped aside, ensuring that Euphemia was the center of attention.

"Attention, all of you who can hear my voice. I am Euphemia, Sub-Viceroy of Area 11 of the Holy Britannian Empire. There is an announcement of great consequence that I wish to make today."

Kallen and Lelouch listened intently, the former not knowing the latter already knew.

"I, Euphemia li Britannia, declare that every populated region in Area 11 to be designated as the Specially Administrated Zone of Japan!"

Suzaku gasped with amazement at the sudden change in Euphie's attitude again. She had been like this whenever she refered to Japan, Lelouch or Nunnally.

_They're recognizing Japan? And when did Euphie became such a...dramatic speaker?_

"In the Specially Administrated Zone, all Elevens shall hereby be allowed to refer to themselves as Japanese, and shall possess the same rights and freedoms as Britannians! It will be a place where both peoples can live TOGETHER in peace and as equals!"

The crowd let out a great cheer.

_Well done, Euphie, _Lelouch thought as he smiled. _Finally, I can begin atoning for my crimes..._

* * *

"And within ten years time, Area 11 shall be officially recognized as an independent country..." Charles muttered as he read over Schneizel's proposal for the Zone in his throne room. He laid the document down and looked up at his son.

"I see no problem with it," the Emperor said, much to Schneizel's surprise. "However, I do have one single condition that must be met before I will place my seal on this treaty."

"...And that would be?" Schneizel asked. He thought his father would ask for more.

"I would have them allow us to retain possession of Kamine Island."

* * *

_I think we all know what's coming next...but it won't turn out quite the way it did in the anime. Stay tuned._


	47. Chapter 33

_Two for one deal today! (11/23/2012) _

_So, how much will Code Geass R1's plot continue to be derailed by Euphemia under a different Geass, an army of Super Robots and common sense on the part of the good guys? Let's find out!_

* * *

**Chapter 33 - Bloodstained Euphie! Birth of the U.S.J.!**

The news of the formation of the Specially Administrated Zone was met with resounding applause through Japan, but reactions were mixed in Britannia itself. Many people, mostly nobility, disliked the idea of having to treat people they were used to looking down upon as equals. Others welcomed the change for one reason or another.

Charles, to the surprise of everyone, agreed to the deal, having only one condition - that Kamine Island remain Britannian territory. Unable to grasp the Emperor's reasons for asking to retain that single uninhabited island, the Black Knights agreed to the terms. But anyone who truly knew Charles zi Britannia would know exactly why he wanted it.

Shapiro Keats, close as he was to him, was not quite one of those people.

"CHARLES, HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!" Shapiro roared, completely beside himself. "You're seriously going to go along with your daughter's idiotic plan?! You're going to completely give up that mother lode of sakuradite and Japanium?!"

"I personally have no need for any part of Area 11 except Kamine Island, Shapiro Keats," Charles replied coldly. "I am a man who is above such trivial matters like owning land."

Shapiro suddenly calmed down as a light blub lit up in his mind, and he resumed his usual composed self.

"Then, what's to stop you from ceding Area 11 to me?" the ambitious Shapiro suggested.

"Fine. Area 11 is yours. Do with it what you will. When my goal is achieved such minor things won't matter."

"You are too kind, my lord."

"Oh, and by the way, there's something you should know..."

* * *

The morning of the inaugural ceremony, thousands upon thousands of Japanese poured into a grand stadium to register for citizenship of the Specially Administrated Zone and to attend the ceremony. While the threat of deportation for not possessing the proper papers was present (it was a law across the Empire, not simply for Area 11), Euphemia's plan also ensured that the process of application at this stage was as brief and easy to understand as possible.

However, Zero wasn't going to take any chances. He had every member of the Black Knights capable of using a Knightmare Frame hiding outside the stadium in case something went wrong. The other members of DREAM were also on standby if the problem became too large for the Black Knights to handle alone.

Euphemia, Shapiro and numerous other Britannian nobles and members of the Kyoto House sat on thrones placed on a grand stage at one end of the stadium. Suzaku was nearby, standing guard. The crowd, as well as the nobles onstage, were wondering if Zero, Euphemia's supposed partner in governing the Zone, would actually show up.

They soon got their answer - the Gawain came in from the air, with Zero standing on its shoulder.

"He came; I knew he would!" Euphemia said excitedly. She stood up and waved to him. The Gawain landed, and the masked prince dismounted. Shapiro smirked as well. Now with both impediments to his true goal in one place, he could commence with his plan.

Shapiro rose to his feet and addressed the two quietly.

"Pardon me...but before we begin, I need to discuss a few things with you two. Let's have some of the other nobles speak first."

"Very well," Zero replied, having his own intentions for the man. He knew Keats never approved of the plan willingly. So when the time was right, the prince would Geass the would-be god and make him his thrall.

The three walked into the building behind the stage, while another noble began to address the crowd...two of them out for each others' blood, the third blissfully unaware of the others' intentions...

* * *

"C'mon, how long are we supposed to hang around here?" Tamaki groaned as he watched from his Burai, along with the rest of the battle force from a forest-covered cliff that looked out over the stadium.

"Zero ordered us to wait here," Kallen replied. "Shouldn't that be enough?"

"Yeah," the incompetent pilot replied, "But still..."

"We only act once Zero learns of Britannia's true intentions," Ohgi answered.

"Excuse me, Deputy-Commander," Kyoshiro interrupted. "I am quite sure that Zero already knows Britannia's true intentions. Why else would he have stationed us in hiding? Even Rakshata and Diethard on standby...I suspect he's going to try and kill Shapiro Keats."

* * *

Zero, Euphemia and Shapiro entered a large, quiet chamber. It was a sort of strategy room, with panels and consoles everywhere.

"If you'll excuse me, there are some papers I neglected to bring with me," the pink-haired man said. "I'll fetch them and return with all due haste." With that, he left the room and started down the hall. He turned a corner and into a side room. Standing inside were a pair of very unusual-looking soldiers - these were Muge Zolbados soldiers. To all eyes (and security cameras) but his, they would appear as Black Knights soldiers, thanks to their special stealth devices.

"Is the sacrifice ready, Lord Shapiro?" one of the soldier hissed.

"Yes...the lambs have been assembled. Tell the men stationed outside to begin the bloodbath. Our Emperor will be full to bursting when we're done here."

One of the soldiers picked up a communicator and began to radio a command to the Knightmare Frames stationed inside the stadium.

"This is an order from Viceroy Shapiro Keats - kill them. Kill all of the Elevens," one of the soldiers said, mimicking a Britannian officer. "Let their blood soak the earth, and their spirits sent screaming to hell where they belong."

"Yes, my lord!" the Knightmare pilots replied in unison. The sounds of gunfire and screaming could be heard over the communicator.

* * *

Still in the chamber, Lelouch and Euphemia had been shooting the breeze, and wondering what was taking Shapiro so long. While the former seemed to be constantly on edge, the latter continued to be blissfully unaware of the new Viceroy's intentions.

But it didn't take long for the sounds of the slaughter going on outside to enter the room.

"Lelouch, what's going on out there?" Euphemia exclaimed. "It sounds like...a battle..."

"No...it's a slaughter!" Lelouch exclaimed as he grabbed her by the arms. "Listen, we've got to get you out of here!"

"I can't let you do that, Zero," Shapiro's voice came from the hallway. The doors flung open, revealing a smugly grinning Shapiro with the two Muge soldiers standing next to him. They immediately blasted out the security cameras with their guns.

"Shapiro..." the princess gasped when the realization hit her. "...You..you ordered this slaughter, didn't you? Cornelia were never condone this kind of..."

" Cornelia has been sent elsewhere," the pink-haired man said smugly. "As per His Majesty's decree, I am now the Viceroy...no, the KING of Area 11, and you, Sub-Viceroy, are no longer needed."

"King?!" Lelouch exclaimed.

"Yes, my dear Zero...king. And before long I will be its GOD. And gods, my friends, don't suffer heretics very well. Do you know what happens to heretics, my dear princess and would-be messiah?"

The two Muge soldiers took aim at Euphie and Zero.

"They must be purged," the madman said with a wicked grin. The two soldiers opened fire again, both aiming their guns at Zero. Euphemia, desperate to save her brother, leaped into the path of the bullets, one of them grazing her left shoulder, while another inflicted a ghastly wound in her belly. She collapsed, her eyes glazed over.

"EUPHIE!" Lelouch cried out as he picked up Euphie and tried to shake her back to consciousness. When that failed, he got to his feet, and turned back toward Shapiro and the Muge soldiers.

"YOUUUUU!" he roared. He revealed his Geass eye, which was shining much brighter than normal. "YOU...I COMMAND ALL OF YOU...DIE, IN THE MOST PAINFUL WAY YOU CAN THINK OF!" Lelouch's Geass power lashed out at Shapiro and the two soldiers.

The Muge soldiers put their guns to their bellies, and started to fire on full auto.

But Shapiro simply stood there, grinning smugly as ever. As one of the most trusted servants of Muge Zolbados, he had been granted immunity to almost any supernatural powers, especially ones like Geass.

"Pitiful masked prince," he chuckled. "You cannot hope to defeat a god with the Power of the King!"

_What? He...wasn't affected? _Lelouch thought, now terrified out of his wits._ How did he..._

"Yes, Lelouch vi Britannia, I know everything...I heard it from your old man. About Geass, about your true identity." Lelouch took a step back and aimed his gun at Shapiro, both furious beyond belief and absolutely terrified.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Shapiro chuckled. He disappeared in a flash of darkness.

Suddenly, a massive black robotic hand punched through the roof. Zero looked up and saw a gigantic Super Robot looming overhead. It was black and royal blue, with a pair of horns on its head, blades on its shoulders and evil-looking eyes. It then stuck a massive rifle right in Lelouch's face.

"I could easily annihilate you right here and now, you know, Lelouch - Desire here is equipped with a beam rifle engineered and blessed by the god of gods. But do you know what? I want you to live long enough to see my rise to godhood. So, until we meet again, my friend!"

With that, Desire disappeared in a flash of darkness.

Only when Shapiro finally left did Lelouch shake off his fear and turn to Euphemia, who was bleeding heavily from the wound on her belly. Lelouch put his gun away as he heard someone coming down the hall. The last thing he needed was to be accused of killing her.

"Hang in there, Euphemia...I'll get you to a doctor..."

And then, Suzaku came rushing inside, and saw Zero picking up Euphemia by the shoulders.

"Zero? What are you doing with Euphie?!" Suzaku cried, drawing his gun.

"Shut up and help me carry her out," Zero replied as he struggled to even drag her along. "If she doesn't get to a hospital, she'll die!"

The Knight nodded and motioned the masked rebel leader to take her legs, while he took her shoulders. Together, they carried the bloodstained princess out.

* * *

As the two came outside, Shining Gundam, who was finishing off an enemy Gloucester, and Dancougar turned and saw the pair carrying Euphemia out.

"Zero! What the hell is going on?" Shinobu exclaimed. "I thought the Britannians agreed to the Specially Administrated Zone?! And what happened to Euphemia?!"

"I'll explain later," Zero replied, trying to stay composed. "Suzaku, go to the _Nadesico _with the Lancelot. Tell them I sent you and they'll let you aboard so she can get treatment. The rest of you, secure the perimeter and save the Japanese!"

"Understood," Domon said before taking off. Dancougar also took off. Inside, Sara was fuming with indignation and rage, as she knew of only one person who would order such wholesale slaughter.

"Shapiro..." Sara muttered as they fired on a pair of incoming Sutherlands. "You selfish, ungrateful monster...it's bad enough that you used me and threw me aside; But now you dash the hopes and dreams of countless people and then slaughter them like pigs? This...this is unforgivable!"

* * *

The scar the massacre would leave on history would not be forgotten quickly. Thousands of Japanese were slaughtered in the streets at Britannia's behest. The number of soldiers who followed Shapiro's order were so massive, even DREAM couldn't stop the massacre quickly enough.

The survivors cried out for justice, and for the blood of Britannians everywhere to be spilled in the streets.

For Lelouch, it was back to the original plan. With the Specially Administrated Zone dead on arrival, DREAM and the Black Knights had no choice but to fight. But first, he had to rally the people behind him...and as the co-sponsor to the plan, Zero was the only one who could do it.

"People of Japan, and all who are oppressed by the Holy Britannian Empire! Long have I waited in my struggle against Britannia's injustices...long have I waited for them to come to their senses! But that hope was betrayed this day - by an act of barbarism that can only be called genocide!"

"But as Euphemia's partner, I assure you...she was as much a victim in all this as you are! Even now, as she fights for her life, her thoughts are with you, the people of Japan!" Instead, the man who would have been her husband - Shapiro Keats - is the instrument of this injustice!

"Death to Shapiro!" some of the crowd cried.

"He's a murderer!"

"Shapiro and Britannia are dirty liars!"

"They're demons!"

"Down with Britannia! Glory to Princess Euphemia!"

"Shapiro is a man of infinite greed and ego, a symbol of hypocrisy cloaked in the flag of a nation, but only beholden to his own appetites! And the fact that the Imperial Family of Britannia welcomes such a man into their fold exposes them for what they truly are!"

The crowd cheered in agreement.

"Thus, I hereby declare our independence from Britannia; however, do not think this means the resurrection of your fallen nation. We will NOT turn back the hands of time! Instead, we will build a nation broad enough to accept all people, regardless of background and ideology! Whether European, Japanese, or Britannian; whether rich or poor; whether and whether Natural or Coordinator..."

Lelouch knew that was going to get Muruta Azrael mad - but he didn't care.

"It will be a nation where the strong do not dominate the weak - and it shall be called...THE UNITED STATES OF JAPAN!"

* * *

"Lancelot inbound," Ruri said as the _Nadesico _hovered above the city, monitoring the situation and providing air support for the ground forces. "He asking for an open channel."

"Patch him through," Yurika ordered.

"This is Major Suzaku Kururugi of the Lancelot. Zero told me that you could provide medical treatment. I have Princess Euphemia with me...she's been shot and is bleeding heavily! Please, let me on board!"

"He's a confirmed enemy," Ruri replied.

"But he sounds desperate," Yurika replied thoughtfully. "If he wanted to attack us he would have done so already. Let him on."

* * *

Aboard the _Nadesico_, Suzaku watched as Euphemia's life dangled from a thread, lying in the medical capsule, hooked up to an oxygen machine. Her condition was extremely critical. The chances of recovery from a wound like this were nearly zero.

Euphy weakly called for Suzaku. In response, he opened the hatch covering her, allowing her to communicate with him.

"Suzaku..." she said, straining to be heard. "The ceremony...did it go well?" When she was giving her speech, she had been under the influence of Lelouch's "do whatever it takes" Geass, and had been shot while under the same effect.

"Yes...it went great! The people of Japan love it!" Suzaku said, smiling and weeping simultaneously.

"It's funny...I can't...see you anymore," Euphie gasped as her eyes glazed over a bit. Suzaku tried his hardest to keep smiling as the dying princess weakly reached out her hand, which he cupped in his own. "I'm sorry...Suzaku...you're going to...have to finish...school...without me. I...never got the chance to finish..."

"No," Suzaku said, trying his best to keep her happy in her final moments. "You can do it...I know...let's go back to Ashford together; the student council is so much fun!"

"I'm sorry...you're...going to...have to...do it...for me..." she said weakly. "I'm glad...that...we could..."

Euphemia slipped into unconsciousness. Rain entered the room, all dressed in a doctor's outfit.

"Are you Major Suzaku Kururugi?" she asked. Suzaku nodded before looking back at the princess.

_This woman...is she going to help Euphie? _

"Good. Then this must be Princess Euphemia. Please, I need you stand aside so I can begin treatment." Suzaku nervously did so.

Rain cut off the part of the dress covering the princess' ghastly wound, and began to examine it. The Muge Zolbados soldier's bullet had done a dreadful amount of damage, and had apparently damaged several vital organs, since there was no exit wound. In any other situation, Rain would be powerless to save her patient. But she knew exactly what to do.

Suzaku, on the other hand, could only fret as he watched Euphie's vitals get weaker and weaker. To his surprise, he saw the doctor remove the vial of 3G Cells and pour it on the wound.

Euphie trembled a bit from the shock, and then laid still as her vitals flatlined. Suzaku let out a long, anguished cry, trying to keep himself from lashing out at Rain for accidentally killing her.

_No...don't die on me, Princess, _Rain cried silently, gripping the table. _It's not your time...please, 3G Cells, work!_

The 3G Cells, as if responding to Rain's silent plea, began to glow gold. After a few tense moments, Euphie's heart started beating again. Meanwhile, the wound slowly, but noticeably, began to heal.

Rain let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Well, Suzaku...I'm pretty sure Princess Euphemia is out of danger. She won't be up and about for a while, so I'll continue to monitor her."

The Knight dropped to his knees and began to weep for joy. He couldn't explain it, but somehow he had felt this could have turned out far worse.

* * *

The three ships retreated to the ocean and met up with the _Kuro_. and Zero, hearing that Suzaku was still aboard the _Nadesico_, and that Euphemia was safe, boarded the latter vessel. The time had come to drop the mask and reveal his hand to his best friend.

He entered the medical ward where Euphemia and Suzaku were. He still sat in the chair, with Rain carefully monitoring the princess' vital signs. When Zero entered, Rain stood up.

"Zero! You're back! If you need treatment, I'll..."

"Dr. Mikamura, I'd like a word in private with Kururugi here. No one else is to enter this room."

"Of course; But please, keep it down. Princess Euphemia is asleep." Without another word, Rain left. After a few moments of silence, Zero turned to Suzaku.

"Kururugi...I hope the events of the past several hours have made you rethink your position," he said.

"Actually, they have," the Lancelot's pilot replied. "I realize now, more than ever, that Britannia must be changed...but it must first be changed from the outside before it can be changed from within."

"Those with power fear change of any sort, simply because it threatens their position," Zero said. "That is why Euphie nearly lost her life."

"Yeah."

There was a long moment of awkward silence. It was then that Lelouch decided it was time to be honest with his best friend.

To Suzaku's surprise, Zero calmly began to remove his mask. The Lancelot's pilot wasn't quite so surprised when he saw who was under it.

"So...it really is you, Lelouch," Suzaku said grimly. "I didn't want to believe it, but when I heard you announce Fire Bomber at the festival, the resemblance was just too close to be coincidence."

Lelouch started laughing after a second, as he realized how foolish that it was that little act that exposed him.

"But then it made sense why you had ordered Dr. Mikamura to save Euphie, and why you agreed to her plan at all, even though it meant the end of the Black Knights."

"But thanks to Shapiro, I have no choice but to fight," Lelouch said as he tried to compose himself after his laughing fit.

Suzaku put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Then let me fight alongside you."

"...What? Are you saying you'll join the Black Knights?!" Lelouch exclaimed, almost unable to believe that he was actually hearing this.

"No...I will fight as Euphemia's Knight and as a member of DREAM," the now ex-Britannian soldier answered, shaking his head.

"I see," the prince replied with a bit of disappointment. "That's acceptable."

There was more silence.

"Hey, Lelouch," the Lancelot's pilot asked. "Can you put your mask back on for a second?"

"Um...okay..." the prince said as he did so. "There - you happy?"

"EAT THIS, ZERO!"

Suzaku punched Lelouch's masked face with all his might, knocking him straight to the floor. The impact caused such a clatter that the fact that Euphemia did little other than murmur a bit was a miracle.

"Thanks," Suzaku said with a sigh of relief as he reached down to help his friend up. "That felt really good."

* * *

Rebellions had erupted all across Area 11 as smaller resistance groups began to rise up against their oppressors and begin converging on the Tokyo Settlement. They had been preparing for the seemingly imminent coming of the Specially Administrated Zone, only to have their hopes dashed by Shapiro's callous act. But now with Zero leading the fight, the entire Area was becoming more and more united in opposition to Britannia.

Meanwhile, DREAM met once again, and Zero, still a bit sore from Suzaku's furious blow, was to address them.

"Fellow DREAMers, as you can plainly see, the worst case scenario is unfolding before our eyes. Britannia has chosen to callously reject a peaceful resolution to the conflict, and has slaughtered countless innocents, all at the orders of a single man - Shapiro Keats, now Viceroy of Area 11."

"So it's war after all," Mu sighed. "I actually thought this was going to be easy."

"I have given Britannia twenty-four hours to surrender the Settlement and formally recognize the U.S.J. as a nation," Zero continued. "If they fail to comply, we will strike. Our mission is simple - capture or kill both Princess Cornelia and Viceroy Keats, and the day will be ours. And thankfully, we have a new ally."

At that moment, Suzaku stepped out into view on the _Nadesico_, much to everyone's astonishment. He remained in Imperial uniform.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Suzaku Kururugi. I am Princess Euphemia's Knight, pilot of the Lancelot, and ex-member of the Britannian Imperial Army."

"I see you've wised up, Kururugi," Amuro commented over the viewscreen. "We're glad to have you on our side."

"Thank you, Commander Ray. I'm joining because I can no longer sit by as my people are slaughtered by men like Shapiro Keats, nor can I condone the fact that Britannia even now protects this murderer."

"That's all well and good," Natarle said suspiciously. "But why actually join us? Why not simply refuse to fight?"

"You willingly saved the life of Princess Euphemia, who Britannia didn't think twice about doing away with to achieve their own ends," the Lancelot's pilot answered; "And as her Knight, I will fight alongside those who believe in her vision of a free, peaceful Japan. However, my loyalty is to Euphie alone."

"Fair enough," Simon answered. "As long as our goals are the same, who you answer to doesn't matter."

People couldn't help but notice how similar Simon and Suzaku's voices sounded...

* * *

Suzaku opted to stay with Euphemia on the _Nadesico, _which allowed Rain to take occasional breaks from monitoring her. The princess breathed shallowly as she slept, though her vitals were clearly outside the danger zone.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Tara walked inside quietly, trying not to wake Euphie up. Ever since he had first joined up several hours ago, she had been meaning to talk to him.

"Hey, Suzaku...need some company?" she said quietly, enough for Suzaku to hear but not to wake Euphie up. Suzaku nodded, and Tara approached. When she saw there was no other chair, the Knight realized this, and got up, as if to offer his seat to her.

"I'm fine; I don't mind standing...anyway, I gotta ask you something."

"Um...sure, I guess."

"Way back when he first fought each other, and you said you thought I was cute...did you really mean that, or was that just to put me off guard?"

"...Um...well...it was kinda both," the Knight replied, blushing a bit. "I wish I didn't say it...you could have easily blown my cover to Zero, or to the other Ashford students."

"Now I'm glad I didn't," Tara said with a giggle. She briefly turned towards Euphie, who just happened to be stirring a bit. She opened her eyes a bit, and turned towards Suzaku.

"Uh...Suzaku...where am I?" she said weakly. "This isn't...the _Avalon_..."

"Hey, Princess, don't waste your energy...you nearly bit the big one earlier," Tara said. "Anyway, we're on the _Nadesico, _one of DREAM's ships. Suzaku brought you here, and one of our doctors worked on your wound."

"...Shapiro...where..." Euphie gasped.

"Please, Euphie. Just rest," Suzaku said, gently clasping her hand; "Everything's going to be all right."

"O-o-kay..." the princess replied before closing her eyes again. Tara smiled.

"You really have a thing for her, don't you?"

"...Yeah. Sorry if you were thinking that you might have a shot at me."

"Don't sweat it," Tara replied. "I'm already spoken for, anyway."

"You mean, Janus? The guy with the maroon stripe in his hair who started at Ashford after you got back?"

"Yep. Would you believe he's from another universe too?"

Suzaku blinked. He had heard of couples being from completely different worlds, but not quite in the literal sense. Tara giggled at the expression on Suzaku's face.

* * *

_Euphie's alive, Suzaku's not a huge self-righteous jerk anymore, Shapiro Keats just triggered the Black Rebellion, and Lelouch has a ton of Super Robots on his side. Situation looks pretty good for the Black Knights, eh?_

_We'll see just how long that keeps up. Stay tuned!_


	48. Chapter 34

_Code Geass R1 is fast approaching its conclusion, and things seem to be looking relatively up for the Black Knights. Well, we'll see just how long that lasts..._

* * *

**Chapter 34 – Turning Point! The Rebellion Against Shapiro**

Less than an hour remained before the surrender deadline. But even the most optimistic members of DREAM knew that Britannia was not going to give up. The peace that resulted from the attack by EI-01 was fleeting...there were too many people who desired war, both among the powerful and the powerless.

The Earth Alliance was already gearing up for a full-scale war with Britannia with Zero as their figurehead. In addition, small rebel groups continued to pour into the area surrounding the Tokyo Settlement. Of course, Blue Cosmos had its own plans for the infant United States of Japan...a country that accepted Coordinators as people was no good for their needs.

Meanwhile, ZAFT had cast its lot with the Empire, thanks in no small part to the backroom planning of Clovis la Britannia and Rau le Creuset, as well as their hatred for the Earth Alliance. Already, ZAFT vessels were starting to gather around Area 11, and an influx of mobile suits from that group flowed into the region.

Others, even in spite of Shapiro's atrocity, still desired peace - they would rather have Britannia put Shapiro on trial for his crimes.

Basara was one such person. He and Fire Bomber wanted absolutely nothing to do with this war; they wanted their music to be used to entertain people, not to be used as a weapon to harm them, even if it didn't hurt them directly.

"So, you're sticking around, Janus?" Basara said as she watched her make preparations for battle.

"Yeah," Janus said. "Why do you ask now?"

"You're gonna be a soldier for the Earth Alliance to take on the PLANTs and Britannia," he said, leaning back against the wall. "You want to fight that badly?"

"Of course not!" Janus said. "No one here does! But we have to if we're going to end it quickly!"

"Tell me then...is this war gonna end if you fight?" the rock star replied. Janus paused.

"Let me put it this way - if you kill someone's husband, their wife's gonna hate you; if you kill someone's son, their mom's gonna hate you; and I bet good money if someone killed you, your girl would hate them. It's nothing more than a pointless cycle!"

"But what about the Zonder?" Janus replied. "The Protodevlin? The Vega Empire?"

"It doesn't matter. Think of the Zentradi! They know perfectly well that attacking each other isn't going to solve anything. It never does, at least not in the long term. War is the stupidest thing in the world."

"But...what about people like Shapiro? The people who cause the wars? What if we got rid of them?"

"There's always gonna be others who will come," the musician continued. "I hate to admit it, but most people with power aren't as awesome as Mylene's folks."

"You seem to think, we as a species should be destroyed, shouldn't we?" Janus said, surprised at Basara. "You never seemed like the cynical type."

"Hey, I'm just stating the facts, man," Basara replied. "It doesn't mean we can't change."

But something stirred inside Janus during this conversation. He started to wonder just how capable mankind was of changing its ways; and if it was, what it would take for mankind to change...

* * *

The people of Britannia, as well as the other members of the royal family, saw a very different view of the situation, thanks to Shapiro's carefully calculated plan. The security cameras that were on during the murder was tricked into viewing the Muge soldiers as members of the Black Knights. When Zero grabbed Euphemia, the soldiers had destroyed the camera so the rest of the events would never be known.

To the Britannians around the world who hadn't been informed otherwise, Princess Euphemia had been murdered by Zero and the Black Knights. Of course, they cared nothing for the countless Japanese that had been slaughtered. Even those few Britannians who had believed in the legitimacy of the Specially Administrated Zone were silenced.

In the eyes of the Empire, Shapiro's word and authority was legitimate. Even Princess Cornelia, who had never been the biggest fan of her father's favorite adviser, submitted to his will without a word; indeed, she led the massive Britannian force that stood at the perimeter of the city.

"Use what time we have left to confirm the enemy's formation," Cornelia said to one of her men.

"Yes, Your Highness!" the soldier replied.

Cornelia stared up at the Gawain. "I will avenge Euphemia, Zero...right here, right now. Face to face and on even terms."

"This is your final warning," Zero warned as he sat in the Gawain with C.C. "You have until midnight to surrender."

Unbeknownst to everyone except him and C.C., Lelouch still had a few tricks up his sleeve. As he spoke those words, three operators inside the Settlement suddenly found themselves thrall to his will, thanks to his Geass. The unknowing, unwilling collaborators began typing away at their keyboards, performing dangerous computer commands that would ensure Zero's success; and when their coworkers tried to stop them, the Geass'd operators simply put bullets through their heads.

As the hour drew ever nearer, Cornelia confirmed that bombing of the Black Knights' forces, which would eventually be receiving the aid of a division of Earth Alliance mobile armors.

"All units, prepare to fire!" Cornelia ordered. The hundreds of Knightmare Frames, tanks and weapons platforms locked on to Zero's Gawain with seconds to spare before midnight.

"Cornelia...your insistence on taking me on in a direct confrontation was your greatest blunder," Lelouch said smugly. "You'll find out why in three...two...one..."

Right at the stroke of midnight, the Geass'd collaborators turned several emergency switches. All at once, the very wall surrounding the settlement began to collapse right beneath the Britannians' feet. It was a layered structure, designed to resist an earthquake, but now it was collapsing underneath the literal weight of Britannia's own military might...

* * *

"How ironic - a structure built with to withstand the power of the earth itself is the most fragile thing in the world once you purge all the floor sections. By gathering your forces around the city's perimeter to engage us, you sealed your own fate."

As the walls came crashing down, Tara was the first to protest such a ruthless tactic.

"Zero, what the hell?! Do you know how many innocent people you may have killed?!" she cried.

"Exactly zero, Tara Zifell," Zero answered. "I have need for many of the facilities within the Settlement itself, and the people who work there. Besides, once we seize the government bureau and apprehend Shapiro and Cornelia, this war will end."

Tara sighed. "Yes, sir."

_And then he'll have to face me, whether he likes it or not_, Lelouch thought; _If I can get him...the Britannian emperor to meet me face to face, then I'll have all the cards in my hands!_

"Zero, ZAFT forces incoming from the rear! " Yurika called out. "Estimated numbers are about five hundred and fifty. We've also confirmed the Duel, Blitz, Buster and Aegis among them!"

"The Strike's siblings, eh?" Zero replied thoughtfully. He had expected that ZAFT would try something like that, so his choice to have the two other flagships stay in the rear was worth it. "_Archangel _and _Ra Calium _squadrons, engage the ZAFT forces; First Squad, begin the assault on the government bureau; Special forces and Zero Squad will give priority to the school grounds; _Nadesico _squadron, provide air support to those two. Avoid damaging any part of the school - we will set up our command center in one of the buildings."

"The school?" Koji exclaimed. "Why there?"

_I see what Lelouch is up to_, Suzaku thought. _He wants to protect everyone on the school grounds. _

"Zero, allow me to join the _Nadesico_ squad in securing the school grounds," Suzaku said.

"I was just about to do that."

"Yes, my..." Suzaku replied, briefly forgetting he was no longer a Britannian soldier; "I mean, yes, sir."

"Zifell, Cyber Beast Force, provide air support to the first squadron. Olendra, help the _Archangel _and _Ra Calium _squad. And if Shapiro shows his face..."

"Terminate him? With pleasure!" Sara said. She usually wasn't like this, but any love she had for Shapiro had long since been consumed by the fire of her hatred for him.

* * *

The ZAFT forces were still several miles off, but the _Archangel _and _Ra Calium _were prepared to fight as hard as they could.

"ECM at full strength!" Natarle ordered. "Ready the Lohengrins and Valiants!"

"All units, prepare to engage!" Murrue commanded. "Prioritize the destruction of the four X-Numbers!"

"Londo Bell, you are to follow Captain Ramius' orders!" Amuro ordered. "Hathaway!"

"Yes sir?" a young man piloting a Jegan answered. He was Hathaway Noa, Bright's son and a Newtype as well.

"Be careful...this is the first time you've experienced real combat in this world," he warned him. "And stay away from the ones that look like Gundams - they'll destroy you in an instant. That goes for the rest of you Jegan units!"

"Sure, Commander," Hathaway replied before speeding off. He fired off a beam rifle shot, striking a GINN dead on, knocking it off the green flying platform it was riding.

"Janus, Kamille, Judau, let's engage the X-Numbers! Kira, support us from behind!"

"Heads up, everyone..we've got a new face!" Judau called out as he spotted a rather different-looking mobile suit. The suit, the ZGMF-515 CGUE, resembled a GINN, but had long spikes sticking out of its shoulders, and appeared noticeably less bulky. It was also white in several places...a sure sign that a ZAFT ace was piloting it.

"Well, well, if it isn't the white titan..." Rau chuckled to Janus over the communicator; "I haven't seen you since Heliopolis! Come, let us dance!"

"Creuset!" Mu roared suddenly as he swooped out in the Skygrasper 1, wearing the Sword Frame. Rau saw Mu coming and quickly dodged, forcing him to turn his attention to the plane.

Meanwhile, Kira and Gai were standing on the catapult of the _Archangel_, the former firing Agni blasts at the other three X-Numbers, and the latter doing the same with a bazooka. Granlif launched a torrent of Gran Bits before heading toward the enemy GINNs, and Nu Gundam launched its Fin Funnels as well. The rest of Londo Bell followed Janus' lead and dove into the enemy's main forces..

"Geez, where the hell are all these new X-Numbers coming from?!" Dearka growled as he dodged a Fin Funnel.

"Has the G-Project really been that prolific?!" Yzak growled as he blasted a Gran Bit to dust.

But even with the superiority of their units, DREAM's forces would be struggling against the ZAFT forces for a good, long while...

* * *

"Everyone put your hands where we can see 'em!" Tamaki demanded as he and several Black Knights burst into the student council room at Ashford; "The Black Knights are now in control of this school!" Milly, Shirley, Nunnally and Rivalz were caught by surprise.

"Stop! Lower your guns!" the blue-haired Britannian cried as he quickly put himself between Milly and Tamaki.

"Huh? You've got nerve to say in this sort of situation!" Tamaki said mockingly. Arthur, the school council's cat, arched its back and hissed at Tamaki.

"Don't be an idiot, Rivalz..." Milly whispered.

"Hey, lemme be cool for once..." Rivalz replied before turning back to Tamaki; "I'll protect everyone here!"

"Is that so, eh?" Tamaki chuckled, raising his rifle to shoot Rivalz. "All right..."

Suddenly, Nunnally's desire to protect everyone flared up again, and instantly, her eyes opened, and the Mark Nemo came into being around her, shocking everyone present as its head busted through the ceiling. It also happened that Zero and Kallen, stepped into the room.

Tamaki started gibbering with fright as the living Knightmare Frame lowered its head, grabbed the gun out of his hands, and crushed it with its own. Everyone else started backing up against the wall. Zero and Kallen, on the other hand, were able to contain their fear.

"Tamaki, stop! I thought I ordered you to avoid violence!" he bellowed.

The Mark Nemo turned around and faced Zero. But as soon as Nunnally looked at him, she saw him make no move to attack her, even in her future sight; and then she remembered Euphemia's words...

_"...He was only using force because he felt there was no other option." _

"Is it true, Zero?" Nunnally asked, still able to maintain her usual self, if only because she wasn't in battle, "You're only doing this because you have no other option?"

"Hey...that sounds like Nunnally!" Rivalz exclaimed.

Now that Zero knew who it was, he gave his answer.

"Yes. I had hoped that Euphemia's solution would work out for all parties involved. But the new Viceroy apparently had other ideas..."

"You're saying Lord Keats is the one who had Euphie killed?" Milly exclaimed. "That's preposterous! We saw security camera footage!

"Yeah," Shirley yelled. "We saw you grab Princess Euphemia as the Black Knights you sent blasted out the cameras!"

"No...Zero's telling the truth," Suzaku's voice came from outside. He stepped inside. "Every word in his speech after the massacre is the truth."

"S-Suzaku..." Milly gasped. "You...you..."

"I'm not a member of the Black Knights...but DREAM, their ally. They were the ones that saved Princess Euphemia's life, and in gratitude, I'm fighting as a member of that group."

"Damn it, Suzaku...what's gotten into you?" Rivalz yelled. "And why should we believe you?! I bet that you were waiting for this moment the whole time!" At that moment, Kallen removed the visor that was hiding the majority of her face.

"Please, everyone, you have to believe Zero and Suzaku," she implored to them. "We personally asked him not to allow any harm to come to you..."

"Kallen?! You too?!" Shirley cried.

"I see...so that's how it is..." Milly mumbled before looking at Zero again. "Do we have your word? This doesn't apply to just us...I want you to promise that no students or faculty will come to harm!"

"As long as the students stay in the dorm areas, they should be fine," Kallen answered.

"Guys, I will assure that if I get any word that one of our men hurt any Ashford student or faculty member," Suzaku added, "I will PERSONALLY see to their punishment."

Hearing Suzaku say this made Nunnally feel a little better. The Mark Nemo raised itself back to its full height, and then disappeared, leaving the blind, crippled girl as she was before.

"We have no qualms with Britannia itself," Zero concluded, "Only the individuals who seek to obstruct Japan's right to be an independent nation. Men like Shapiro..."

Suddenly, a Black Knight soldier burst into the room, interrupting Zero's answer.

"Zero! Something's coming out of the government bureau...it's definitely some kind of Super Robot! It's pounding First Squad!"

"I see..." Zero said. "Suzaku, go and reinforce them. If it's who I think he is, you should have the honor of finish him off. As for me, I have business with Princess Cornelia."

"Wait, Zero!" Nunnally called out, starting after him. The masked prince stopped as Nunnally approached him. "Please...let me go with you. I want to help!"

"No. it's far too dangerous," Zero replied. "I can't risk you going out there, Princess."

Zero continued walking, and turned down the hall. But Nunnally still followed him.

"Please...I can't...I can't allow this to go on any longer!"

_Nunnally...did having this power give you the strength and will to fight? If so...I can't risk losing you._

"Fine. Go to the _Nadesico _and wait for further instructions," the masked prince replied. "Your other friends from DREAM are there as well." Nunnally nodded eagerly, not realizing that Zero had no plans whatsoever of calling her out...

* * *

Shapiro was having the time of his life. The puny Knightmare Frames that stood before Desire were like mere insects, and its massive beam rifle, comparable to a battleship's own main gun, could annihilate entire squadrons in one blast. Even his subordinate Cornelia wasn't able to deal that kind of damage.

He then spotted Kyoshiro's Gekka approaching.

"Well, if it isn't the Miracle of Itsukushima," Shapiro said as he turned to face Tohdoh. "But you'll need more than a miracle to defeat my Desire."

"Then try us!" Shinobu roared as Dancougar stepped in, sword drawn. Shapiro grinned, and parried the attack with his gun's barrel. To their shock, the gun actually dented the Dan Kuu Ken! Even Kyoshiro stopped in shock.

The would-be god smirked, flicked a switch on Desire's rifle and fired. Instead of beam shots, several large explosive shots fired out, damaging the Super Robot and causing it to stagger backwards.

"Poor pitiful Cyber Beast Force," the pink-haired man laughed; "You have all the powers of Instinct, yet you lack the ambition required to use it to its full extent! I, on the other hand..."

"SHAPIROOOOOOO!" Suzaku screamed as the Lancelot hurtled at Shapiro, much to the shock of every other Britannian soldier present. Shapiro turned, and parried Suzaku's attack.

"So, the reports are true...you did defect to those accursed Black Knights. Well, I'm afraid a little punishment is in order for your mutiny."

Shapiro fired several shots at the Lancelot, two of which it dodged, but the third landed dead on. With startling speed granted by the power of Instinct, Desire grabbed the Lancelot with its free hand and quickly crushed its head and body, just enough to keep Suzaku from ejecting, but not enough to kill him.

"Damn it, we've lost Kururugi!" Kyoshiro growled as he spotted the Gawain flying overhead. "Zero...Kururugi just got beaten by Keats!"

"Retreat to the school! I'll finish things up here!" Zero replied. Meanwhile, Shapiro looked over to where Lelouch was headed, and smirked evilly.

_Foolish little Lelouch, _Shapiro chuckled._ Do you honestly think I didn't anticipate this? You will learn to be humble in the face of the only one who can command me...but now to give my dear friends in DREAM a parting gift..._

"All units! Retreat to the bureau!" he then commanded. He switched his rifle back to its beam mode, started charging it up. "Now, rebellious worms, know your place!" Desire unleashed a massive beam blast, packing as much sheer force as the _Nadesico_'s Gravity Blast and the _Archangel_'s Lohengrin combined.

The blast ripped a massive hole in the settlement, and annihilated many retreating Black Knights and allied rebels.

* * *

The battle against the ZAFT forces, on the other hand, was going well. Their numbers had been reduced to less than fifty units, though two of the four X-Numbers still continued to fight. Rau le Creuset had since retreated, heavily damaged by the combined effort of Mu and Janus. Mu, in the meantime, had shot down the Buster. Meanwhile, the _Archangel _and _Ra Calium_'s elite forces were all but untouched. A few Londo Bell units were shot down, but they managed to bail out in time.

"Kira!" Athrun cried.

"Athrun!" Kira yelled.

The two crossed beam sabers repeatedly, neither one able to land a hit. However, when Athrun transformed the Aegis into its cannon mode, it managed to heavily damage the Strike's Aile Frame, knocking it out of the sky and forcing him to purge the Frame.

Mu, seeing this, swooped in.

"Kira! Take the Sword Frame!"

The plane disengaged the Sword Frame, and Kira managed to link with it. He renewed his assault against the Aegis, using its own sword to clash with Athrun's.

"Kira, give it up!" Athrun yelled. "You're only going to get killed if you keep fighting for the Alliance! Wake up, and come join ZAFT! I don't want to have to kill you!"

"My answer...is still...NO!" Kira cried. He lunged with the blade of his weapon, and Athrun managed to dodge. But neither of them saw that Nicol, using the Mirage Colloid, had sneaked in to try and ambush the Strike. Without its Phase Shift Armor active, Kira's blade pierced the Blitz's body, stabbing it just through the chest.

Nicol stared in shock as everything around him inside the cockpit started to crackle and spark. The Blitz started emitting light from its body. before erupting into a fireball as its engine went critical.

Athrun and Kira both stared in shock. Athrun became overwhelmed with grief as he realized that now Nicol would never be able to play concert piano...

And then, just as Kira's did, his pupils contracted and he was overcome with a berserker rage...the power of SEED.

"Nicol...NICOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLL!"

Athrun suddenly rushed it at a terrifying speed, slashing and hacking away at the Strike. As Granlif and the Londo Bell forces prepared to move in, the _Ra Calium _received a call.

"Amuro, Janus...we need to get over to the school area!" Bright radioed them. "Kyoshiro needs us to regroup! Zero's orders"

"But what about Kira?!" Janus exclaimed; "He's fighting for his life down there!"

"You would risk losing everything we've worked for, and all your friends, just for one person?" Amuro yelled. "I'm not a fan of abandoning comrades, either, but sometimes it has to be done!"

"Sorry, kiddo, but that's how things go. This is war, after all," Gai said coldly.

Janus cursed himself for knowing that Amuro and Gai were probably right. The two men were veterans of many, many battles, after all.

"Go! I'll help Kira!" Tolle's voice suddenly called out. "It's just one unit, anyway!"

"Tolle?!" Murrue called out. "What do you think you're doing? Why are you in the Skygrasper 2?!"

"I'm going to protect Kira, just like he's protected all of us!" he cried. He flew the plane down towards the clashing mobile suits, and started firing missiles at the Aegis, yelling loudly with each shot.

"Ergh...damn you..." Athrun growled as he momentarily turned away from his opponent. The Aegis threw its shield at the plane, making it spin as it flew. Athrun's heightened senses and combat abilities made the weapon hit dead on.

The last thing Tolle felt was the incredibly painful sensation his body being sliced in half, and his head flying off his body before the Skygrasper went out in a fireball, just as the Blitz did, incinerating his lifeless body.

"TOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLEEEE!" Kira screamed as he watched his friend perish. The power of SEED filled him to bursting in his grief, and he turned back to the still enraged Athrun. Both pilots, now filled with nothing but hate for the other, rushed at each other once more.

"ATHRUUUUUUNNNN!"

"KIRRAAAAA!"

The two mobile suits clashed violently, each pilot consumed with grief, rage and a single desire - to kill their opponent. The Aegis' legs turned into extra arms, each one holding a beam saber. With each clash, one of the mobile suits heavily damaged the other in a brutal fashion. Limbs were severed, gashes were cut, and armor plating crushed.

Finally, the Aegis transformed and barreled headlong into the Strike. Using its two remaining limbs to restrain it, Athrun prepared to unleash the final blow with its heavy beam cannon...

Except it had just run out of juice.

As the Strike prepared to counterattack, Athrun, deciding it was better to avenge Nicol than to save the Aegis, opened up a special panel and entered a password: 2887. The cockpit opened up, and using a small jetpack, he flew out of the suit.

The Aegis started beeping, and like the Blitz, began to emit light.

Inside the _Archangel_, Mirallia, still trying to fathom the fact that Tolle was no longer with her, sobbed a bit when she saw the signal for the Strike suddenly disappear. This was followed a split second later by the entire ship shaking as a massive explosion, the result of the Aegis' self destruct function, tore over the ridge that Kira and Athrun had been fighting beyond.

"No...Kira..." Mirallia wept. Suddenly, the ship received a call...it was Muruta Azrael.

"_Archangel_, I've just received word that the reinforcements being sent your way are under attack. We require your assistance."

"Sir, we just lost the Strike's signal moments ago!" Murrue answered. "I have to see if we can retrieve it and more importantly, find the pilot!"

"This is an order, Captain Ramius," Muruta replied. "Have the other members of you group search for him or something."

"Yes sir," Natarle said with a sigh. "Captain, let's hurry; Sai, contact the Black Knights' headquarters and tell them to send out a search party when the opportunity arises."

"Yes, ma'am," Sai said, trying his best not to let the deaths of his two friends get to him while he was on duty...

* * *

Zero landed on top of the Britannian government bureau with the Gawain. His objective was simple...he would sabotage the bureau's computer systems with a nasty computer virus that Rakshata had made for him. Once the facility was crippled, everything else would fall apart as well. C.C. walked out with him, and they entered the building.

Almost immediately, both of them felt a chill running through their bodies, though Lelouch shrugged it off - he was so close...something as minor as that wasn't going to stop him.

"Lelouch...I don't think we should do this," C.C. said nervously.

"What's this? Second thoughts?" C.C. said. "You of all people would be the last one I'd expect to be having second thoughts."

They entered a room full of dozens of black boxes. The room was quite cold - an air conditioning system was necessary to keep so many computers from overheating.

"See, C.C.? It was just the cooling systems for the bureau's servers," Lelouch said reassuringly. All I need to do now is inject the virus...and the facility will fall to us like a house of straw in a hurricane."

Lelouch took the memory stick and plugged it into the main access terminal in the center of the room. Using passwords he had Geass'd some unwilling collaborators into giving up, he overrode the servers' security programs.

Dramatically, Lelouch plugged the memory stick into the slot, and within moments, the virus went to work, wreaking havoc on the bureau's systems. He grinned wickedly as the monitor of the access terminal started to display all sorts of garbage data and nonsensical text.

But C.C. still felt a heavy sensation of dread. Why, in their finest hour, would such dread be filling the air? Her answer came when the door handle was suddenly engulfed by a small cloud of darkness. Then the sensation of dread became absolutely overwhelming...as if something made of pure evil was about to appear.

Sure enough, something did...and it was a face C.C. knew, and wished she had never known at all.

It was a humanoid figure, nearly as tall as a Knightmare Frame. Its chest, forehead, and parts of its upper and lower arms all glowed brilliantly. It was partially encased in purple and blue metallic armor, with blood red, stringy muscles exposed, and eyes like dark emeralds. The whole image was complemented by a flowing purple cape.

"Shapiro told me I would find you here," the figure said.

"Muge Zolbados..." C.C. gasped. She wished she had warned him sooner exactly what that sensation of dread was...but now that he was here, it was too late.

"Ah, C.C., I'm glad to see you remember me," Muge replied. Lelouch suddenly turned paler than usual. The sheer amount of dark power emanating from this being was enough for the prince to know that using his Geass would be futile.

"Wait...then Keats isn't..."

"Well-deduced, Lelouch vi Britannia. Shapiro Keats works for me, but you have also been very useful, my boy." It was then that C.C. realized how the Emperor could manifest here at all.

_Is that why Shapiro ordered the slaughter? _C.C. thought._ To give Muge enough souls to manifest here? I should have anticipated this when I first saw his troops...  
_

"No...I am NO one's tool!" Lelouch roared.

"You have been my tool just as much as Shapiro has," Muge interrupted, his voice somehow echoing; "The only difference is that he's been willing to do my work...but now your usefulness has ended, child. I will deliver you as a gesture of goodwill to your father."

"Lelouch!" C.C. cried out. Muge waved his hand without even looking at her, and C.C. disappeared in a flash of darkness. Then the evil emperor began to unleash a torrent of invisible evil spirits from his body, as his shining areas shined brighter and blood-red irises appeared in his eyes.

The spirits began to fill the entire room, their dark energy causing Lelouch to immediately hallucinate and have waking nightmares; he saw past traumas, sins that stained his soul, and visions of everyone he knew and loved being tortured and dismembered in hellish ways. But a vision of Nunnally undergoing hideous torture and violated in unspeakable ways finally shattered Lelouch's psyche. He collapsed to the ground, a whimpering shell of a human being.

Two Muge soldiers appeared in flashes of darkness and knelt before their ruler.

"Deliver this boy to Britannia's emperor, but make your appearances to be as members of its army. Tell him that it is a gift from Shapiro Keats."

The soldiers silently saluted, picked up Lelouch and disappeared in another flash of darkness. Muge glanced at the terminal, where the virus was still wreaking havoc on Britannia's systems, and chuckled.

Even now he could feel the flow of history being moved back onto its intended path...

* * *

Tara headed for her home, in an area still under the control of the Black Knights. She prayed that her family was unharmed. In order to minimize attracting attention, she opted to head there on foot.

As soon as Tara stepped into her home, she felt the hair on her neck stand up on end, as if someone was right behind her. But before she could react, a Muge Zolbados soldier grabbed her from behind and held her in a bear hug. Several others rushed out from various hiding places and began to bind her hands and ankles together with duct tape, and then held up a cloth to her face. She struggled to escape her bindings, but it was all in vain.

Once they were done, they lined up in front of her, and from in the kitchen came a boy in regal attire, a circlet on his head, piercing pink eyes, pale skin and blond hair that was longer than he was tall, and dragged against the ground slightly. He was eating out of a box of animal crackers.

"Great job, men," he said after swallowing the bite of animal crackers. "You there, put her to sleep. You two, find the two Zifells, kill them and then torch the place."

"Yes, my lord!" three of the soldiers spoke. Tara's eyes widened with terror as two of the men started up the stairs, and a third placed a cloth dripping with a strong-smelling liquid to her nose and face.

_Mom...Dad...Zengar...no..._

She slipped into unconsciousness within moments.

"Lord V.V., pardon my impertinence," one of the men spoke to the boy as he picked the unconscious Tara up. "But why is this girl so important?"

"You'll learn soon enough," V.V. replied. "Now come on, we have to get out of here before those idiotic Black Knights come..."

* * *

_That's Code Geass for you...just as Lelouch is about to win, something comes along and just messes everything up. R1 is essentially finished at this point, and we're about halfway through Gundam SEED. In the next chapter, we'll be tying up some loose ends, drop another bombshell or two, and then FINALLY get back to the Ruined World._


	49. Interlude 3

_Well, so much for averting R2, eh? Anyway, it's time at long last to return to the Ruined World! I don't know about you, but I've had my fill of Code Geass, Gundam SEED and the other series in this world for a while. It's time to get the Ruined World plots going again!_

* * *

**Interlude 3 - Escape To The Other Side! A New Journey Begins!**

It was just one item of bad news after another for the Black Knights and DREAM as they regrouped back at Ashford.

Kira, Tolle, Suzaku, Tara, and even Zero himself were missing or dead; the Alliance reinforcements were under attack, forcing the _Archangel _to leave the battle lines; and even though the government bureau had been successfully crippled, the fact that ZAFT would still be able to send additional troops meant that they would soon be overwhelmed once Britannia rallied. Shapiro alone had taken out nearly ten percent of their entire forces in one shot, and taken out twice that in total.

The captains of the two remaining ships, along with Kyoshiro and Gai Murakumo, convened, to decide what to do.

"One thing I can say for sure," Gai said grimly. "Trying to win at this point is gonna be difficult, if not impossible; all we would accomplish is getting ourselves killed or captured."

"I agree. But someone has to stand up to Britannia," Kyoshiro replied. "At least Cornelia had some common decency. Now that Shapiro Keats is Viceroy, things are only going to get worse for Japan."

"Maybe we need more allies?" Yurika chimed in.

"Actually, that's not a bad idea," Amuro said. "And improving our skills back in my world couldn't hurt either."

"Besides, who knows how bad things have gotten since we left?" Bright added. "Char could have frozen the Earth over, for all we know."

"Not to mention the Moon threatening to fall thanks to the Anti-Spiral," Ruri quipped. "The choice is obvious. We return to the other world and do what we can there."

"Agreed. However, the Black Knights will stay," Kyoshiro said strongly. "We're NOT going to abandon Japan. Zero would never forgive us if we did - nor would Princess Euphemia."

"Speaking of which, what do we do with her and Nunnally?" Amuro asked. "We can't just hand them back to Britannia. But considering one of them is still recovering from a near-fatal injury, and the other is blind and crippled..."

"We don't have a choice," Ruri replied. "Entrusting them to the Black Knights is too dangerous, and I doubt the Earth Alliance will be any friendlier."

"It's settled then," Bright said. "I take it we all agree to this plan?"

* * *

"I said MOVE!" Janus yelled at Xemmey. The android stood in his way as he tried to get into the _Nadesico_'s hangar, even as the ship made its way toward the Threshold near Photon Power Labs.

"No. I cannot allow you to go out and look for Tara," Xemmey replied.

"Why?!" the young man shouted. "Are you asking me to abandon the girl I promised to always be there for?!"

"No, but if something were to happen to you," the android answered, "And then if the Thresholds were to disappear, no one would able to return to their own universe, and both Earths will ultimately be doomed; And I doubt Tara could ever love you if you selfishly abandoned your mission in order to satisfy your teenage hormones. I would be doing the same thing to her if you were the one who had gone missing."

"You heartless..." Janus growled.

"Call me what you will," Xemmey said coldly. "I am not moving from this spot until we return to your world. And remember - I am a machine, so I need no sleep, food, water or bathroom breaks, and I have infinite patience."

Granlif's pilot sighed in defeat, and morosely walked away, cursing himself for not being there when Tara needed him most.

* * *

Koji also was filled with despair at losing his dear friend Tara. He sat in one of the lounges, morosely watching an episode of _Gekiganger 3_ - in particular, it was Tara's favorite: the beach episode. Not surprisingly, there were a lot of scenes with the three boys in swim suits, as well as Nanako in a bikini, which always got Koji excited.

His Ruined World counterpart happened by, and hopped onto the seat next to him.

"Heh-heh! Nice!" Kouji said with a chuckle as he viewed a shot of Nanako's substantial rear end with relish. "I wish the Sayaka of my world had a butt like that! You're lucky, you know that?"

"Hey, what do you mean by that?!" Koji exclaimed. "Are you looking at MY Sayaka that way?"

"What? I'm just saying," Kouji quipped. "Then again, I bet my Lori and Loru have better assets that yours do!"

"You've got some nerve, buddy!" Koji yelled. "I oughta give you such a whooping..."

"Well, come and get me!" his alternate self replied. Instantly, the two started brawling, somehow kicking up a great cloud of dust. Just then, Sayaka and Mylene walked by.

"Um, shouldn't we break those two up?" Mylene asked with some concern in her voice.

"Nah. I doubt it'll last much longer," Sayaka reassured her.

* * *

Clovis chuckled with twisted excitement as his new Knightmare Frame finished atmospheric re-entry.

His new frame, the Bedivere, was golden in color, and incredibly bulky-looking, yet chugged through the air at high speed. The machine had four arms, one of which held a small hadron cannon, the other three each holding a sword similar to the Lancelot's. Finally, its head was somewhat conical, with the Factsphere that allowed the pilots of Knightmare Frames to see their surroundings whilst in their frames was deeply set into its head, so much that it looked like one of the eyes on ZAFT's GINNs.

Anyone from the Ruined World would marvel as its resemblance to the favorite mobile suit used by the late Paptimus Scirocco.

Clovis came upon a small fleet of Alliance battleships engaged with a force of both Britannian and ZAFT battleships and submarines. These forces were led by the _Avalon_, where Schneizel was overseeing the battle.

"Greetings, brother, and you too, my wonderful subjects!" Clovis called out. "I, Clovis la Britannia, am so glad to be home once more!"

"Clovis? Y-you're alive?!" Schneizel exclaimed. "B-but how?! The coroners confirmed that you..."

"You're not the only one with smarts, my beloved elder brother," Clovis laughed. "I'll explain everything once these rabble have been dealt with and we return to the capital...Mazingers!"

Suddenly, a massive force of Great Mazingers, at least a thousand strong, descended from the thick storm clouds above. Clovis, grinning like a mad genius, then issued his next command.

"Mazingers, rain bolts of judgment upon these fools who dare oppose the glorious Holy Britannian Empire!"

"YES, YOUR MAJESTY!" all one thousand Great Mazinger pilots shouted in chorus. They all paused in midair, raised their index fingers to the heavens. One thousand lightning bolts charged them with power.

And then one thousand Thunder Breaks raining down on the Alliance fleet. The Super Robot-induced thunderstorm wiped out all but one of the two hundred Alliance battleships. Schneizel could only watch in awe at the power his newly returned brother had mustered.

Meanwhile, the sole survivor, the _Archangel, _chugged away as fast it could back toward the Atlantic Federation. The single battleship had no chance of surviving such an assault again...

* * *

The _Nadesico _and _Ra Calium_ arrived at Photon Power Labs, which had managed to avoid the worst of the conflict. The Threshold, thankfully, was still there. So there was no need to make a new one...at least not at this point.

"I highly suggest that the Threshold here be closed," Professor Yumi said once the remaining captains explained the situation. "And that Koji, Tetsuya, Sayaka, and Boss go with you. Once you have made the jump, I will close the Threshold."

"What?!" Tetsuya exclaimed when he heard this. "You're asking us to abandon the Labs?!"

"And let Britannia get even more powerful by mass-producing Mazinkaiser and the true Great Mazinger as well?" the scientist replied. "I will do no such thing. You will join DREAM in the other world, Tetsuya. I cannot promise that the Labs will still be under our control when you return, but it is simply the best option. Besides, you may get to see the alternate version of me and Juzo. I heard he is still alive in that world."

"Alright. I couldn't save my grandfather in this world - maybe I can in the other one," Great Mazinger's pilot said.

* * *

Shinji, Rei, Asuka and Nunnally stood at the window of the _Nadesico_ as it prepared to make the transfer to the other world. All four of them, as sad as they were to leave their home world, were also excited to see a brand new one. And with their Evangelions coming with them, the three NERV Children knew they would be useful.

"If only my big brother and Kaworu were with us," Nunnally said with a sigh. "I'm sure they'd love to see this new world too."

"It's okay, Nunnally, I'll stay with you," Shinji said with a little smile. "I'll have to, or Asuka will try to stand on your wheelchair again."

"Hey, we had a paper due!" Asuka yelled. "I couldn't afford to wait any longer!"

Shinji and Asuka almost immediately started arguing. Soon push came to shove, shove came to blows, and soon the two were rolling on the ground, brawling and wrestling. Rei looked out the window again.

"Oh...I think we're about to make the jump," she said.

"Oh dear...I hope I don't go rolling away," Nunnally said, worriedly. "I'm sorry, but could you hold on to my wheel..."

Before Nunnally could finish her sentence, the ships entered the Threshold. Like always, everyone felt their bodies being stretched out right down to the atomic level, and after a period of time that felt like an eternity and an instant simultaneously, the ships and their contents and occupants snapped back to normal on the other side, their bodies having been suspended mid-motion during the jump...

* * *

Charles looked up from his reading as three disguised as Britannian soldiers, one holding Lelouch, another holding Suzaku, and a third holding Tara.

"Your Majesty, we bring before you the three people you desired us to bring," the soldier holding Tara said. "A gift from Lord Keats, who brought an end to the rebellion in Area 11."

The Emperor looked over the three. They were indeed the ones he wanted, though Tara's capture for an entirely different reason than Lelouch and Suzaku. He stood up from his throne and approached them, a look of indignation in his eyes.

"The FORMER seventeenth heir to the Imperial throne...and the Knight of my dear Euphemia...Lelouch vi Britannia and Suzaku Kururugi. I did not expect you two to be working together."

Lelouch struggled to raise his head, but his captor held him down.

"You won't use your Geass power here, whelp," the soldier said coldly as he covered Lelouch's left eye and held his right one open. The other ones held open both of Suzaku's and Tara's eyes.

"My unworthy son, who raised the banner of rebellion even though he was a prince - it would be such a pity to simply kill you. No, you will yet have some use."

"Please, Your Majesty, don't..." Suzaku pleaded as he watched the symbols of Geass appear in the Emperor's eyes.

"I will rewrite your memories," the Emperor began in a cruel tone, almost relishing this chance. "First for you, my errant son...I shall make you forget about being Zero, about the death of your mother, about how you deceived my servant into following your foolish path, and about the very existence of Nunnally..."

"No...Geass..." Lelouch gasped, struggling vainly to close his other eye.

"You shall remember none of it, and become a part of the insignificant hordes," Charles continued.

"Stop! You'd steal what was most precious to him?!" Suzaku yelled. His captor slammed his face into the floor.

"Now," the Emperor said, ominously spreading his cape, "Charles zi Britannia engraves into your mind...memories of a life you never lived!"

Lelouch screamed as his mind came under attack by his father's Geass power. He watched everything he held dear shatter before his mind's eye, and his memory go dark. He finally slumped to the ground unconscious.

"Lelouch? LELOUCH!" Suzaku screamed.

"Cease struggling, Kururugi...his fate will be yours as well," Charles said. "...No, you will be far more useful to me than he. Yes...you are worthy of being a Knight of the Round...all that's missing is absolute loyalty to me!" Suzaku struggled in vain as well, but the soldier holding him did have to tighten its grip.

"I shall make you forget about ever being my foolish son's friend - instead, he will be your hated enemy. He will be responsible for the destruction of everything you held dear...even Euphemia. You shall hate your former companions in DREAM, for they will have been responsible for the massacre that killed countless members of your people as well as your beloved Euphie."

"N-no! Don't..." Suzaku said, trembling in despair. He then cried out and writhed as his own mind came under attack by Charles' power. But unlike Lelouch, he didn't fall unconscious. The Emperor motioned for Suzaku's captor to let him go, and the Lancelot's pilot started to get up, but stopped in a kneeling pose, in obedience to Charles. It wasn't quite like Lelouch's Geass of absolute control, but Charles knew his power well enough that it could achieve such an end.

"I await your command, my lord," Suzaku said.

Tara had been watching all this in abject terror. She had sensed that the Emperor had this sort of power, but seeing it in action paralyzed her with fear, too frightened to struggle at all. She dared not wonder what memories she would be stripped of. Finally, Charles turned his eyes to her.

"And finally, Tara Zifell. To think a smart girl like you would ally herself with someone as foolish as my son. I had thought I could convince you to see things my way, but you're too stubborn to understand. It seems you must be brought to my side with my Geass power as well."

Tara might have responded if she wasn't so terrified.

"Now, as I did Kururugi, I will make you forget the war you waged against me," the Emperor said, "And you will forget your time with DREAM...they shall become your hated enemy, for they oppose the family of your husband-to-be..."

Tara turned ghostly white at that last statement and finally began to struggle, tears flowing profusely from her eyes.

"No...please...I'll do anything...just don't..."

Tara suddenly let out a long, loud scream as the Emperor's Geass power lashed out at her mind. Memories of her family, her friends and her old life began to fade and disappear. But the thing she held most dear, her love for Janus, held fast. It was far too precious for her to lose, and she resisted with every ounce of strength to keep that single memory.

_She's resisting?! Impossible! My Geass is perfect! _

Charles' power lashed out again, but still he could not erase that one pesky memory. Still she resisted, fighting with all her strength to keep that promise. Finally, he grabbed her from the soldier and grasped her head tightly, using his own large, powerful hands to force her eyes open, her nose touching his.

Tara began to scream and writhe, and her body began to glow white once again, and the rainbow wings of light grew out. But then, a second pair came into being, and out of nowhere, a Threshold appeared - smaller than the one normally generated, but its appearance was enough to startle Charles. Not only that, it wasn't insulated, so it quickly began to draw everything loose toward it. Everyone in the room managed to grab a hold of one of the columns - Charles had to drop her - and watched as something even more startling happened:

A white orb appeared from Tara's body and flitted into the Threshold. As soon as it did the portal itself disappeared, and everything was at it was..

Tara stood up, dusted herself off, changed back to her usual shape and looked at the stunned Charles.

"Oh, Charles. Good to see you again," she said with a cordial smile.

"It is good to see you, Tara," Charles replied.

"I must remind you, Your Majesty," the girl replied, "That my name is spelled T-A-H-R-A. Okay?"

Charles smiled. She was so very much like Marianne.

* * *

"...chair?" Nunnally said once everyone had snapped back to normal. Rei looked out the window again.

"It's okay. I think we've already made the jump," Rei said.

However, as Nunnally made sure she was still in her wheelchair she couldn't help but feel different. As if something that had been burdening her was suddenly gone. Something that was compelling her to keep her eyes closed.

As if it had always been the easiest thing in the world, Nunnally opened her eyes again, this time without having to call forth Mark Nemo. Shinji and Asuka stopped brawling just in time to see this moment.

"Nunnally...w-what nice eyes you have..." Shinji said, blushing heavily.

No one on the ships knew it, but during the dimensional jump, anyone who had been affected by a Geass had the effects of it wiped away. For Nunnally, it was not injury, but Geass that had blinded her. For Shinji and the still sleeping Euphemia, on the other hand, it meant that they could be Geassed again...

"I wish I could say it's great to be home," Judau said with great frustration as he stared out once more at the desert not far from Kamina City. "But...why...why the hell did we have to lose Tara and Kira?!"

"That's in the past. Right now, we may have more immediate problems," Bright said. "I'm going to contact Federation headquarters and see what the situation is. Meanwhile, we should figure out how long we've been gone."

"I can confirm that number." Ruri answered. "Let's see...since we left, about...seventy-six days have passed."

"That leaves less than a hundred or so days until the Moon falls," Yoko commented. "We'd better get on it."

"Sir, another Threshold is forming!" one of the operators of the _Ra Calium _exclaimed. "It's much smaller than the one we just used, but it's definitely the same type of reading!"

From out of the portal came Tara, back in her two-winged form. She landed on the ground, tumbled a bit, then laid still before shifting back to her normal shape, but without any clothing.

"Get a medical team out there on the double!" Bright ordered as he instantly recognized the girl. "That's one of ours!"

* * *

Tara awoke in a bed, with Janus and Xemmey watching over her. The young man's eyes lit up to see her awake again.

"Tara, I can't believe it...I thought...I thought you were dead!"

"I-I'm sorry I worried you, Jan," she said meekly. "But, where are we? And is that what you called me?"

"Huh? We're on the _Ra Calium_, remember?" Janus said, surprised at Tara's reaction. Xemmey, however, seemed to know just what the problem was.

"Tara, do you know who I am?" she asked.

"...Nope. Never seen you before," Tara replied. Xemmey shook her head. "The only thing I remember is the promise Janus made. I'm glad you were able to keep it."

"Hmmm...I'll have to look into this more," Xemmey said. "Thankfully, I can easily restore Tara's memories, thanks to a new function that recently activated in the XEM-00's systems, which has been uploaded into my own."

"Huh?" the girl said, confused.

"You'll know once your memories come back," Xemmey replied. "Now...um..."

"What?" Janus asked.

"Would you mind stepping out for a few minutes?"

Janus complied, wondering what the android was so embarrassed about. Nonetheless, he complied.

He heard Tara moan and gasp a bit. As it happened, Kei walked by. Tara's moaning and gasping got louder, while Janus seemed too be completely lost in some perverted thoughts.

"Um...I'll just be going now..." the pilot of Shin Getter 2 said.

Tara suddenly let out a scream that seemed to be of pure ecstasy before her breathing quieted down again. After a few moments, Xemmey walked out. Janus snapped back to reality while Kei blushed heavily.

"If it's what I think you two thinking – no, we weren't," the android said. "But regardless, she's back to her usual self." Kei, too embarrassed to go inside, rushed off down the hall.

Janus stepped into the room once more and saw Tara putting on some clothes.

"Hey," Tara said with an awkward smile. "Sorry to worry you; Xemmey filled me on...well, the entirety of my existence."

* * *

Nunnally was excitedly looking around the _Nadesico_, taking in all the sights, now that her eyes were working again. Having been unable to see at all for seven years made her hungry for everything vision had to offer. She was especially excited to see the faces of her friends from Ashford for the first time.

But most exciting for her was the chance to see her sister. She made her way back to the medical bay where Euphemia was still asleep, and Rain was monitoring her again, now that Suzaku had gone missing.

Just as Nunnally came in, Rain was checking her vitals one last time. The 3G Cells had worked spectacularly. After only a few short days, her wound was almost completely healed. It would be safe for her to get up and walk around.

"Dr. Mikamura! Dr. Mikamura!" Nunnally said with a giggle. "Look! I can see! I can see!"

The sound of Nunnally's voice caused Euphemia to stir for the first time since Rain had saved her life and Suzaku had asked her to rest. She tried to sit up on her own, but the doctor rushed over and helped her. The princess was still in a daze but managed to recognize Nunnally, and seemed to snap out of it as soon as the change in her sister became clear to her.

"Nunnally? Y-you're okay..." she said somewhat weakly. "And you can...see again?"

"Yes!" the younger princess said excitedly. "And you look as pretty as you did when I last...well, saw you!"

"Really?" Rain said, surprised. "You were completely blind before we made the jump...Nunnally, can you try moving your feet?"

Nunnally tried as hard as she could, but her feet wouldn't respond. She was still crippled, which promptly brought her mood back down to earth.

"It's okay," Euphie said after stretching her limbs. "I'm just so happy to know you're safe."

The two sisters embraced. Even if they had lost everything else, they still had each other.

* * *

_"He has returned, my friends."_

_"The King of Hearts?"_

_"Yes. Both he and his allies have increased in strength. It may yet be possible for them to save this dying world. At the same time, I see that our time is nearly at an end. We must find our own successors."_

_"But I cannot sense any such individuals amongst his compatriots."_

_"Then perhaps..."_

_"Yes. It has to be THOSE four."_

* * *

_Alrighty! Next time, we finally get moving on a Ruined World plot again! I hope you like ham and cheese folks, because next time we're gonna hit the ground running with _Mobile Fighter G Gundam_!_


	50. Chapter 35

_At long last, we kick things off in the Ruined World once more. And today, a bunch of characters I've been itching to bring into the fold of DREAM finally join! Who will they be? Read on!  
_

* * *

**Chapter 35 – Warrior's Crests! Brawl at Tokyo Tower!**

Although they were down several members and one flagship, DREAM still existed. For those who had lived in the relatively green and hospitable Flourishing World got a cruel wake up call when they first laid eyes on the scorched Ruined World, a fact made only more disconcerting when they saw the Threshold close behind them.

Their destination turned out to be quite ironic - Federation command had detected Devil Gundam activity in the ruins of old Tokyo, the very place where they had just been fighting not long ago in the other world. Bright, being near there, was ordered to check it out. However, they would have to go farther north than usual to reach Tokyo - Kamina City was actually near the southern tip of the Japanese island chain, while Tokyo was northeast, albeit more east than north.

It was a good time for Nunnally and Euphemia to get acquainted with their new friends in DREAM - and what better way to break the ice than over a nice hot meal?

"Hey, Akito! Hurry up with my shrimp fried rice, will ya?" Asuka called out.

"Hey, kid, calm-a down! You can't rush perfection!" Boss yelled, still in the faux Italian accent he had used during the festival. "He'll get-a you fried rice when he damn-a well gets to it!"

"Remind me HOW long has he been doing that faux Italian accent again?" Tetsuya grumbled as he took a bite of a sandwich.

"I stopped keeping track a while ago," Koji groaned, turning to Kouji, who was eagerly scarfing down some rice that had steak teriyaka on top!. "Is the Boss of your world this annoying?"

"Eh, abwot duh shame," Kouji replied through a mouthful of rice before swallowing it. "Ah, that's good stuff. I think I'm finally full!"

Nearby, Shinji, Nunnally and Euphemia were standing, looking around for a table. It looked like every single table was filled.

"Is the lunch counter on the _Nadesico _always this packed, Shinji?" Nunnally asked.

"Yeah, I guess. Akito's an amazing cook," Shinji replied, trying not to salivate over the incredible smell of the food. "And the _Nadesico _has really a really advanced kitchen, too, not to mention it's got a ton of space to store real food. If you want, I'll bring you something and we can eat in your room."

"No, we'd really like to eat here," Euphemia said. "I suppose we can wait until someone gets up...oh, look! There's someone getting up right now!"

The table with Koji, Kouji, Boss and Tetsuya suddenly freed up as they took their plates back to the counter to be washed. But before they could sit down, Rei happened by, wearing a cute orange and pink waitress' outfit.

"Oh...um...hey, Rei," Shinji said, blushing heavily. "What are you doing in that outfit?"

"I'm working as a waitress for Akito," Rei said sedately. "He said he needed help serving everyone. Please, let me clean the table, then you can sit down and I'll bring you some menus." She wiped down the table with a wet cloth, removing the mess the previous diners had left behind. Shinji blushed even more when he got a good look at Rei's behind.

Nunnally and Euphemia muffled their giggling at Shinji's reaction to what they clearly saw an attempt to attract his attention.

* * *

The two ships soon reached the ruins of Tokyo as the sun started to set. It was even worse than the way the Settlement looked like after Shapiro had nearly leveled it...buildings that weren't leveled were in various states of disrepair, ranging from broken windows to having entire sections missing.

Sure enough, the _Nadesico _began to pick up energy signatures matching that of Death Army troops, a foe the two ships were all too familiar with. However, there were none to be seen, and the signature, though a match, was too faint to discern any specific location.

"So, what's the plan?" Yurika asked Bright.

"We'll deploy some scouts to sweep the area," the _Ra Calium_'s captain replied. "If anyone spots anything, have them notify the ships and then try to keep the enemy occupied."

"Sounds like as good a plan as any," Ruri replied. "I'll gather up some volunteers."

* * *

"You sure you remember how to pilot your machine, Tara?" Yurika asked as she sat down in the cockpit of Lifthrasir. "You did lose your memories."

"I have Xemmey to help," Tara replied. "Don't worry."

Along with Tara, Gai Murakumo, the Getter Team, Domon, Kamille and Akito opted to scout out the area.

"Guys, let's try investigating around the Tokyo Tower area," Tara suggested.

"Why there?" Gai Daidou asked, scratching his head. "Kind of an odd place to start if you ask me. It'd be a lot easier if we just..."

"That place always seems to be a magnet for all sorts of weirdness," Kei interrupted. "I mean, EI-01 was nesting right beneath it in Tara's world. Even as a kid I always felt like there was something just...wrong with the place."

"Yeah, I suppose that makes sense enough," Akito said in agreement.

"You're kidding, right?" Gai Murakumo groaned. "You're going to rely on works of FICTION to base your search?"

"Hey, quit complaining," Tara shot back. "If you want to search your own way, I'm not gonna stop you. Let's go, guys!"

* * *

Ryoma kicked a stuck door inside a ruined apartment building open.

"Well, looks like this apartment didn't suffer TOO much," he said as he stepped in and looked around. It was once an extremely upscale apartment - based on the now-ruined fancy decorations, anyway. Glass was scattered all over the floor, the wooden table was somewhat scorched, and all sorts of cooking supplies were scattered across the floor.

"Yeah…and look! I can see your Getter Robo's head out the window!" Four said excitedly.

"Nice! I'll see if I can get some of the stuff working, you see if there's anything still edible in here."

"How do you plan to do that?" Four asked. Ryoma didn't get a chance to answer, as the ground began to shake, as if something nearby was coming out of the ground...or rather, lots of things; Numerous Death Army troops were crawling out of the ground like zombies, not far from the Tokyo Tower. They moved at a laboriously slow pace, but it wasn't long before the first of them rounded the corner.

"Geez, and just when I was about to kick back and relax a bit," Ryoma sighed as he opened the broken window. "No rest for the wicked, I suppose." He hopped onto Black Getter's head, and slid into its mouth. As soon as it activated, Black Getter held out its hand. Four nervously hopped on, and the robot carefully moved her to the Psyco Gundam mk III's cockpit, which she entered and activated.

"Huh? These guys don't look like Invaders," Ryoma said to himself. "Finally, some variety...GETTER TOMAHAWWWWWK!"

Black Getter extended a tomahawk from its shoulders and rushed at the first incoming Death Army...

* * *

"Hey guys," Kamille said as they got closer to the Tokyo Tower area, with Zeta Gundam in its WaveRider mode. "My scanners are picking up a lot of DG Cell signals...it looks like it's originating from..."

"...Tokyo Tower? Yes, I so called it!" Tara said excitedly. She spurred Lifthrasir forward in order to get visual contact. Sure enough, she saw Black Getter and Psyco Gundam mk III fighting it out with a two-pronged force of Death Army.

"Guys, we've got Death Army grunts near Tokyo Tower!" Tara said over her communicator. "It looks like they're fight these two black machines...one of them kinda looks like a really big Gundam, the other looks like a caped Getter Robo."

"We're on our way!" Bright answered. "Until then, start dealing with those Death Army troops, and avoid any unnecessary contact with the black machines!"

Kamille, however, was stunned to see the Psyco Gundam mk III. He had only seen the original and the mk II. He dreaded considering who might be piloting it, but switched back to robot mode, and dove headlong into the melee, firing beam rifle shots as he fell.

"Hey, lemme have a go at them!" Gai called out. Shin Getter 1 split up and recombined into Shin Getter 3. As it dove, Gai grinned.

"Eat this, you creeps...GETTER MISSILE!"

The missiles launched straight downward, annihilating several Death Army in one shot.

Four and Ryoma looked up and saw Zeta Gundam and Shin Getter land.

"Kamille!" Four cried out over her communicator as she used her mech's beam saber to slash several more grunts away. At this point, Akito and Tara had arrived, and were providing firing support from the air.

"Four?! Four, you're okay!" Kamille exclaimed. "The last time I saw you was..."

"Hey, you two! Less talking, more smashing!" Ryoma yelled as he slashed down another pair of Death Army with his tomahawks before readying a Getter Beam.

But all of a sudden, the flow of troops stopped, though they could be heard massing just around the corner. Domon, who had been helping out as well, followed the path the Death Army grunts had taken. Sure enough, a massive force of them, at least a hundred in number, stood around Tokyo Tower. However, there were four Gundam Fighters hanging out by the tower itself, all of which Domon recognized, causing him to stop dead in his tracks as the others came up behind him. However, they were somewhat bigger than last time he fought them.

"Gundam Rose...Gundam Maxter...Dragon Gundam...and Bolt Gundam..." Domon gasped. "Chibodee! George! Sai Saichi! Argo!"

"Well, well, look what the cat dragged in," Chibodee, Gundam Maxter's pilot, chuckled. He was a strong, somewhat muscular Neo-American fellow with wild blue hair with a few pink bangs, while his red, white and blue Gundam resembled a boxer.

"It's our old pal Domon!" added Sai Saichi, a young Neo-Chinese boy roughly Shinji's age with black hair tied in a ponytail. His yellow and green Gundam had a heavy dragon motif to it, with one of its arms resembling a dragon's head.

"And it seems he's brought friends," said George, Neo-Frenchman with pale skin and long red hair. Bolt Gundam also approached, but Argo was content to keep his mouth shut. At that moment, the two ships, along with the Astray Blue Frame, Granlif, the three Aestivalis girls, Nu Gundam, Quebley mk II, the Methuss and ZZ Gundam, arrived.

"Ah yes, the _Nadesico _and _Ra Calium_," the voice of Master Asia rang out. Master Gundam was perched on the very pinnacle of the tower, standing on its toes and crossing its arms. "I see some familiar and new faces among you."

Somehow, Janus and Tara recognized Bolt Gundam and Master Gundam, and they recognized them. Somehow, they had memories of having Master Asia save their lives, and then fighting him. But Domon was first to address him.

"Undefeated of the East," Domon yelled; "I challenge you!"

The old martial artist smirked. "Very well...I accept! You four...help the Death Army take care of these other annoyances!"

"…With pleasure, old man!" Sai Saici said, entering a martial artist's fighting stance.

"We'll beat them to the edge of their lives, and then make them servants of the Devil Gundam!" Argo laughed.

"As for you, Domon..." Master Asia declared, "I'll just crush you where you stand!"

Before anyone could jump in to defend Domon, he stepped forward. "Everyone, you deal with the others!" he then yelled. "I'll handle Master Asia myself!"

The four DG Cell-infected Gundams sprung at DREAM's forces, and the mass of Death Army troops rushed in; meanwhile, Master Gundam and Shining Gundam began their brawl, moving away from the massive melee so they could fight without any interference.

* * *

"Hold still, you little jerk!" Puru whined as she launched her funnels at Dragon Gundam. The Neo-Chinese mech bounded away with ease, pausing on occasion to sweep them with his mech's built-in flamethrower.

"You're not gonna me with those, ya twerp!" Sai Saichi mocked.

"Then try me on for size!" Judau yelled. He rushed in with a beam saber slice, but the agile martial artist was able to dodge him.

"Heh, that's what you get for using those slow military Gundams!" the boy mocked. Judau scowled as he looked up at Sai, perched on the wall of a building. He pulled out ZZ''s beam rifle and fired. To his frustration, he had merely hit an after-image, and Dragon Gundam was lying on its side on top of another building.

"What's the matter? Come at me, bro!" Sai said, wagging his finger to beckon them closer.

* * *

_What skill... _Amuro thought as he faced down George DeSand; _Is this man a Newtype as well_?

Gundam Rose's signature weapons - the Rose Bits - were like miniature funnels. Yet to watch George so expertly manipulate so many at once was a marvel. Amuro could only manage Nu's five or so funnels...but he seemed to be controlling two or three dozen at once. Even if they were working in groups, he was still manipulating twelve separate entities.

"Come now," George chuckled. "A true warrior doesn't rely on flying minions to do his dirty work. Let's settle this like men. Draw your sword!"

The Gundams' remote weapons returned to their owners, and both drew their beam sabers. Amuro found it odd that the pilot was so interested in a fair fight even while under the control of the Devil Gundam.

_Maybe he's still in there..._ Amuro thought. _If I could draw out his true self, maybe he could overcome the DG Cell infection..._

"En guarde!" George declared. The two pilots moved in and began clashing. Unfortunately for Amuro, Gundam Rose's Mobile Trace System allowed it to have greater precision with its cuts and thrusts, and managed to land a solid hit to Nu Gundam.

"Your fencing skills are pathetic," the Neo-Frenchman laughed, "Even considering I have the power of the Devil Gundam on my side!"

"Damn you..." the ace cried. "I'll make you see you that Nu Gundam isn't just for show!"

* * *

"Heh, I never thought I'd ever see the day I'd take on the legendary street fighter Ryoma 'Tomahawk' Nagare," Chibodee said excitedly as he bounced up and down as he did while boxing.

"Oh, I'm legendary, eh?" Ryoma chuckled as Black Getter also entered a fighting stance. He didn't know what was up with his opponent, nor did he care. With the Getter Team fighting the main force, he was left alone with this opponent.

Chibodee dashed in with a left jab, which Ryoma blocked. He countered with the blades on Black Getter's forearms, which extended out further, slicing the cheek of Gundam Maxter. To Ryoma's surprise, the damage healed instantly thanks to the DG Cells.

"Oh, you can regenerate, huh? Well, I guess it's time I showed you why they called me Tomahawk."

"Just try me, bucko," Chibodee chuckled as the shoulder armor shot off Maxter and reattached onto its hands, making them appear like boxing gloves.

"GETTER TOMAHAWK!"

* * *

"Well, well, I guess Super Robots aren't all they're cracked up to be," Argo growled as Bolt Gundam and Granlif pushed against each other in a contest of strength, and Neo-Russia's Gundam Fighter seemed to be holding out more.

"Damn, this guy is strong," Janus growled. "Can you boost the output anymore, Xengar?"

"I wish I could...but this man is truly a demon!" Xengar grunted, as if straining as well. "But we must not give in!"

"Heh...yeah," Janus grunted as his muscles strained and pulsed a bit as he struggled. "I'm not gonna let this ogre...push...me...AROUND!"

Somehow, Granlif was able to overpower Bolt Gundam through Janus' sheer will. But the fighter was cunning - he let go, ducked and grabbed the white robot and caught it in a bear hug.

"I can't believe that the likes of you actually managed to strike Master Asia! You're nothing but a joke!"

But before Bolt Gundam could finish Granlif off, a flash of yellow and purple zoomed in and struck Argo in the side, forcing him to let go.

Landing near Janus was a Gundam that looked like a yellow and purple joker from a playing card deck.

"Thanks for the save, I guess."

"Do not thank me yet," a Neo-Russian woman said. "Allow me to finish off your opponent; meanwhile, you must help the King of Hearts. He refuses to admit his need for help in his battles. He has already achieved enough wins to head for the finals...he cannot afford to be destroyed now!"

"Domon? Got it. Thanks!" With that, Granlif flew off in the direction of where Domon and Master Asia were fighting.

* * *

"Man, you Newtypes are so lame!" Sai Saichi laughed as he stood over Judau and Puru, whom he had clobbered with ease. "You're all self-righteous about being more evolved humans...time for me to put you..."

Suddenly, numerous beam cannon shots rained down on Dragon Gundam, knocking it backward. A Gundam that resembled the club on a playing card deck appeared - its main body was an olive green while its limbs were red and yellow.

"Children, leave this errant soul to me," a Neo-Chinese man spoke. "You must aid the King of Hearts in his battle! As long as he refuses to truly accept his companions, he can never defeat Master Asia! Hurry!"

"Right...come on, Puru!" The Quebley mk II and ZZ Gundam sped off to Domon's location.

* * *

Amuro watched as a roaring flame blasted Gundam Rose out of the way, and a Gundam resembling a Jack on a playing card deck, with two diamonds attached to its shoulders.

"Amuro Ray, you still have much to accomplish. Leave this youngster to me and save Domon Kasshu! Even if it means interfering with his battle, he must not perish!"

"Yes; thank you, whoever you are," the Newtype said gratefully as he took off.

* * *

A rain of knives sent Chibodee crashing into a nearby pile of rubble just before he could deal a knockout blow to Black Getter. Landing near the black mech was an orange, blue and pale yellow Gundam with shoulders resembling spades on playing cards.

"Thanks for the save, but I could have handled him just fine," Ryoma said in an annoyed tone.

"You who hold evolution's path in your hand," a Neo-American spoke from within, "You must keep the King of Hearts safe. Hurry to his side, lest Master Asia take his life!"

"Sure, whatever," Ryoma sighed. "I was getting bored of this guy anyway."

The Gundam turned towards the regenerating Chibodee, and its pilot sighed.

"Youngster...with the last of my power I will free your mind and body, and place upon you the crest that shines on my hand..."

* * *

Unsurprisingly, Domon was in struggling to even land a single blow on Master Gundam.

"What's the matter?" Master Asia mocked. "Where's that confidence I saw earlier?"

"Damn you..." Domon grunted as Shining Gundam got to its feet. Master Gundam readied yet another beam cloth.

"I'll make this quick, Domon," the old man said. "It shall be my last act of compassion towards you!" The martial artist whipped the cloth over his head, then lashed out with it as it spiraled towards him, its edge pointed like a drill. Domon winced.

But then a blast of Gran Fire shot forth, burning the beam cloth to ashes. Granlif landed. Then several beam rifle shots struck the stunned Master Asia, with the Quebley mk II, ZZ and Nu Gundams joining in. Finally, a black streak rushed in and fired numerous pink beams. Black Getter skidded to a stop and joined the group. Domon was thankful that he had just been saved, but was frustrated that he had to be saved at all.

"Curse you! How dare you interfere with our battle!" Master Asia roared.

Before Master Gundam could attack, four great flashes of light and explosions of energy burst forth from various areas around the ruined city. Then a fifth flash appeared, and the four Gundams that had appeared out of nowhere now stood before them, each one carrying the corresponding Gundam Fighter's mech.

Master Asia recognized every one of the four.

"You fools! You would sacrifice yourselves to return them to normal?!" he cried. "Have you truly given up on trying to defeat me?!"

The four said nothing, but their eyes were those of determination and just resolve. The four Gundams began to shine brightly as the pilots transferred their great energy and power to the ones they had chosen to succeed them.

When the light faded, the four mysterious Gundams had turned into statues, which soon began to crumble and fall apart, dropping their successors to the ground.

"Man, and we never even knew their names," Janus gasped.

"Black Joker...Ace of Clubs...Jack of Diamonds...Queen of Spades..." Master Asia said quietly as he picked up one of the heads. "FOOLS, ALL OF THEM!"

"Master!" Domon cried out as he watched his teacher crush the stone Gundam head with his hand. As he watched this, he became consumed with rage as his pilot suit began to glow red as well.

"Those fools threw away their lives to save a bunch of brats!" the old martial artist cackled. "All they've done is make my work easier!"

Shining Gundam began to open its hatches as it began to shine gold and a burning red. Domon, with a furious, hot-blooded cry, lunged at Master Asia and grabbed his Gundam's face with a Shining Finger.

With another loud cry, golden energy blasted forth from Shining Gundam's hand in the form of a massive beam that consumed Tokyo Tower in a massive explosion that blew everyone else away. Master Gundam was forced to the side, and quickly took off.

_So that is Shining Gundam's Super Mode..._ Master Asia thought as he took off into the distance. _I'd best be more careful with him in the future..._

* * *

On board the _Ra Calium_'s medical ward, George DeSand was the first to awaken from the sleep that came after being freed from possession by DG Cells. Sure enough, Domon and Rain were there watching over them. The other three woke up within seconds of each other.

"Huh? Where are we?" Chibodee exclaimed as he looked around.

"We're aboard the _Ra Calium_. You were possessed by DG Cells," Rain answered, "But were freed thanks to the Shuffle Alliance."

Sai Saici looked down at his hand. "Whoa! I've got a crest on my hand kinda like Domon's!" Sure enough, the back of his palm was emblazoned with the crest that had been on Lee's hand - the Ace of Clubs.

"It looks we all inherited the Crests from the ones who saved our lives," Argo said as he looked at his hand, which now bore the crest of the Black Joker.

"That makes us the new Shuffle Alliance, then," George said. He bore the crest of the Jack of Diamonds.

"Yep," Chibodee, who held out the crest of the Queen of Spades, "And I, for one, am NOT gonna let those old geezers' sacrifices go to waste! I guess we better join your little merry band here, then."

"That's great! We'd love to have you four as members of DREAM," Rain said with a smile. Domon smiled and nodded. It was good to have some more familiar faces on the ships now.

* * *

"I see...that's quite a story," Benkei said as he listened to Ryoma and Four tell him, Hayato, Kamille, Fa and the Getter Team about everything that had happened.

Hayato nodded. "How ironic that Getter Rays removed the negative effects of this girl's brainwashing when it could have just as easily shattered her mind further. What's more, the benefits she got were left behind."

"I'm just glad to know you're okay, Four," Kamille said happily. "But I'm surprised you choose to continue piloting a Psyco Gundam. I honestly wish you wouldn't."

"Heh, you say that like you're attached to her or something," Ryoma chuckled.

"Better watch out, Fa," Kei joked, "Or she might steal Kamille from you!" Fa glared at Kamille, who felt her put psychic pressure on him. The young man winced as she got closer, and he ran away in fear, not wanting to suffer the wrath of a woman scorned.

_Ah, too be young and angry again, _Hayato thought.

* * *

_Alrighty, that's done. Next time, we'll officially get another series started. I think I'll kick off _Hades Project Zeorymer_ next! Until then...see ya, mecha fans!_


	51. Chapter 36

_It's time to officially get the Zeorymer plot underway! Man, I've been itching for this one. Also a smidgen of Shin Mazinger plot!_

* * *

**Chapter 36 – Fire, Photon Beam! The Winds vs. the Heavens!**

Weeks had gone by since Masato Akitsu had been thrown into that tiny prison cell. His only way of marking the passage of time was the arrival of his three-times-daily bowl of watery gruel. At first, he had refused it, but by the fourth day, he succumbed to his hunger and ate it, trying his hardest not to gag. In between meals, he tried his hardest to amuse himself, but nothing worked...the teen slowly felt his mind slipping.

Then one day, just as Masato was at the depth of his despair, the door was opened, and the man with sunglasses, along with a Federation agent.

"So, you up for a little trip to Earth?" the man in sunglasses asked.

Masato was put in handcuffs with an unusually long cord in between them. He was then escorted out of the jail, only to be stuffed into a transport vessel that headed to Earth.

Every moment during the trip, he just sat and thought, not even bothering to look out the window at the beauty of the starry void. The only time he ever looked up was when the mysterious girl brought him some water and a small bag of nuts. He ate them without a word, not even one of thanks.

When they arrived on Earth after nearly sixteen hours, Masato was stuffed into an old van, where he was again forced to sit and wait. Two guards and the man with sunglasses sat with him, the latter sitting directly across from him.

"So, I see you've been dieting," the man said with a hint of derision in his voice.

Finally, after so many hours, Masato finally dared to speak up.

"Where are we going?" he asked quietly.

"Can't say," the man in sunglasses answered.

"Where are we now?" Masato then asked.

"Shut your yap, you talk too much," one of the guards said. The van bumped a rock as it sped along.

Masato suddenly lashed out, striking one of the guards, then with terrifyingly expert skill, wrapped the cord on his cuffs around the guard's neck and pulled his hands apart, slowly strangling the man.

"Okay, I really feel like killing people now," Masato said with a devious chuckle. "A lot of people...that's what you wanted, right?" He kicked the back door of the van open.

"So, you plan to escape?" the man in sunglasses said, surprisingly unconcerned. Masato, summoning up the strength that came during an adrenaline rush, threw the guard he was strangling at the other before leaping out of the car.

"Stop!" the other guard yelled. He took aim and fired...and by some fluke, the bullet severed the cord binding Masato's hands together. He tumbled out onto the road and immediately took off running. He never bothered to look back, but if he had, he would have noticed the man in sunglasses and the two guards had never even bothered to follow him.

* * *

Masato, after what seemed like days of non-stop running, found himself in the forest of Aokigahara, the last great wooded area in the old nation of Japan. Feeling he had eluded his captors, he sat down and sighed with relief.

But his relief didn't last long. Barely a moment after he had sat down, the ground underneath him gave way, and he tumbled down into a long, metal-lined pit. He screamed as he fell, and soon saw a whole mess of machinery, and a great yellow orb below him.

_Oh no...I'm gonna hit!_

But then the orb flashed, and inexplicably his descent suddenly, but gently slowed down, and he came to a stop, floating in mid-air, right above the orb.

As he got his bearings, he heard a familiar voice address him over a loudspeaker.

"Welcome to Last Guardian, Masato Akitsu."

He looked up and saw the same girl and the same man in sunglasses standing outside.

"W-what are you going to do with me?" he asked fearfully. She smiled pleasantly at him.

"You're going to be the pilot of Zeorymer," she answered in a gentle tone.

That name again. Why was it so familiar?

"What the hell is Zeorymer?" he asked.

"It's all around you," the girl replied. "Look."

He looked up and around, and saw what appeared to be the parts for a large robot - an upper torso and head, two arms, a pair of legs, and a lower torso.

"That's Zeorymer?!" Masato exclaimed, dumbfounded. "And I'm to be its pilot?"

"That was what you were born to be," the man in sunglasses replied coldly.

* * *

Further searching turned up absolutely nothing. DREAM concluded that if the Devil Gundam had been there, it was long gone - perhaps it had stationed troops there to lure those looking for it into a trap. Obviously, there was no way they could know, so they opted to drop their pursuit and instead report to the nearest Federation supply depot to restock before heading out into space to try and deal with Neo Zeon.

Meanwhile, the four newly minted Shuffle Alliance members, along with Ryoma and Four, took this opportunity to get to know their new teammates.

It didn't take long for Ryoma to run into Tara on the _Nadesico_, who nodded off on the couch in one of the lounges whilst reading a manga. He frowned at this behavior - how was this group going to survive if they kept dozing off?

But as Ryoma started to walk around to the other side, the sound of his heavy boots stirred her from her sleep, making him pause.

"Hey lazybones, get your ass out of that couch," he said. "Sleep on your own time."

But Tara's face suddenly went pale as she looked at Ryoma. Something buried deep in her unconscious told her to be terrified of this man.

The nightmare appeared in her mind's eye again.

She let out a small cry, turned over and buried her face in the couch cushion, praying that this man, whose mere presence frightened her to her very soul, would go away.

_What's her problem? _Ryoma thought. _Eh, whatever...better find the kitchen - I didn't have a chance to eat anything for the past few days._

* * *

"I must apologize for my behavior earlier, miladies," George said as he and Chibodee formally presented themselves before Princesses Nunnally and Euphemia. "I'm afraid that DG Cell possession makes one behavior rather...unbecoming. Tell me, what place do you hail from, my ladies?"

"Britannia," Euphemia said rather innocently. Both Gundam Fighters looked at each other as if Euphemia was crazy.

"I'm sorry, but I've never heard of such a country," George replied courteously "Perhaps you mean Britain. As in Neo-England."

"Well, we're...um...how do we put this..." Nunnally said, realizing that these men weren't fully aware of the two worlds. "We're not exactly from THIS Earth."

"Come again?" Chibodee exclaimed. "You seem to be implying that there's more than one Earth."

"I guess no one explained it to you," Euphemia said with a giggle. "This ship and much of its crew come from a universe that is connected to yours by something called a Threshold."

"Okay. So where is your Britannia?" Chibodee laughed. "I guess it's a pretty small country."

"I just so happen to carry a map with me," George said. "So that I can keep track of the nations whose Gundams I've defeated." The Neo-Frenchman pulled out a paper map and laid it down on the table in between the two girls. "Can you find your country?"

"Sure," Euphie replied. She picked up a nearby pencil and began to draw on the map. She ended up circling the entire Western Hemisphere, the Arabian Peninsula and then Japan. Chibodee's jaw dropped.

"Lady Liberty's nose, are you the princesses of some sort of empire?" he exclaimed.

"Yes," Euphie replied cordially. "The Holy Britannian Empire. It was formed not long after the failed Washington Rebellion, and the later migration of the imperial ancestry to the colonies after Napoleon took over what are now the British Isles."

Chibodee couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"So, let me get this straight...the British actually WON that war?! There's NO AMERICA?! NO LAND OF THE FREE?! NO HOME OF THE BRAVE?!"

"Oh ho, so it seems Waterloo went in Napoleon's favor then," George said smugly.

"Mm-hm. I believe it was the Duke of Britannia who persuaded one of the dissident leaders, a man named Benjamin Franklin, to defect to their side..."

"...Not Benjamin Franklin!" Chibodee cried, collapsing to his knees and weeping. "Benedict Arnold, I could understand...but _Benjamin Franklin_?!" Nunnally and Euphie didn't expect anyone to have such an over-reaction to an event that happened centuries ago.

"Forgive me the man...it's not every day that one learns one's country never existed," George said with the slightest hint of smugness in his tone.

* * *

"Oh man, this is stuff is the BEST!" Sai Saichi said between mouthfuls of Akito's famous Martian Bowl. Domon had introduced the young Gundam Fighter to the delicious dish, and just as Neo-Japan's Gundam Fighter fell in love with the dish, so did Neo-China's.

"You really should start your own restaurant, Akito Tenkawa," Argo, who sat at the far end of the counter, said after he calmly sipped a spoonful of borscht, a red beetroot soup that was popular in both universes to Eastern Europeans. "I haven't had borscht this good since I was put in prison - and your shashlik is nothing to sneeze at, either. It's cooked to a perfect tenderness!"

"I guess there's a lot more in common with our worlds than we thought," Akito replied. "But obviously there are plenty of things that are different.

"Like the Gundam Fight," Basara chimed in. "I can't say I'm a hundred percent for it, but it's a heck of a lot better than settling our problems by throwing bombs at each other."

"That's what bugs me about Zeon," Sai Saichi said. "If they want to be independent, why don't they just field a Gundam in the Gundam Fight? If they win, they can do what they want, right?"

"Zeon doesn't work that way, Sai Saichi," Argo answered after taking a bite of the meat on his plate. "They look down on us...and..."

Suddenly, the alarms started sounding, indicating that there were enemy forces nearby, and that any available units were ordered to scramble...

* * *

Mazinger Z, Combattler V, Black Getter, Bolt Gundam, Gundam Maxter, Shin Getter, Lifthrasir, King Kittan, Grendizer and SUMO Gold all awaited the incoming enemies.

"We're confirming visual contact...looks like...Dr. Hell's forces!" Bright called out. Indeed, coming over the next hill was an army of Talos, with an unusual flying monstrosity - a bulky blue, red, silver and yellow robot with a head that vaguely resembled Combattler V's and wings with jet engines on them.

"But we defeated him already, am I wrong?!" Daisuke exclaimed.

"Just as I've got my counterpart, Dr. Hell has one here too, as does Baron Ashura," Kouji replied. "And there's another guy who works for this world's Dr. Hell as well..."

"I wanna know whose bright idea it was to rip off of Combattler V!" Hyoma said, annoyed.

"Kouji Kabuto! We meet at last!" a sinister voice called out, one quite different from Baron Ashura's. It belonged to another of Dr. Hell's living golems - a man in a military uniform that carried around its still living severed head, which bore a thin mustache; a very short beard on his chin; wild, unkempt hair; and finally, a red monocle over his left eye. He too, was manning a Ghoul battlefortress.

"Count Brocken!" Kouji shouted back.

Argo scowled a bit when he recognized the name.

"You know that guy, Argo?" Chibodee said, surprised.

"Brocken was one of the members of the Titans during the Gryps Conflict, back when I was still a pirate. He's the one who captured me and handed me over to the Neo-Russian authorities."

"Argo Gulskii? Is that you?!" Brocken exclaimed. "My, my, what a small world this is! Not only do I find Kouji Kabuto, but the notorious space pirate whose capture was the pride of my old life! And to think, I thought I would only get to destroy Last Guardian today! Groizer X-10! Talos! Attaaaaack!"

"Count! There's a powerful energy signature coming from the east!"

Swooping from the skies to the east was a silvery, vaguely humanoid mech with blue wings, a red scalp and numerous fins on its arms, legs and shoulders. On its chest was a yellow glowing orb, as well as two horns that stuck out of its head. All of the other combatants stopped to see this newcomer.

It was Lanstar of the Winds, piloted by Taiha, one of the Hakkeshu pilots of Hau Dragon, and he had finally located his prey, only to find two other forces meeting.

"Ah, it looks like I'll have a chance to warm up before I destroy Zeorymer," Taiha chuckled. "But perhaps I should deal with those two ships first...something tells me they're going to be bothersome." With that, Lanstar charged at DREAM. Lifthrasir was the only one fast enough to meet Lanstar in combat, and managed to lure it away from the rest of her companions.

"How interesting...the dove thinks it can challenge the eagle," Taiha chuckled as he moved in to attack, wrapping one of its arms in wind.

"I dunno, I always thought of myself as more of a snowy owl." Tara replied as she prepared Lifthrasir's beam tonfas.

The two mechs collided as tonfa met tornado with great force. However, Lanstar's greater size made it difficult for her to push him back. Finally, he landed a solid hit, sending Lifthrasir spiraling away...

* * *

It was getting to be quite an annoying pattern – the grunts would fall easily enough, but the big man on campus would prove to be a major obstacle.

Groizer X-10 would fly back and forth while dropping bombs from high above, . Anyone who got past the seemingly endless barrage of bombs and tried to attack directly got a nasty shock when they tried to get close. Bolt Gundam and Gundam Maxter had already succumbed to the rain of explosives, much to their embarassment.

"Hold still, ya flying brick!" Ryoma bellowed. "GETTER BEEEEEAAAM!"

Ryoma's beam struck dead on, but did little more than singe its body. The menace retaliated with another volley of bombs.

"Fools! Anything beneath Groizer X-10 will be destroyed!" Brocken cackled. "Anything that gets too close will be fried! Your pathetic resistance is meaningless!"

"Come in, Kouji Kabuto," a woman's voice suddenly spoke to him through his communicator. "Come in."

"Huh? W-who are you? Now's not the best time to..."

"Listen to me," the woman's voice said coldly. "If you wish to live, you must use the Photon Beam."

Kouji had no idea who this woman was, or that if he listened, he would only be throwing himself into the hellfire of even greater battles.

"Eat this!" King Kittan yelled. He fired at the Mechabeast's engines, and actually managed to destroy one. Unfortunately, Brocken was prepared for just such an occasion.

"Groizer X-10! Descend upon these fools and their two ships!" Brocken ordered; "Destroy them AND Last Guardian!"

Groizer did a loop-de-loop which went straight into a steep dive.

"Kouji Kabuto! Answer me!" the woman yelled.

Mazinger Z's pilot now realized he had no choice, what with Groizer X-10 on a suicide run with enough explosives still in its body to make a crater ten miles wide.

"Okay...what do I do?"

"Now, follow my instructions...you must first find a knob on the left weapons panel that you haven't used yet."

Kouji looked around, and indeed, he noticed a knob that had escaped his attention up until now. It was a red knob with a little pointer arrow, with an arc divided into eight sections above it, and four wires extended out of it, threading their way into the dark. The knob automatically moved forward for ease of access.

"Okay, I see it."

"Next, lock on to the target."

Kouji quickly used his other instruments to get a lock on the falling Mechabeast.

"Locked on!"

"Good," the woman's voice replied. "Now, without pressing the dial, turn it all the way to the right."

"All the way?" Kouji echoed.

"Yes, all the way, you dunce!"

Kouji turned the knob as far to the right as he could. As he turned it, the colors slowly shifted from blue to green, then to yellow, then to orange, then to a deep orange, and finally to red. Mazinger Z started to emit yellow energy from the gaps in its body with greater and greater gusto as the dial was turned up more and more.

"Amazing...what power!"

"Now...FIRE!"

Kouji let out the loudest scream he could muster...

"PHOTOON BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAMM !"

Unlike the Photon Beam of the Flourishing World Mazingers, this Mazinger's beam erupted with terrifying force - rivaling, if not exceeding, the power of Mazinkaiser's Fire Blaster. It struck Groizer with immense force, significantly slowing its descent – but stopping it was the objective.

Luckily, DREAM was never one to let a single member do all the work.

"Kouji, hang in there!" Kei cried as Shin Getter rushed to Mazinger's aid. It unleashed a Getter Beam, causing Groizer's descent to slow down even more.

"Put your back into it, or we're all screwed!" Ryoma yelled. Black Getter came in next and unleashed a Getter Beam of its own. Groizer's descent was now the speed of a falling feather.

"Ha, I've held up monstrosities ten times this thing's size!" Daisuke said eagerly, "Harry, let's assist them!"

"Understood!" Harry bellowed. Grendizer and SUMO Gold rushed in and unleashed a Gravity Storm and I-Field Barrier. Finally, the Mechabeast's descent came to a complete stop.

"We've stopped its descent," Go said. "But now it must be destroyed!"

"Yeah, it's no good if the things blows up this close to the ground," Ryoma added.

"Everyone, push your output to its limit!" Daisuke yelled. All of the pilots working to keep Groizer from crashing down put their weapons to their maximum output, and started to push the Mechabeast back upwards and destroying its armor.

"Hurry, hurry! Evade! Evaaaaaaaade!" Brocken cried. But Groizer's armor failed, and all the explosives still inside it went off all at once, causing it to erupt in a catastrophic fireball...

* * *

The explosion merely served a backdrop to Lifthrasir's and Lanstar's duel, which wasn't going Tara's way at all.

"Hey, Xemmey," Tara said as she righted the mech after another major blow; "Remember that power boost that we got during the fight with EI-01? Think you can whip that out again? I don't think I can beat this guy solo without it."

"It's impossible at the moment. I'm not quite sure as to why, but I'm sure you need a source of immense amounts of energy...unfortunately, this mech is incompatible with any that I know of."

"I've wasted enough time toying with you," Taiha said. "Now, it ends...BONE GALE!"

But before Lanstar could attack, he saw a hatch open up out in the distance. From the hole rose another robot of similar make to the Hakkeshu mech, but its wings were much smaller. Its body was also much bulkier, and in addition to the yellow orb in its chest, there were two more, one on each hand. It had a single straight horn coming out of the top of its head instead of two curved ones.

"Zeorymer of the Heavens...there you are!" Taiha exclaimed, now completely ignoring Tara. The girl might have taken the opportunity to get Lanstar in the back, but Xemmey was too busy scanning the new entrant to the conflict.

"Amazing...it has the same AI melding system as the XEM-00 does," Xemmey gasped. "The XNG-0A possesses the same system!"

"You mean..."

"Yes. Like Lifthrasir and Granlif, that machine seems to require two pilots, one AI and one human, to perform at maximum power. However, as you know, I am able to interface with Lifthrasir without ever leaving my android body...it doesn't seem like this one has that feature."

Meanwhile, inside Zeorymer, Masato looked out at Lanstar from the cockpit. The mech was extremely large, at least as tall as the Evangelions.

"A...Another robot?!" he exclaimed.

"Yes," the girl said, her voice coming from the robot's computer now. "That is one of the Hakkeshu robots...our enemy."

"What?! And you expect me to fight that thing?!" Masato cried. "There's no way I can beat it!"

"Yes, together we can!" the girl replied.

"Enough!" Taiha yelled. "It's taken fifteen years to perfect Lanstar of the Winds...it won't lose to that junk pile...now, BONE GAAAAALE!" Lanstar fired a pair of powerful whirlwinds from two small but powerful fans inside its upper arms, pushing Zeorymer back.

Masato strained against the force, and his hand reflexively pulled back on the lever he had grabbed, which made Zeorymer stand tall even against the super-powerful winds.

"Wow, that thing's powerful!" Tara exclaimed as she backed Lifthrasir away from the battle. "I wonder who its pilot is..."

"No, it's started moving..." Taiha growled. "BLADE WIND!" Lanstar fired a pair of large, razor-sharp blades of air at Zeorymer.

Suddenly, Masato felt himself black out, as someone else suddenly took over his body. There was very little obvious change in him, but his expression became less fearful and more sinister.

Zeorymer lurched back, dodging the attack, and then taking off into the air. Lanstar followed, and rushed in to punch its foe, who counterattacked with a punch of its own. The two began pushing and wrestling each other for a bit, until finally Lanstar took off.

"So...this is the power of the Heavens," Taiha said, as his thoughts momentarily turned to Yuratei, his beloved. "But...I must not retreat...I will not give up...in the name of our love, I will NOT be defeated!"

"DEATH DRAGON TYPHOOOOON!"

Six whirlwinds burst out of Lanstar, and formed into the vague shape of a serpentine dragon's head before rushing at Zeorymer. The mech couldn't escape the super storm and was engulfed in it, raising it higher and higher. Confident in his victory, Taiha spurred Lanstar into a charge.

But Masato's other self smirked.

"I got him..."

He pressed several buttons on his control panel, causing the orbs on Zeorymer's body to glow brightly. It raised its hands up and thrust its chest out. Then it sharply hit the two orbs together, immediately surrounding a huge area around it in bright light.

As Lanstar rushed in, it suddenly started breaking apart. Taiha cried out with a righteous fury, but just before he could reach Zeorymer, the Hakkeshu mech exploded in a massive and debris filled blast, as if it had spontaneously exploded.

"I won...I won..." Masato's alternate personality chuckled before switching back to his original one. He looked around, wondering what had happened, and how he knew to do all that.

"Um...what the hell just happened?" Tara said, staring in shock. She snapped out of it and called out to the pilot of Zeorymer. "Hey, whoever is piloting that thing? I gotta say, nice job! "

As this happened, the nearby mountain suddenly opened up, as if inviting them to enter.

* * *

"Thanks for offering to resupply us," Bright said to the man in sunglasses when the two ships had landed inside the hangar at Last Guardian headquarters, which was hidden inside the mountain. "And your name was..?"

"Just call me Oki," the man in sunglasses replied. "The girl here is Miku Himuro, who serves as the secondary pilot of Zeorymer. This is Masato Akitsu, who serves as Zeorymer's pilot."

"A pleasure to meet you," Miku said pleasantly.

"So, I've heard of your exploits, Captain Bright Noa and Commander Amuro Ray," Oki continued. "Your group, Londo Bell, is one of the Federation's greatest fighting forces, if I'm not mistaken"

"Yes, but Zeorymer's power is immense," Amuro replied. "It surely exceeds the power of any three members of our own forces put together. To have such an ally would be very beneficial to our cause."

_Hmmm...Last Guardian is a bit strapped for funding, _Oki thought, _perhaps if I show it off in battle against Neo Zeon, the military..._

"I don't see why not," the government agent replied. "We'll have our ways of keeping tabs on Zeorymer and its pilots, of course."

Miku smiled at Masato, who awkwardly smiled back.

* * *

_Dang it, another rushed chapter. Well, hopefully it turned out good. I dunno what is with me and having team efforts in stopping falling objects..._


	52. Chapter 37

_And now, it is time to start some UC Gundam plot, as well as some Turn A Gundam plot... or at least my interpretation of it._

* * *

**Chapter 37 – Spies At Dinner! Moon and Axis Are Allies!**

Char could always depend on his contacts in the Federation government to give him the latest information - and the information he just got came just at the right time - Londo Bell, who had disappeared into a strange portal several weeks ago, had returned. But they were a factor that would be accounted for in the grand scheme of things. He needed to plan the attack with his immediate subordinate, Haman Khan. And it was for that purpose that the two met on the back porch of Haman's lovely Axis mansion.

Of course, Haman had her own agenda, which she kept in mind at all times, even as she relaxed on the porch of Char's mansion, chatting with him over important manners over a nice pitcher of iced tea.

"Lord Char, have you thought about how beautiful the Earth once was?" she said as she gazed out at the lovely scenery. This immediately took Char by surprise - barely a few months ago, she had openly referred to Earth as a "wretched mud-ball". This sudden change in tone immediately made him wonder what had happened.

"Yes, the Earth was once beautiful, I suppose," he replied. "But thanks to the Federation and the Gundam Fight, it's the way it is now."

"I won't dance around my point," Haman said decisively, leaning towards him. "Char, I think that even if the Earth's gravity weighs our souls down as we both agree it does, is it not our mother? Doesn't the way the Federation treats it as a battle ring sicken you?"

The leader of Neo Zeon took another sip from his glass and placed it on the table between them.

"Lord Char, the Federation is not merely the enemy of Neo Zeon...it is the enemy of planet Earth itself!" Haman said, putting her own glass on the table and getting to her feet. "As Newtypes, the mature children of our precious mother, cannot turn a blind eye as those whose souls are bound by her gravity continue to eat away at her! If we do, we are just as guilty as the Federation!"

"You are all talk right now, Haman. You need a plan."

"That's what we met to discuss, didn't we? Well, I can only offer one suggestion: have Fifth Luna collide with one of the Neo Colonies, and teach those arrogant souls the punishment for abusing the Earth and denying us Spacenoids our right to independence."

"And if the Federation remains unwilling to heed our message?"

"Drop Axis on Neo Hong Kong during the Gundam Fight Finals," Haman replied with a smirk. "What better way to usher in the end of the Federation's infection than during its day of greatest celebration? The nuclear winter will wipe out any survivors that do not flee to space."

"That's all very well and good, but what about the Neo Colonies themselves?" Char said, standing up as well. "Their inhabitants live here in space."

"All of the colony leaders come down to Earth to watch the Gundam Fight Finals. When they're all wiped out in one fell swoop, we can conquer the other colonies while they're panicking...and to aid in that effort, perhaps we could enlist the aid of the Lunar Kingdom."

Char remembered Agrippa Maintainer and his pleas to join forces...as well as his mention of a weapon stronger than even a Colony Laser or a Super Robot.

"I'll see what I can do...but for now, we can move forward as planned."

* * *

Rossiu and a few of his assistants descended down the elevator to the deepest part of Lordgenome's old fortress. The room they found at the bottom was dark, save for a single barely glowing tube of liquid in the center. There was a thick mass in the center of it, but the darkness hid its nature from view. Bubbles rose in clusters up the tube, indicating that a gas of some kind was being channeled into it as well.

As they stepped inside, numerous green lights came on, and a low hum filled the room, causing the tube to glow more brightly, revealing the mass inside: it was a human head attached to countless wires. The head was wrinkled and bald, but hardly that of a weak, aging mortal. The shocked out goatee was still thick and full.

"We did it...the biocomputer has been activated," one of Rossiu's assistants said.

"Well done," Rossiu replied before turning to the head. "Awaken, Lordgenome, the man who once protected humanity."

The head was indeed that of the feared Spiral King. But now it had been attached to a powerful computer system, and as a mere head sealed inside a vat, could do no harm. Lordgenome slowly opened his eyes, which had a spiral in them - this was the mark of one who had drunk deep of Spiral Power. He then let out a yawn, as if he had been woken up from a nap.

"Just as you predicted, the Humanity Extermination System is starting up."

"And in a panic, you bring the dead back from hell," Lordgenome replied.

"You are simply a bio-computer created using Lordgenome's cells. I won't question your responsibilities from your previous existence. But tell me, was Nia's prophecy true? Is the moon truly going to fall on us?"

Lordgenome closed his eyes, as if processing something.

"The moon is only half of the threat."

"So, what's the other half?" Rossiu asked.

"The other half of the Humanity Extermination System is an entity that humanity itself has given form, but the Anti-Spiral have given their blessing."

"And?" Rossiu demanded.

"That is all I know," Lordgenome replied. "But it seems your mind is made up already. I doubt my words have changed your intentions."

* * *

Masato and Miku, like just about all of the newcomers to the group, were run through the informal initiation process of joining DREAM - watching an episode of _Gekiganger 3 _and tasting Akito's cooking. But the two opted to stay on the _Ra Calium_, where Dianna, Loran and Harry also chose to stay.

Zeorymer's pilots went to check up on the mech in the hangar, and it just so happened that Masato happened to lay eyes on the Turn A Gundam.

"Miku...I think I know that robot from somewhere," Masato said. "Just like how I knew Zeorymer. Why would I know that machine? It's not related to the Hakkeshu at all."

However, Miku's attention was diverted to somewhere else. She saw Leeron wheeling what appeared to be a boxers-sporting robotic skeleton into another part of the hangar on a two tiered cart, with the lower one holding a bucket. with Yoko and Janus following behind. Yoko was holding a long cord that was running out from Gurren Lagann's head, while Janus held a black disc. Curious, she turned off in another direction in order to follow them...

* * *

"This is another of your 'side projects', Leeron?" Yoko quipped as the mechanical genius prepared. "You haven't told anyone about this."

"What did you think I was doing while you were out in battle, silly?" Leeron replied. "I found this thing in Lordgenome's scrap pile right next to where Granlif was. I figured it was related, so I took it along. Then when I saw Xemmey as an android, I knew exactly how it worked! Of course, I made my own additions...Jan, before I forget, can you insert the disk into the slot on its chest?"

"But if this thing is like Xemmey," Janus replied as he did so, "It's kinda missing...you know, everything that isn't its skeleton?"

Leeron pulled the bucket from under the cart and turned it over. Unceremoniously, a viscous goop the same color as a fair-skinned human began to flow out, and quickly began to cover and cling to the inactive skeleton.

"Okay...what did that accomplish?" Janus said, wondering just what sort of crazy stunt Leeron was trying to pull.

"You'll see," the mechanic replied eagerly. "Yoko, be a doll and plug that cord into his head, would you, puhleaz?"

"Won't this fry the android's circuits or damage the disk?" Yoko replied as she hesitantly plugged the cord into the socket on the small robot's head.

"Girl, this is Spiral Power we're talking about; Simon can make it do what he wants it to do! Speaking of which...hit it, hon!"

Back in the hangar, Simon, hearing Leeron's call, revved Gurren Lagann's Spiral Engine, which was connected to the android. The Spiral Power traveled down the cord and entered the android's body. The viscous goo began to wobble and quake, then it began to attach to the skeleton, forming artificial skin, muscles and even hair.

Meanwhile, the head began to form into a familiar face - it was the same face as that of Xengar, the floating head who served as Janus' AI companion. Before long, it had formed into an anatomically correct human, right down to the extras in the groin. Its decency was kept thanks to Leeron's foresight to give it underwear.

Miku watched this whole spectacle in shock. What on earth was this Leeron person doing with THOSE secrets?

After the goo had finished forming around the skeleton and had sufficiently hardened (which happened very quickly), the android began to hum and whir a bit. Yoko and Janus looked on intently, which Leeron simply got an eyeful of the well chiseled body.

Finally, the android's eyes opened, causing Leeron to raise his arms to the heavens, and laugh maniacally while it sat up.

"IT'S ALIVE! IT'S ALIIIIIIIIIIIVE!" he cackled.

"Ungh...where am I...Wait a minute, this isn't the cockpit of the XNG-0A!" the newly activated android exclaimed.

"Welcome to the real world, you big hunk of man-droid, you!" Leeron said with a swoon.

"Hey, buddy," Janus said. "You've got a body now, thanks to Leeron here."

Xengar examined his new form, seeing how everything worked. After a moment, the android slid off the cart and onto his feet. He walked around a bit, with a perfectly natural gait.

"Wow...if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were a real human," Yoko commented. "And a real lady-killer, too."

"Let's get you some new threads, and then Jan here will show you off!" the mechanic said excitedly. "And it just so happens that I have some!"

Miku quickly left, hoping she hadn't been seen.

* * *

"That's what you said, Puru?" Judau asked Puru with Amuro and Bright present on the _Ra Calium_'s bridge. "Char's going to talk with the Lunar Kingdom about an alliance?"

"Uh-huh," the girl replied. "One of Char's men told it to me."

"Is that so?" Bright said thoughtfully. "Do they think you're spying on us?"

"Yup!" Puru said with a giggle. "But I just want to be with big brother Judau, and not with that mean old Haman!"

"Okay, listen, Puru," Bright continued; "I know it may not seem right, but I need you to lie about what we're up to, and tell us any information they tell you."

"Hey, you're asking her to LIE to them?!" Judau protested angrily. "Of course, we can't just tell them what we're doing, but still, it would be better if she just didn't say anything! Puru, just..."

"Judau, I don't like using tricks like these either," Amuro said, shaking his head. "But Char wants to ruin the Earth and make it completely uninhabitable! If there's a way we can stop Char or get him to change his mind, then we have to do whatever it takes to find it out."

"Okay," Puru said with a sigh. "Haman's gonna meet with some guys named Ghingnham and Maintainer at the Lunar Kingdom's capital...um...I think it's in two days."

"I see," Bright said with a nod. "Well, thank you, Puru. You may yet save countless lives with what you just told us."

* * *

The _Ra Calium _and _Nadesico _successfully launched into space, and headed for the Lunar Kingdom on the dark side of the moon.

But after some discussion amongst themselves and further investigation of the matter, DREAM's members arrived at the conclusion that a direct assault was not the best of plans. The negotiations were being held in the royal palace itself under the pretense of a gala celebrating an initiation of trade relations between the two powers; and there would be innocent civilians.

Instead, a select group would pose as guests and see if they could pick up any information to exactly how Neo Zeon and the Lunar Kingdom would be working together.

"Since the head of Anaheim Electronics is going, I'll go," Akatsuki said confidently. "As his business partner, I'm sure he will vouch for me."

"I'll go!" Puru said. "They all think I'm a Zeon soldier, so they'll let me in for sure!"

"As for anyone else," Bright said. "We need to pick individuals who they would have reasonable doubt to consider possible spies. That probably disqualifies just about anyone from this world..."

* * *

Eventually, the remaining infiltrators were chosen, a grand total of six, to cover the most ground. On top of Puru and Akatsuki, Tara, Janus, Yurika and Akito were also chosen. However, Loran, who knew the capital and the palace like the back of his hand, was chosen to lead the operation as the ninth.

And in order to do that without being recognized, Loran needed a disguise...and Yurika happened to have a large store of formal clothing on the _Nadesico, _which she had saved for formal occasions. Meanwhile, the young queen and the two princess sisters provided Loran training for how to walk like a proper lady.

All during the slow journey to the moon, Loran was drilled over and over in the proper etiquette for women at parties, from posture to dancing lessons to how to curtsy properly. The manlier men in DREAM struggled to contain their laughter at what Loran had to go through.

"And once more!" Dianna said, tapping a fan in her hand to a rhythm. "1, 2, 3, 2, 2, 3, 3, 2, 3..."

"Can we take a break?" Loran sighed. "We've been at this for four hours! And you know very well that I know how to waltz! I'm going to gather information, for the love of..."

"You're going to learn to dance and act like a proper lady," Dianna replied with a leer. "It's a very important part of the disguise."

"Don't be embarrassed, Loran," Nunnally said. "We've had Gender Role Reversal Festivals at my school for two years now. Suzaku and my big brother even got in on it. It was fun!"

"Easy for you to say," Loran grumbled. _No one thinks twice if a woman dresses up like a man...but if it's the other way around..._

* * *

While the rest of DREAM waited out at the moon's equator, the infiltration team was flown into the domed city. Each of them had a tiny recording device placed inside their ears. Due to the lack of Minofsky Particles in the vicinity of the Lunar Kingdom, signals from the devices could easily be beamed back to the ship. After finding Dianna's contact and obtaining forged invitations, "Laura", Loran's fake name, led them up to the palace, trying his best not to trip in the high heeled shoes he was wearing.

They approached to a guard, a member of the coup d'etat faction. As each guest passed, they held out their invitation for the guard to take a quick glance at.

"Invitations out, guys!" Puru said. She wore a cute lace dress with a similar color scheme to her Quebley.

Tara and Akito wore nice suits; Yurika wore a more formal version of her usual captain's outfit (with the patches removed to prevent suspicion); and Tara wore a dress similar to the one she had worn the day of the art contest judging.

As they passed, the guard glanced at their invitations, and showed no signs of suspicion whatsoever, especially when they were being led around by Elpeo Puru.

"All right, we'll split up into pairs." Loran said. "Akatsuki, I hope you don't mind babysitting."

"Shouldn't a nice young lady like yourself have a companion?" Janus said with a bit of a snicker. "Go with Puru and Akatsuki. They'll protect you!"

"C'mon, lay off," Loran replied in an annoyed tone. "It's not like I want to dress up like this."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Janus said, trying to calm down. "C'mon, let's go before I split my sides..."

* * *

Haman Khan, dressed in a lovely white gown with large silk roses on the shoulder and hip; as well as a pink bow on her left arm, was already getting bored of schmoozing with the politicians. Meanwhile, Gym Ghingnham was off flexing his muscles for the ladies, while Agrippa Maintainer was too busy kissing up to Zeon officials. The only person she was remotely interested being around was Char, and he hadn't arrived yet.

But then Haman caught sight of Yurika and Akito. They were at the refreshment table, sampling the different delicacies. She got the same aura from them as she did Judau - an honest one that suggested not only a lack of ill intentions, but to ever possibly possess them. Figuring they would be good for a laugh, the Zeon commander approached them.

"Pardon me, but I don't think I've seen the likes of you around."

"Oh...um...hello," Akito replied nervously, remembering the description Judau had given of Char's right-hand woman. "I gotta say...the people of Zeon have good taste!"

"Yes, the refreshments are nice, I suppose," Haman said with a sigh. She hated small talk.

"I especially like those little veggie rolls," the Aestivalis pilot said as he picked up. "They're not too oily, nice crunchy exterior, and the hint of garlic really enhances it!"

"Really?" Haman said, dropping her guard a little at this unexpected comment. "It's a little recipe I came up with myself...do you cook?"

"Are you kidding?" Yurika said excitedly. "My darling Akito is the best cook around! I bet he could make better food than any chef in all of Zeon!"

"Really? What exactly is a cook doing at a party where only politicians and military men are allowed?"

"Hey, I'm a battleship captain, you know!" Yurika chimed in. "I...um...used to be, anyway."

"Yeah, we defected from the Federation to Zeon." Akito replied, thinking quickly. "But we haven't been assigned to any ships yet. If you don't believe us, we'll give you some information that we got before we defected."

"We heard that the Federation is sending a fleet to Mars," Yurika said quietly. "If I were you, I'd ambush them on the way."

Haman gasped. There were already operations by Zeon to colonize Mars - if the Federation knew, then that meant the entire venture was in danger. Even if the information was false, the operations were too important to leave unprotected.

Of course, she didn't know that Yurika had come up with that idea on the spot, nor did Yurika know that Zeon actually had plans to colonize Mars.

"I see. You've given me very important information," Haman replied cordially. "I'll see to it that Lord Char gets it. Excuse me."

* * *

The whole room went silent as Char stepped into the ballroom. As everyone watched him, his eyes slowly from one side of the room to the other, looking for anyone suspicious, and using his Newtype senses to that effect as well.

As he walked down, every person (even the spies) in the room raised their arms up, and uttered that famous battle cry:

"...HAIL ZEON!"

But as he did so, his Newtype senses picked up an aura amidst the crowd that he had only felt once before - but that aura was one he wouldn't soon forget. It belonged to the pilot of that white Super Robot – he had never seen his face, but there was no mistaking it in his mind. It was a surprisingly strong one, especially for a non-Newtype, and it had only gotten stronger.

Even so, Char didn't sense any hostility coming from him. Perhaps he could yet ascertain the pilot's reasons for being here, and even convince him to switch sides. Zeon had no Super Robots in its arsenal, and having one at all would be a major advantage.

He motioned for the crowd to continue their activities, and then turned to the small band playing in the far corner.

He also spied a woman elsewhere in the crowd, with silver hair and dark skin. Somehow, Char was reminded of Lalah Sune, a Newtype woman he had saved from a Neo-Indian brothel and both her and Amuro had fallen in love with during the One Year War, but . In an odd sort of way, everything he was doing was to get his revenge.

He approached the woman, bowed politely.

"Pardon me, but may I have this dance?"

Loran was immediately uneasy, but agreed. He couldn't afford to blow his cover. As the band began playing a waltz, the two held hands, stepped out onto the dance floor and began to dance...

* * *

_Clang!_

_Clang-clang!_

_Clang-clang-clang!_

"Halt!"

The two fencers, garbed in white gear and masks and holding sabers, paused and withdrew. Prince Clovis la Britannia, the 'reborn' third prince, was judging a fencing match.

"Parry...riposte...counter-parry...feint attack to my right...Point and bout goes to Sir Kururugi!"

The two fencers pulled off their masks, approached each other with sword points facing away and shook hands.

"That was pretty good, Lady Tahra," Suzaku said to his opponent, a purple-haired girl with sky-blue eyes. "You're getting better. Prince Clovis was right to select you as his new Knight."

"I'll never be as good as you are, Knight of Seven," Tahra replied, "Or any Knight of the Round for that matter."

Tahra, for all she knew, was raised by a Britannian noble family, and then inducted as Prince Clovis' new knight. She had assumed that she would be married to Prince Schneizel, but when the supposedly-dead prince returned, the Emperor chose Clovis to be her husband, and her to be his Knight. She knew nothing of her past, or of her other self. She didn't even know that she was half-Japanese.

Her true parents were already dead now, and the plans for Lifthrasir had been stolen by the Geass Order, allowing them to manufacture a Knightmare Frame based off of it – the Lifthrasir Bors.

"On the contrary, my dear violet-locks," Clovis said cheerfully. "I've petitioned His Majesty to make you a Knight of the Round! You were responsible for the successful capture of the highest ranking members of the Black Knights! You even fought Tohdoh of Miracles to a standstill with Lifthrasir Bors!"

"But some of them got away, and even so, it was Sir Kururugi who..."

"Hey, give yourself a little credit!" Suzaku said. "We have all of their most important members locked up thanks to you."

"All except for C.C...she's a slippery one," Clovis replied. "But enough talk, you two should go tidy up for tonight's dinner."

* * *

Loran was stupefied at the way Char was treating him. Even in spite of accidentally stepping on his foot five or six times, Char had invited him into his private chamber in the castle and just...chatted with him, as if the disguised pilot was his dear friend. Loran was on his guard the whole time, trying not to let slip that he was not only a spy, but a man. Char had already figured out the first part, though.

Yet at the same time, Char felt that this person would be receptive to his vision. After so much idle chatting, the ace pilot began the process.

"Laura, I can only suppose you've seen the people down there at the party," Char said. "They pretend to be friendly, but in reality they're working to one day stab each other in the back and take the place of others. On Earth and in the Neo Colonies, it is far worse. I have seen it myself, and I'm certain you have as well, even among the people of this Kingdom."

"Not all people are like that," Loran replied.

"Indeed...Newtypes have a gift that is born from living in space," the Zeon ace replied; "The ability to mentally connect with others like themselves and to directly sense the thoughts and feelings of other people, Newtype or otherwise."

"Sounds nice," Loran said thoughtfully. "If everyone had that ability, we could all understand each other. But does it really come with everyone who goes into space?"

"I like to believe so," Char answered. "The previous monarch, Queen Dianna, seemed that way. Regardless, that is the next step humanity needs to take as a species. We must all find a way to become Newtypes so we can leave the embrace of our mother and explore the universe; and that's why...

At that moment, someone knocked on the door.

"Lord Char, the general and the prime minister are here to see you," a soldier called out from outside.

"I apologize, but more pressing matters have come up," the commander said. Loran got up unsteadily, sighing with relief.

"But before you go, I'd like you to convey this message to Amuro Ray and Kamille Bidan."

He froze.

"Tell them that I'm going to shoulder the burden of erasing mankind's sins, and no amount of lecturing will make me change my mind."

* * *

_Next time, more fun in space! No, I am not changing the fic's rating simply because Loran cross-dressed.  
_


	53. Chapter 38

_And now, it's time for one of the major events of Char's Counterattack: the fall of Fifth Luna! Will it go as it did in the original anime, or will the mere presence of robots powered by hot blood and awesome serve to stave off tragedy?_

* * *

**Chapter 38 – Disaster Imminent! The Descent of Fifth Luna!**

In spite of all the close calls, the spies had managed to get some extremely valuable information regarding the alliance between Neo Zeon and the Lunar Kingdom, as well as Char's plans, and made their reports once they had returned to the _Ra Calium _and _Nadesico_.

The two forces, led by Char and Gym Ghingnham, would guard the captured mining asteroid colony Fifth Luna while it was set to crash into the space colony of Neo Ireland. As a result, both colonies would plummet to Earth, dealing incalculable damage to the Earth's environment on impact.

"But why?" Kamille exclaimed in horrified disbelief. "Char fought alongside us against the Titans, even when they had sided with Axis! He would really try to destroy the Earth?!"

"Oh, he was an ally?" Kei said. "I find it hard to believe that he'd still do this after he had been with you guys."

"He said something about wanting to turn everyone in Newtypes," Loran answered. "That way, we'd all understand each other without any misconceptions."

"That sounds kinda nice," Sai Saichi chimed in. "If everyone understood each other, we'd be able to settle conflicts without fighting at all, whether through Gundam Fights or through war."

"Yes, but his method of going about fostering mutual understanding is completely wrong," George added; "I mean, he honestly thinks that dropping a pair of huge rocks onto the Earth will foster mutual understanding?"

"We get it," Tara groaned; "Char's nuts, he wants to mess stuff up, we have to stop him, blah-blah-blah. The 'what' is something we know; the 'why' we can figure out later; right now, let's figure out the 'how'."

"Agreed," Amuro replied.

* * *

Nicol woke up suddenly to find himself in bed inside a quiet house. He heard and felt a gentle sea breeze blew in through the open window. Standing near the door were two people - one he recognized, one he didn't. The one he knew was Lacus Clyne, daughter of Supreme Councilman Siegel Clyne.

"I was afraid you'd never wake up, Nicol," Lacus said. "But I'm glad to see you pulled through as well."

"...As well?" the green-haired young man asked, still a bit woozy.

"Yes. You and another person were saved by a man from the Junk Guild;" answered the other person; he was a young man with black hair, closed eyes, and robes that suggested him to be a man of the cloth. "I believe his name was Lowe Gear. He had the both of you treated, and even salvaged enough parts of the Blitz to make a new suit."

Nicol tried to get up, but winced as a still-healing wound in his side started throbbing.

"Please don't try to move too much," the man said with great concern. "You may be a Coordinator, but you still need your rest." As Nicol laid back again, he heard someone else enter.

"Lacus, is he..."

"Yes," she said to the newcomer. "Just now. You can chat all you want once you get into bed."

Nicol looked up and saw Kira standing in the doorway, bandaged up just like he was. Even in his weakened state, he quickly realized that this was the pilot of the Strike - the mobile suit that had almost killed him.

Yet the ZAFT pilot couldn't bring himself to hate him. After all, they were both soldiers. He watched Kira, with Lacus' help, slowly make his way to the adjacent bed and lie down.

"I know you just woke up, Nicol, but try to rest more," Lacus said kindly. "Good night, Kira. Good night, Nicol."

"Good night, Lacus," Kira said as he got under the covers. The singer smiled one more time as she flipped off the lights and closed the door. The two pilots stared up at the ceiling in silence for a few moments, hoping sleep would come quickly. But it wasn't long before Kira finally turned onto his side, and for the first time, spoke to the Blitz's pilot.

"Hey. You're the pilot of the Blitz, right?"

"Yeah. And you're the Strike's pilot?"

"I was...but let's not think of each other that way. You probably heard already, but my name's Kira...Kira Yamato."

"I guess we can do that. I'm Nicol Amalfi."

"Let's talk more in the morning, okay?" Kira said before turning back over.

"Yeah. See you tomorrow...Kira Yamato," Nicol said.

* * *

The Shuffle Alliance, Ryo of the Cyber Beast Force, Ryoma and Yoko met in a lounge, having been called together by Harry Ord.

"My friends," he began; "I believe now may be the best time to take back the Lunar Kingdom and reinstall Queen Dianna as its ruler."

"Huh? Why now?" Sai Saici asked. "There's the whole situation with Fifth Luna..."

"But as our spies stated, Gym will be leading the majority of his forces into battle as Char's ally."

"Oh, I get ya," Chibodee said. "That will leave just a few chumps behind at the palace!"

"Exactly," Harry replied with a smirk. "Our combined abilities should be more than sufficient to breach their defenses - especially with the plan I have spent every moment I could spare on."

Harry picked up a large piece of paper that was folded numerous times, and unfolded it. It was a copy of the palace grounds, with scribbled notes written all over it.

"Heh, you've been busy," Ryoma quipped. "I'd just barge in there and start kicking ass, but it looks like this could work too."

Harry smiled, and launched into a description of his plan...

* * *

The Sazabi and Turn X flew alongside a massive asteroid on the extreme edge of Earth's orbit. Joining them was a large group of Lunar Kingdom and Neo Zeon mobile suits.

"So, you're going to make a colony crash into another colony?" Gym asked with a chuckle. "Very interesting idea, Char Aznable. Of course, I could simply sweep over Neo Ireland with the Turn..."

"Both colonies need to be relatively intact for this plan to work, Ghingnham," Char replied. "Besides, based on the information you provided, the Turn X is only running at twenty percent of its full potential - not to mention it's had to have its arm replaced. It's in no condition to be using a weapon like that."

"Commander, two ships headed this way!" a Neo Zeon soldier called out. "One is confirmed to be Londo Bell's _Ra Calium._"

"And the other?"

"Unknown. But it appears that several mobile suits and Super Robots are deploying from both ships! Several smaller mobile weapons are deploying as well!"

Nu Gundam, Mazinkaiser, the Aestivalis of Akito and the three female pilots, Gurren Lagann, Zeta Gundam, Black Getter, Turn A Gundam, Granlif, Basara's custom Valkyrie and Combattler V were all flying toward them. A large contingent of Jegans provided additional fighting power to the group.

"There they are," Amuro said, leering. "Everyone, don't engage the enemy commanders unless you absolutely have to! Our priority is to prevent Fifth Luna from reaching Neo Ireland!"

"Basara, I find it odd that you're out here," Janus said. "Just the other day you said you didn't want to fight."

"After the whole mess back at the Tokyo Settlement went south," Basara replied. "I guess I had second thoughts. I'm not gonna say I like fighting, but I'm not gonna just sit back while you guys are out there givin' it your all!"

Basara whipped out his guitar.

"EVERYONE! LISTEN TO MY SONG!"

The rock star played a few riffs of Totsugeki Love Heart as DREAM moved forward into battle, then began his other role - keeping the enemy distracted with his music. As DREAM approached the asteroid, Amuro and Kamille accelerated, and saw Char's Sazabi.

"Kamille," Amuro ordered; "Let me deal with Char. Find a way inside and do whatever you can to stop those engines!"

"No, Commander; Not until I get an answer from him. Besides, if we work together, we might be able to stop him!"

"Commander," one of the Jegan pilots called out; "The enemy has sealed off any available entrances to Fifth Luna with some sort of high-powered beam shielding!"

Amuro's Newtype senses kicked in, and Nu Gundam dodged a red funnel.

"Sorry, Amuro, but no one in your little outfit is going to be able to stop Fifth Luna," Char said grimly as the Sazabi drew its beam saber. "Even a Super Robot can't push something that large back...not when it's aided by nuclear engines!"

"Quattro!" Kamille cried out as he lashed out at Char with his own beam saber, which was promptly parried.

"Kamille...you would still refer to me by that name? Even when I fight as the leader of Neo Zeon? You're as naive as ever..."

Nu and Zeta would clash repeatedly with Sazabi, with neither side able to land a blow.

* * *

Evangelion Unit 04 and GaoGaiGar readied themselves as their enemy reared up once more. Meanwhile, FuRyu, RaiRyu, and the two other dragon brothers grouped together with them. Their enemy was one of the 31 Machine Primevals. Each one resembled a human body part, but each was more powerful than even the Four Machine Kings combined.

Their foe this time was ZX-05, a monstrosity that looked like a human spine with very short ribs that served as legs. They were fighting near the Great Wall of China, the largest of all structures made by man until the first PLANTs were created.

"Kaworu, I know your specialty is fighting Angels rather than Zonder," Guy said; "But your assistance is most appreciated."

But before they could act, ZX-05 suddenly bolted and merged with the Great Wall itself. Numerous unlucky tourists were swallowed by the wall in the process. And within moments, those same tourists clawed their way out, now in the shape of Zonder Robos.

"What? They can produce Zonder Robos that quickly?!" the pilot of GaoGaiGar exclaimed. "Everyone, deal with the Zonder Robos! I'll handle the Primeval!" With that, GaoGaiGar took off, while the Evangelion and GGG robots opened fire on the enemy Zonder Robos.

The spine-shaped Primeval then embedded its body into the ground and started stretching out, extending itself higher and higher into space, with Guy putting the pedal to the metal just to keep up.

However, rising to such a high elevation under its own power was taking a toll on the mech's engines as the GS-Ride pushed the parts to their operational limits. Even so, Guy finally managed to overtake the Primeval.

But then the monstrosity opened its mouth, and Guy saw what appeared to be super-energized magma rising from below. He wasted no time in putting up a defense. Just as the super-energized magma spouted out, GaoGaiGar raised its arm to block the attack with a Protect Shade.

As if things couldn't get any worse, the engines on StealthGao finally gave out, and gravity took over, causing GaoGaiGar to fall to Earth.

"Guy!" Mikoto cried out as she watched this from GGG Orbital Base.

"Ushi, what's Amaterasu's position?" Geki called out to one of the operators, a short fat man with dark hair, especially squinted eyes, and a pointed nose.

"Its in the upper atmosphere...but the estimated distance from GaoGaiGar is 28,000! It might not make it in time!"

Mikoto gasped, dropped to her knees and began to cry with her teeth clenched from the knowledge that her beloved would be lost to her. As she cried, the red-haired young woman sobbed to no one in particular.'

"Please...someone...anyone...save Guy! I can't lose him! The world can't lose him! Please, if anyone can hear me...save...Guy..."

But someone, perhaps fate itself, did heed her prayers. A white Threshold opened up, and out swooped a massive robotic bird. As it sped towards GaoGaiGar, it shifted back to a mech that GGG recognized: Raideen.

Raideen grabbed GaoGaiGar and immediately started firing its own engines at full speed to slow their descent.

"Are you okay, Guy Shishioh?" the pilot of Raideen said.

"Thank you...and I don't even know your name." Guy said. Moments later, a massive golden ship, GGG's high speed Amaterasu vessel drew near.

"We can save the introductions for later. For now, I must deal with the Primeval!"

"What?"

Amaterasu extended a large grabber arm, which took hold of GaoGaiGar. With that, Raideen took off back towards the heavens.

"Soldato-J," Raideen's pilot said. "Guy Shishioh is safe and sound. Now we must destroy this Primeval before it deals any more damage!"

"Excellent work, Akira Hibiki!" the voice of Pizza said. "J-Ark has reached the core. I will deal with the core, while you deal with the body on the surface!"

Deep within the Earth's mantle, fifty kilometers beneath the surface, a white battleship with green, gold and black accents approached the other end of ZX-05. This mighty vessel, the J-Ark, had only three beings as its crew.

First was Kaidou Ikumi. Unbeknownst to anyone but his fellow crew, he was similar to Mamoru in that he could purify Zonder Cores.

Next was Tomoro. Once the Machine King Pinchernone, Kaidou had purified it, returning it to its original shape as the J-Ark's main control AI.

Finally, was Soldato-J. Once the Machine King Pizza, he too had been purified by Kaidou. His body was now covered in yellow-green armor with a massive green scarf, black tights and black gloves. On his arm was a reddish gem resembling a four-pointed star that emitted power very much like the G-Stone...the J-Jewel. Soldato-J now served as J-Ark's captain...as well as the pilot of its alternate form.

"I've been waiting for you, Spine of the 31 Machine Primevals! FUUUUUSION!"

J levitated into the air, and melded into the wall behind him. This initiated the ship's transformation process.

"J-BIRD! PLUG OUT!"

The entire bridge of the ship separated from the fuselage.

"MEGA...FUUUUUSION!"

The guns on the top of the ship disconnected as well, and split into two equal halves. Meanwhile, the fuselage transformed into the torso and legs of its alternate form, while the two sections of the gun section changed into arms and connected to sockets in the shoulders. Finally, the bridge reconnected to the fuselage, forming the robot's head. The green and gold fins on the head now served as a crown of sorts. A massive J-Jewel extended out from its head, and the crown moved up, revealing its eyes.

"KIIIING J-DEEEEEEEER!"

"Akira Hibiki...King J-Der is ready to commence the attack," Kaidou said.

"Ready! GOD-O BIRD...CHAAAAAAAAANGE!"

Raideen switched back to its bird form as it reached the outer atmosphere, then doubled back and charged right into the Machine Primeval's throat.

"GOD-O...THUNDAAAAAAAH!"

Meanwhile, on the other end, King J-Der did a quick spin kick to heavily damage Spine Primeval then pointed all the guns on its right arm at the crumbling menace.

"MASER CANNONS...FIRE!"

With a single salvo of powerful blasts, King J-Der blasted the entire lower part of the Primeval's body, while Raideen was annihilating the upper part from the inside.

When all was said and done, King J-Der held a Zonder Core in its hand.

"Five down...twenty-six to go..." J said grimly.

* * *

Harry's plan had gone splendidly. With so many accomplished fighters aiding him, and having secured the cooperation of much of the castle's staff, Harry made quick work of the palace guards. Ryoma kicked open the doors to the grand throne room; the chamber was colored mostly white and had high vaulted ceilings that seemed to touch the void. Sitting on the throne at the far end was Agrippa Maintainer, who was cowering in fear.

"Lieutenant Ord...y-y-you're not supposed to be in here!" the traitorous minister cried.

"Agrippa Maintainer..." Harry said angrily. "I am placing you under arrest for high treason against the throne!"

"P-please forgive me! I was just doing what I..."

"Spare us the theatrics, bro," Sai Saici said, rolling his eyes as Harry picked him up by the collar and tossed him off the throne. The minister tumbled down the short flight of stairs, allowing Sai to sit on top of him, grinning impishly.

"I assume he's going to stand trial, Sir Harry," George said. "Killing him would be foolish, I say."

"Indeed he will," Harry replied. "Queen Dianna believes that everyone deserves a fair trial, even treasonous plotters."

"Of course, with so much hard evidence and so many witnesses willing to testify, it's a foregone conclusion, really," Chibodee commented before kneeling down to address the prone minister. "You're gonna be locked up for a loooooooong time, pal."

Agrippa buried his face in the thick rug and sobbed.

* * *

The battle at Fifth Luna was a deadlock. Neither side was able to overpower the other. While DREAM had Super Robots, Neo Zeon and the Lunar Kingdom had sheer numbers.

But in the midst of the deadlock, the asteroid drew ever closer to Neo Ireland. As Char batted Kamille and Amuro away once more, he noticed that the asteroid was close enough.

"Start the nuclear engines now!" Char ordered. "That way, they won't be able to push it back; Gym, Gyunei, prepare to withdraw!"

Gym, who had been fighting Loran, scowled. As Loran fired shots from its powerful beam rifle, the Lunar general dodged before bolting. Gym scowled, hating to leave a battle unfinished, especially against the Turn X's brother.

"We'll have to leave our battle for another time, Loran Cehack," he declared; "Until then, enjoy the fireworks!"

"Damn it, they're getting away!" Koji cried angrily.

"No, Koji, leave them," Amuro ordered. "We have to stop Fifth Luna somehow!"

"First Groizer-X, now this?!" Janus groaned. "What is it with this world and falling objects, anyway?"

"Koji! Simon! Janus! Combattler Team! Try to divert the asteroid!" Bright ordered. The four Super Robots zoomed in to the side of Fifth Luna facing Earth and managed to grab onto it.

"All right, people," Janus said. "Let's shove this hunk of rock back into space!"

The four robots began to push, as their thrusters went all out, all to change the direction of the massive space colony to one that was away from Neo Ireland and the Earth. But even as they did, it still was getting closer and closer to the still-occupied colony.

"Damn it, these engines are something else!" Koji grunted. "Where the hell did they get so much energy from?!"

Dianna, who was watching all this, tried to think of something that could be done. Then it hit her. She rushed over to Bright.

"Captain Bright, please, let me speak to Loran!"

"Of course," the _Ra Calium_'s captain answered politely, stepping aside. Dianna grabbed the microphone.

"Loran! Loran! I know how you can stop Fifth Luna...now, I know you vowed to never use it again..."

"You mean..." Loran gasped.

"Yes," Dianna said. "You can destroy Fifth Luna's engines with the Moonlight Butterfly!"

In most situations, Loran would have given this more thought. But with Fifth Luna due to crash into the space colony in less than sixty seconds, he remembered from his training that there were times one couldn't afford to hesitate.

"Yes. I'll do it, Your Highness."

Loran spurred the Turn A forward, diving towards Fifth Luna. He readied that dreaded weapon, and closed his eyes.

"Deploying Moonlight Butterfly...NOW!"

The wings of light and nanomachines spread out gloriously as the mech flew around Fifth Luna. As the nanomachines landed on the nuclear engines, they immediately began eating away the nuclear engines at an amazing speed, turning every last bit of it to useless sand. Thankfully, the nanomachines didn't go anywhere near the four robots trying to divert it. Once the asteroid had stopped accelerating, the four were able to gain ground against it.

"Hyoma, I'm rerouting all available power to thrusters!" Kosuke said, making the proper adjustments.

"All right then...Combattler V, maximum output!"

The jets on Combattler's feet fired at full blast, the energy shooting out for nearly one and a half miles.

"Xengar, let's do the same thing!" Janus said to his co-pilot.

"Understood!" Xengar's floating head bellowed. "Rerouting all available power to engines!"

"Mazinkaiser, full poweeeeerrrr!" Koji cried, putting his own mech's back into pushing Fifth Luna away.

"Viral, let's give it all we've got!" Simon called out to Viral. Both pilots let out blooded cries as the Spiral gauge rose to the top.

The four robots' combined effort finally managed to nudge Fifth Luna away from Neo Ireland...but only by the skin of its teeth. And it was headed for another colony as well.

"Guys, there's no way you can safely get it out!" Amuro ordered. "You'll have to destroy it!"

"Sure thing, boss!" Janus said. "Hey Basara, got any other songs? We've heard every one of your hits during the whole battle!"

"Are you kidding?! You haven't heard anything yet! This little number is something I like to call...DYNAMITE EXPLOSION!"

Basara rushed toward the four, readied his guitar and played an entirely new song. His Valkyrie began to shine brilliantly, filling the void with an immense amount of Spiritia as the rock star did what he did best.

Instantly, the four Super Robots' power radically increased, while their pilots felt their souls become filled to the brim with might and valor.

"Enumerations one through four, online..." Xengar chanted. "Malkuth, Netzach, Yesod and Hod permissions confirmed...releasing secondary seal..."

For the second time, Granlif ascended to its partially-unsealed form.

"Xengar, everyone, let's blast that thing to bits!" Janus called out as he changed into his white, rainbow-winged form.

"Combattler Team, let's drill through that thing!" Simon called out as he readied a Giga Drill Break.

"Gotcha, Simon!" Juzo replied. "Hyoma, you heard the man!"

"Right!" Hyoma cried. "CHOUDENJI SPIIIIIIIIIIN!"

"Koji, are you with me?" Janus said excitedly.

"You bet! Let's do this right now!" Koji replied.

"GRAAAAAN FIIIIIIIIIIREEEE!"

"FIREEEEEE BLASTER!"

As Combattler and Gurren Lagann drilled through Fifth Luna, the two blasts struck it. The energy of the four super-charged robots caused the asteroid to explode into countless pieces. Some of the pieces struck the colonies, while others descended to Earth. Thankfully, none of them were large enough to deal significant damage, and those that entered the atmosphere burned up on entry.

* * *

Char saw the explosion from out in the distance as he and his men withdrew.

"Char Aznable," Gym declared as he laughed wickedly at the Red Comet's failure, "this is the result of your unwillingness to trust in the power of the Turn X - your plan turned into a spectacular disaster for you!"

But Char paid him no heed.

_Amuro...I don't know how you mustered up such powerful allies...but I won't let you win again. You can't always depend on miracles._

"Lord Ghingnham, we're receiving a transmission from the palace!" one of the Lunar Kingdom rebels said.

Gym glanced at his screen, and was shocked to see Harry Ord 's face.

"But...HOW?!" Gym roared. "How did you take the palace?!"

"You made the foolish choice of sending out too many troops to aid Char," Harry said smugly. "It was child's play to seize the palace as a result. But it also helped that your little aspirations of empire did not please Her Highness' subjects one bit. They will be more than happy to have her back."

"But I still have the Turn X and Neo Zeon on my side!" Gym replied. "I can easily..."

"No, Gym; You're returning to Axis with us," Char commanded. "We can't afford to act on that now."

The puffy-haired warrior growled and continued to follow Char and Gyunei, with the surviving rebels and Neo Zeon troops at their heels. He would have his revenge in due time...

* * *

_Things certainly seem to be more optimistic in the Ruined World, it seems. Anyway, until next time, mecha fans!_


	54. Chapter 39

_And now it's time for some..._Nadesico_ plot? Read on, faithful fans, and find out! Sorry if this one's a little short, I was a little strapped for ideas.  
_

* * *

**Chapter 39 – You Can't Keep A True Hero Down! Lizards From Across the Threshold!**

With Gym and the rebels either captured or cowering behind Neo Zeon for the time being, the fight to take back the Lunar Kingdom had gone far more smoothly than expected. The people rejoiced at the return of their young queen, for Gym and Agrippa were more interested in turning the Kingdom into an Empire than attending to their people's needs; With the rebels still around, Dianna enlisted all former soldiers that still desired to fight into the Lunar Defense Force.

Dianna treated the members of DREAM as her special guests, and allowed them to personally dine with her at the palace, as well as spend a night before returning to Earth.

However, Tara couldn't help but notice that Zeorymer's pilots had disappeared entirely since the battle. They didn't show up to dinner, nor to the ball. In fact, they had never gone to the palace grounds at all. Finally, she decided to seek them out herself.

She decided to try the _Ra Calium_'s hangar.

While she didn't see Miku, she did find Masato. He seemed to be examining the Turn A...and chuckling in a rather disturbing manner as he did so. Nervously, Tara approached him.

"Masato?"

The teen looked up. But Tara could immediately sense that this wasn't the Masato she knew, as brief as their acquaintance had been. His eyes were leery, his expression cold and calculating, rather than the awkward timidness Masato usually exhibited.

"Oh, you want to speak to him?" Masato said in an unnervingly cruel tone. "Come back later. I have more important things to do." Tara quickly got an idea of what might be happening here. Possession seemed unlikely, so she assumed that Masato had multiple personalities.

"Hey Masato...or whoever you are...why are you fiddling with the Turn A? That's Loran's machine!"

"That weak-willed child?" Masato replied. "No wonder the Moonlight Butterfly has gotten so little use."

"You say that like you built the Turn A," Tara said in protest. She had a vague idea of what was really going on, but she didn't know for sure.

"It's none of your business," the teen replied. "Now go away."

"You're not planning on turning on us, are you?" Tara said. "Because if you are..."

Masato smirked. "Don't worry. Hau Dragon has become your enemy, which makes you my ally. Of course, you'll need Zeorymer to defeat them, and by proxy, you need me. So all I will ask is that you stay out of my personal affairs. Do that, and I'll play by your rules."

As much as she hated to admit it, whoever this other personality was had a good point. Lifthrasir hadn't been able to lay even a finger on Lanstar, but Zeorymer defeated it with a single attack.

But before she could answer, she saw Masato clutch his head, then suddenly return to his usual self.

"Tara...what's going on? Last thing I remember was chatting with Miku..."

* * *

It had been a long time since Amuro had sat down at his computer and worked on the plans for something. In particular, he wanted to finish up the plans for the Gundam ALEX B-Type. He had hoped to ask Kira, a programmer, for some assistance, but never got around to it.

However, someone else who might have been just as knowledgeable, if not more so, came along.

"Commander Ray!"

Amuro jumped a bit, and turned to see Xengar, who he didn't recognize for a second.

"Oh, Xengar...you're Janus' AI partner. What can I do for you?"

"I am curious as to what you are doing at this hour," the android replied; "You should get rest before we begin our return trip to Earth!"

"I'm working on a new Gundam for a member of Londo Bell," Amuro replied. "You know Christina Mackenzie?"

"Yes...she hasn't seen much action lately," Xengar commented. "But the Gundam ALEX seems quite outdated. I can see why you'd want her to have a better mobile suit!"

"I have most of the design worked out, but the thing that's bothering me involves these bits," the Newtype answered as he brought up the schematics for a new funnel. "I want to be able to create a remotely guided funnel or bit that doesn't use wires, but can still be used by non-Newtypes. The problem is that I'm not a good programmer."

Xengar thrust his chest out. "Leave it to me, Commander Ray! I'll have you an AI-controlled bit system just like the XNG-0A by the time you wake up tomorrow morning!"

"Really?"

"Xengar, the artificial intelligence of the XNG-0A Granlif always keeps his promises, and never makes a promise he cannot keep!"

"All right," Amuro said with a yawn as he got up from his chair. "Good night, Xengar."

"Sleep well, Commander," Xengar replied as he sat down where Amuro had just been. Once Amuro had left, Xengar looked over at the screen. He opened up the coding program Nu Gundam's pilot had been using, wiggled his fingers eagerly and began to type out a duplicate of Granlif's Gran Bit program, modifying it as necessary to fit Amuro's plans...

* * *

Unfortunately, the group did not get a chance to get much sleep that night...not when the raid alarm went off throughout the Lunar Kingdom, as well as on the two ships.

Yurika, still dressed in her pajamas and slippers, ran out onto the bridge of the _Nadesico_ where Ruri, fully uniformed, was already running a scan. The rest of the bridge crew were also in either uniform or in their sleeping clothes, depending on whether they had gone to bed by this point. Akatsuki was also on the deck as well.

"Ruri, what's the...situation?" Yurika said between yawns.

"I'm not sure you're going to believe this...but I've detected Threshold signatures approximately ten kilometers northeast from our position, as well as boson jump energy patterns."

"Boson jump AND Threshold signatures?!" the _Nadesico_'s captain exclaimed. At that moment, a small fleet of Jovian Battas and Katonbos emerged from a massive white Threshold out in the distance, followed by five of the massive Jovian mechs from Moscow back in the other world.

"Yes...it seems our friends the Jovian Lizards have managed to get a hold of Threshold technology," Akatsuki said grimly. "But theorizing how they got it will have to come later. Right now, they must be stopped..."

* * *

Nunnally looked out of the window of the _Nadesico _and watched as her friends and allies prepared to sortie against the enemy that had appeared suddenly. Ever since she got here, Nunnally had been unable to use the power of Mark Nemo to help DREAM in its battles, due to the difficulty of using a Knightmare Frame out in space.

The princess then saw Shinji get inside Evangelion Unit 01's entry plug before being lowered into the machine.

_Even Shinji is going to fight, _she thought. _I...I can't just sit around and do nothing - not when I have the power to help!_

Nunnally turned her wheelchair around and started towards the hangar. On the way, she happened to see Misato, who was surprised to see her heading to where Shinji was.

"Princess, where are you going?" she asked with concern. "There's going to a battle - you should stay in your room."

"No. I'm going to help Shinji," the princess replied defiantly, but still politely. "If you would, please let me through."

"Nunnally, don't be foolish. Leave this to Shinji and the others," Misato scolded her.

"No!" the crippled princess cried out. "I'm tired of it...of being powerless! I want to be able to do more than just sit and pray for your success!"

"Alright then...where's your giant robot?" the NERV commander quipped.

"Let me go to the hangar and I'll gladly show you."

Misato sighed. There was no point in arguing with her, especially since she was a princess. She let Nunnally go by, then followed behind her, curious as to what exactly she was capable of.

They soon arrived on the lower hangar floor, and Nunnally drove her wheelchair next to Evangelion Unit 01. Shinji looked down, and was shocked to see her there. She looked up to him and smiled, then closed her eyes and summoned Mark Nemo, much to the shock of everyone present.

"Whoa!" Asuka exclaimed from inside Unit 02. "When did the cripple learn to do that?!" Misato, however, remembered Gendo showing her a photo from the early days of the Evangelion Project...and the Mark Nemo looked eerily similar to the subject of that picture. She had imagined it to be much larger, though.

"Nunnally, are you sure you'll be okay?" Akito asked with concern. "You are aware that you could die out there, right?"

"C'mon, Akito, believe in the girl a little!" Kittan chimed in. "Or as Kamina would have put it, believe in the her that believes in you; right, Your Highness?"

_Whoever this Kamina person was_, Nunnally thought, _he must have been a great motivator._

"The enemy is approaching. All units, prepare to launch!"

* * *

Evangelion Units 00, 01 and 02 were the first ones outside.

"It's been a while since the three of us fought together, hasn't it?" Shinji commented as they watched the Jovian forces approach.

"Yes," Rei replied calmly.

"I dunno; I enjoyed the battlefield without you two dumbkopfs getting in my way," Asuka quipped. "And now we have the crippled royal brat to babysit."

"Um...Asuka? Nunnally's the same age as we are," Shinji replied, annoyed at Asuka for deriding Nunnally like that.

Next out were the Mark Nemo, Lifthrasir, and King Kittan.

"Heh, I guess pushing that big space rock yesterday took a lot of Simon," Tara said. "I hope you can pick up his slack, Kittan. You too, milady!"

Nunnally wasn't extremely worried about her own safety. Her Geass power, which allowed her to read the lines of the future, made her next to impossible to hit.

Finally, out came Akito, Ryoko, Izumi, Hikaru and Akatsuki in their Aestivalis, all equipped with 0G Frames, along with Ryoma in Black Getter and Four Murasame in the Psyco Gundam mk III.

"So, these guys are from your universe, Tenkawa?" Ryoma asked. "And you call 'em Jovian Lizards? Makes them sound like those nasty Invaders..."

"Yes. You could say they're like that," Akatsuki said. "It seems we Nagares have a history with alien abominations, no matter what world we live in."

"Attention!" Yurika called out after sipping a cup of the special iced tea. "Our priority is to protect the Lunar Kingdom!

"Well, let's get to it, then," Akatsuki said.

"Yeah! We can't spoil the Federation's chance to ally with the moon!" Hikaru added eagerly. With that, DREAM moved to meet the enemies in combat. The Aestivalis, Black Getter, Lifthrasir, King Kittan and Mark Nemo all charged in, while the Evangelions and Psyco Gundam hung back and peppered the enemy from afar.

"Guys, keep in mind that the Gekiganger-types can boson jump," Akatsuki warned them. "Don't stay in physical contact with them longer than you have to."

"Gotcha," Tara said. "Let's go, Xemmey!" Tara headed toward one of the large Jovian robots, beam tonfas ready to attack. The mech lunged at her with one of its big claws, which the swift mech dodged, then fired a few shots from her rifles into its back, piercing its Distortion Field with ease, causing it to turn around. But then Xemmey suddenly said something Tara didn't expect to hear, especially not in the middle of a battle.

"Tara, I've detected life signs coming from inside the Jovian mech after that last attack...life signs that are a 99.9986% match those of a typical Earth human."

"What?!" Tara exclaimed, baffled by this statement. "But aren't the Jovian Lizards..."

"Tara, I suggest we disable that machine and capture its pilot for questioning," Xemmey answered.

"Yeah...good idea," Lifthrasir's pilot said in agreement. Tara drew her beam tonfas, dove into a portal, and came back out behind the mech once again, and struck with her robot's melee weapons, slashing off the mech's arms and flight engine, which caused the mech to drop out of the sky and land onto the moon's surface with a thud.

Just then, another Jovian mech boson jumped behind her, only to be cut down by the Mark Nemo. Tara watched in dismay as the cockpit was impaled by the living Knightmare Frame's katana.

"Nunnally! What are you doing?!"

"Fighting the enemy," she replied, using the tone of her other personality. "You should be doing so as well;"

Tara sighed and he pulled out her rifles, aiming at the AI-controlled Battas and Katonbos.

_Great...first Masato, now Nunnally_, she thought._ I'd hate to have an alternate personality..._

* * *

"Congratulations, my dear!" Clovis said, beaming with pride as he greeted his Knight with open arms.

Tahra now wore the attire of the Knights of the Round - a black, tight-fitting shirt emblazoned with the golden symbol of the elite order; over it was a thin but sturdy coat that was bleached brilliant white, save for yellow stripes on the shoulders and the same symbol embroidered on the left sleeve, just along the upper arm; black gloves and boots; two golden cords that kept the white coat closed; and trousers bleached the same white as her coat. To top it all off was a cyan-colored cloak that was draped across her shoulders, which would distinguish her position in the order..

Around her were several other members of the Knights of the Round, who all wore similar outfits.

"It's been a long time since someone occupied the position of Knight of Eleven," said Bismarck Waldstein, a powerfully built man his left eye sewn shut. He had long hair that was a subdued shade of purple (while Tara's hair was a very vivid purple) and wore a white cloak. He was the Knight of One, the Emperor's most trusted servant.

"Yeah! Who'd have thought we'd get two new members almost back to back?" added the Knight of Three, a young man with messy blonde hair, the same sky-blue eyes as Tahra, and a green cloak.

"If I'm not mistaken, Gino," Bismarck commented, "Our new Knight of Eleven seems to remind His Majesty of Lady Marianne." Suddenly, a girl with pink hair, pink cloak, emotionless face, a high-cut undershirt and sleeveless coat raised a cell phone up out of nowhere, and it clicked just as a normal camera would.

"Um...Lady Alstreim...what was that for?" Tahra asked, baffled by this rather nonchalant act.

"Oh, just to remember this moment by," answered the girl, Anya Alstreim. She was the Knight of Six.

"It's a story for another time," said Suzaku, who had a blue cloak on in addition to his Knight of the Round attire. "But let's go celebrate!"

"But don't I have to stay and watch over Prince Clovis?" Tahra said, a little uneasy about her new role.

"Oh, you always worry about me," Clovis laughed. "I can be without you for a few hours! Go, and have a good time with your fellow Knights!"

* * *

"One more!" Asuka cried as she took aim at the last Jovian mech and fired a shot from an electromagnetic crossbow weapon. The shot pierced the mech's Distortion Field, and sent it crashing to the ground. Meanwhile, Four shot down the last Katonbo with the Psyco Gundam's mega particle cannons.

The battle had gone quite well. All of the Jovian forces had been wiped out, save for the single giant mech that Tara disabled in the early part of the battle. Indeed, the Jovian forces' cohesiveness broke down right as that particular mech was disabled.

"Someone retrieve the disabled Jovian mech," Yurika ordered. "Tara said that she did so in order to interrogate the pilot."

"No! Destroy it!" Akatsuki cried out. "We can't allow any Jovians to live!"

"Sorry, Akatsuki, but I have to agree with Captain Misumaru here," Bright replied. "If we can learn more about them, we could find a way to end this war once and for all."

But before anyone could make a move to do so, a white Threshold opened up in the skies above. A large squadron of angel troops, consisting of Principalities, Powers, Virtues, and two new types they had never seen before entered.

The first new kind, of which there were four, was an amethyst colored creature with the head and face of a man, and the body of a lion, with great feathered wings; the other, which was there was only one, was more like the lower ranking angels in that it was humanoid, but wore brilliant golden armor, and it carried an unusual katana, which didn't fit its European style armor. Finally, Kushiel, the angel who had visited Gym Ghingnham on repeated occasions appeared in front of the group.

"Oh great, THESE jerkwads again," Ryoko grumbled.

_You children who have mastered the Threshold against the will of the cosmos, _Kushiel said telepathically;_ Your time has come_.

"Speak for yourself!" Akito replied. "I bet you're the one who gave the Jovian Lizards the ability to use Thresholds in the first place!"

_It was a necessary measure to overcome you_, the faceless angel replied._ But since they have failed, I must take this matter into my own hands...I shall do what Samael and Raziel failed to do: obliterate you!_

"Wait!" Tara called out. "It's me you want, right? Leave my friends out of this!"

_You are no longer of our concern, Broken One_, Kushiel answered dismissively. _As you currently are, you are of no use to us._

"Broken One?" Tara exclaimed. "What's that supposed to mean?" But instead of answering, Kushiel turned to his soldiers. As if they heard a telepathic command, they all poured in, preparing to rain death upon them. Kushiel then warped away using a white portal.

The battle began anew...

* * *

Even though Clovis admitted to himself that the art he so loved was ultimately meaningless, there was something about painting and designing clothing that relaxed him - especially when the subject was appealing to the eye as well.

"How much longer do I have to hold this pose, Your Highness?" Tahra asked as she posed for him in one of his newest swimsuit designs while laying on his bed. She didn't mind doing this - in fact, she enjoyed it. Of course, Clovis seemed to be taking much longer than usual.

"I'm sorry, my dear fiancee, but I'm afraid I'm just not in the mood to paint tonight," Clovis sighed. However, Tahra saw a mischievous twinkle in his eye, and smirked.

"I guess you're in that kind of mood, huh?" Tahra said with a giggle. "All right, I'm all yours."

Clovis smiled, stood up and began to undress...

* * *

Asuka drew her Progressive Knife and lunged at one of the amethyst angels. However, something odd happened when she struck the creature...it was actually Unit 02 who suffered the damage. However, it wasn't enough to drop the Evangelion. Rei rushed over and used EVA 00's built in repair equipment to patch up the damage.

"What the hell kind of barrier is that?!" Asuka grunted. "It's like I stabbed myself with my own knife..."

Meanwhile, Shinji was fighting hand-to-hand with the golden humanoid angel. Progressive knife met katana repeatedly, each one occasionally landing a hit. Akito rushed in to help, but the angel swatted his Aestivalis aside, then slashed Unit 01's belly, nearly disemboweling the Evangelion. Seeing their general's strength, the other troops rallied and pushed forward, nearly overwhelming DREAM.

But suddenly a voice called out to the various members of DREAM over the radio.

"Never fear, friends! I've come to save the day!"

Tara's and Akito's hearts stopped for a moment when they heard that voice…a voice that belonged to a kindred spirit they were sure they had seen die. But the voice was no illusion. A blue Aestivalis sped out from over the horizon, appearing to be completely undamaged…indeed, it was looking even MORE powerful than before.

"…Gai Daigoji…you're alive?!" Yurika exclaimed, completely shocked to see the king of _Gekiganger _fans alive and well. Even Ruri's mouth dropped open in disbelief.

"At last, my dear captain, you refer to me by the name of my soul!" Gai Daigoji bellowed joyfully. "It brings me such joy to hear it! Now, cretins...taste the fist of my soul...GEKIGAAAAAAN FLAAAAARE!"

The blue Aestivalis tore through the swarm of angels, even crashing into the golden one, causing it to drop its sword.

"…Gai!" Akito and Tara cried out together.

"Akito! Tara! My fellow warriors of passion! It's great to see you again as well! Let's finish off these evildoers together!"

Akito's and Gai's Aestivalis paired up and started flying in sync. Meanwhile, Shinji saw the sword and made Unit 01 pick it up. He then lashed out at the golden angel, slicing it in two with one strike.

"Akito, match my timing!" Gai bellowed.

"Right!" Akito answered, overjoyed to be fighting alongside his old friend again. Tara pulled out her rifles and aimed at the swarm of angels.

"Hit it, guys!"

"FINISHING STRIKE!" the two cried in a hot-blooded manner. "DOUBLE! GEKIGAN! FLAAARE!"

The entire mass of enemies was tossed upward by the impact, giving Tara a clear shot.

"LIFTHRAAAA DIVIDER!"

A dozen portals opened up, blasting the entire mass of enemy troops in one go, before they exploded as the energy in their bodies was violently released, causing a great cheer to sound throughout the capital city, the fearful citizenry ecstatic at DREAM's victory.

* * *

_It wouldn't be a Super Robot Wars game if you use the Nadesico plot and don't bring Gai freaking Daigoji back from the dead! But will his reasons for surviving be more than pure dumb luck? Find out next time! Until then, see ya 'round, mecha fans!_


	55. Chapter 40

_There are now a grand total of four, count 'em FOUR characters named Gai or Guy on the same boat. I may need to come up with a new naming scheme for them...something I'll try today. Tell me if you all like it._

* * *

**Chapter 40 – Jovians' True Nature! The Mysterious Masked Fighter!**

Chosen by Queen Dianna to oversee the Lunar Defense Force, Harry Ord, now promoted to General, had to remain behind to oversee the build-up of the Kingdom's new defenses in anticipation of the exiled Gym Ghingnham's attempt to take over once more.

With Jiro Yamada aka Gai Daigoji, filling his old place, DREAM made the return trip back to the light side of the moon, where they would ultimately head for Earth.

Jiro couldn't help but feel a little jealous. In his absence, Akito, Koji and Tara had accumulated so many allies...allies of justice with Super Robots, no less!

But to everyone's surprise, though, he had already met Ryoma.

"And the next thing I know, a wrecked Aestivalis pops in from out of nowhere," Black Getter's pilot said with a laugh, "And this loon crawls out!"

"Thankfully, Ryoma was kind enough to lend me his tools so that I could repair my Aestivalis!" Jiro said proudly. "He even had some spare parts lying around, so I was able to not only repair, but improve it; I have therefore dubbed it as a 'Super Aestivalis'!"

"Speaking of which...how DID you end up on the moon in this world, Yam...I mean, Gai?" Ruri asked.

"It's actually a much longer story than one would think," Jiro replied. "But I will be as brief as I can."

* * *

Tara, Xemmey, Minato and Megumi walked down to the containment hall on the _Nadesico _to get a peek at the Jovian prisoner. In spite of being the one to take him down, Tara had not seen his face of the pilot.

As they rounded the corner, they found Gai Murakumo having a little chat with the Jovian. And to their surprise, the Jovian was speaking their language. The Coordinator suddenly looked their way.

"Oh, it's you three," Murakumo said. "Apparently our Jovian friend here is as human as you or I. Not to mention he's a real _Gekiganger _nut - he puts even that guy who came back from the dead to shame."

To their surprise, Murakumo opened up the door; and sure enough, there was the pilot, sitting on the back wall. He looked strikingly similar to Jiro Yamada, but he had a calmer dignity to him, in spite of the outfit that was a dead ringer for the pilot suit used by _Gekiganger 3_'s pilots. It quickly became clear that his hands and ankles were tied together, and thus he posed no danger. He looked up and smiled pleasantly.

"Greetings, fair maidens. I'd be happy to come closer...but as you can see, I am sort of tied up for the moment. Regardless, let me introduce myself - I am Lieutenant Commander Tsukumo Shiratori of the Space Assault Super Male Forces of the Anti-Earth Cooperative Federation of the Jovian Realm, as well as all associated moons and asteroids...at least in my native universe."

"Wow, that's a mouthful," Tara quipped. "But that doesn't make any sense. Humans may have visited the area around Jupiter, but we've certainly made any colonies there."

"Based on the evidence, that is a lie," Xemmey said. "As the saying goes, 'History is defined by the winners'; and obviously someone on the winning team wanted to keep the true nature of the Jovian Lizards hidden."

Minato sympathized with this poor fellow and took a step closer.

"I'm interested to hear what the Jovians' side of the story is," she said."

"Ah, so it is true that Earth women are more open-minded and understanding than Earth men!" Tsukumo beamed. "Well..."

* * *

By the time Jiro had come to the end of his story, a hour and a half had passed. But unexpectedly, it had been a riveting tale full of danger, excitement, and tragedy that even had Ruri shocked...especially since she was so central to it all.

"And so finally, we had defeated the Martian Successors and all was well," Jiro said. "Akito was reunited with Yurika after years of separation, and everyone was ready to go home. But then, as if out of nowhere a great white being with six wings of rainbow colored light appeared and descended upon us; one we foolishly presumed it to a messenger to bless the couple!"

The whole room listened with bated breath.

"The being raised his hand, and summoned forth an army of angels to smite us! Truly, it was the wrath of God in all its fury...but we fought all the same! We fought and we fought, but there was no end to them!"

"Then what happened?" Akito exclaimed. He was shocked at everything as much as everyone else.

"Finally, Akito, you turned to me and said that you would send me back to my rightful time, so that this tragedy could be averted! Using what I feared was the last of your strength, you Boson Jumped me back through time, where I found myself here."

"Wait...you were referring to the Jovian Lizards as if they were human, Gai," Yurika chimed in.

"That is because they are!" Jiro finally declared. "Apparently, Nergal has been lying to us...to the world!"

Akatsuki, who was listening in, winced.

"Yes, Akatsuki, I know everything now," the _Gekiganger _fan said angrily, marching up to him. "I know that you are the president, CEO and chairman of Nergal, that you DECEIVED the world in order to keep money flowing into the whole operation!"

The corporate executive could only leer at Yamada. He wanted so much to punch his lights out, but now wasn't the time or the place for it. Unfortunately, Jiro didn't have that level of restraint.

"And if there's one thing a man of justice can't stand, it's a man who pretends to fight for justice solely to increase his material wealth! And do you what true men of justice do to those who do that?"

Before Akatsuki could answer, the hot-blooded pilot walloped him in the face, knocking him out cold. While some of the adults in the room gasped in shock at Jiro's attack, the members of DREAM didn't seem to terribly mind. Even Ruri couldn't help but admire Yamada a little more for having the audacity to give Nergal's president what he deserved.

"I will now explain to you the TRUE history of the Jovian Lizards, as I learned from your future selves..."

"Oh boy! More plot dumping!" Izumi cheered. "Does anyone want some more popcorn?!"

* * *

The following tale was told both by Tsukumo and Jiro...

_Almost two centuries ago, the colonists who lived on the moon and in the space colonies desired independence from the Earth. The ruling power at the time, the UEFA, would not have this, and commenced to crush the rebellion and forced the rebels to flee. _

_They landed on Mars, but the UEFA forced them off that world too, when they desired to utilize the red planet for their own desires. They conquered the planet and forced the rebels to flee all the way to Jupiter, beyond the asteroid belt. It was there that the rebels, the ancestors of all Jovians, began to eke out their existence. Meanwhile, the governments of Earth destroyed any and all evidence of the lunar colonists,_

_But they discovered a great artifact - a factory capable of producing Phase Transition Engines, chulips and even unmanned weapons!_

_About sixty years ago, a man named George Glenn and his crew, who were sent by Earth to explore beyond the asteroid belt, Jupiter in particular. There he found the descendants of the rebels, who had since created a budding society and culture. Unlike others of Earth, Glenn was a kind and just man who sympathized with their cause. In exchange for his goodwill, we gave him the fossil that you call Evidence 01, which we had discovered not far from the artifact..._

* * *

"I see. That's quite a story," Murakumo said thoughtfully after listening to Tsukumo's tale. "I take it that Glenn kept mum about your people's existence."

"Yes," Tsukumo said. "We refer to him as Glenn the Just, and Glenn the Evangelist, for it was he who brought us the glory of _Gekiganger 3_! And when we learned of the injustices that the Coordinators suffered, we knew we had to do something!"

"So, is that why you invaded Earth?" Tara said. "Because you sympathized with the Coordinators?"

"But the Walking Stick...it targeted ZAFT, Britannian and Alliance vessels!" Megumi commented.

"I cannot say for sure why that occurred," Tsukumo replied. "But now I am not so sure whether this war is a truly just one. I must find a way back to Jupiter and speak with my superiors about..."

"I'm afraid you won't be leaving any time," Murakumo interrupted. "Besides, you don't have a way back to your universe now that your army is scrapped. However, WE do."

"Yep. Looks like you're in for the long haul, Tsukumo," Tara said. "Oh, by the way, I guess you can watch some _Gekiganger 3 _while you're in there. I have the complete series, digitally restored and in high definition!"

"You do?!" Tsukumo exclaimed happily, hopping up and down a bit only with his buttocks. "Oh, what a blessing in disguise my capture has been! Please, show me the wisdom that our people have so long lacked!"

_Wait a second_, Tara thought; _did he seriously call Gekiganger 3_ _"wisdom"? I may be a huge fan of the show, but this guy is treating like a whole religion!_

* * *

Janus, Tara, Shinji, Rei and Misato watched the technicians of the _Nadesico _working on modifying the sword that Evangelion Unit 01 had obtained from the enemy commander in the previous battle.

Jiro Yamada wandered in as they were looking down, since he was introducing himself to any members of DREAM he encountered.

"Ho there, fellow DREAMers!" Jiro said as he approached them. "I don't believe we've been introduced."

"Gai," Tara said, jumping in to do the introductions, "This is Misato Katsuragi, an officer in NERV. These two little runts are Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami. They pilot Evangelions Unit 01 and 00."

Shinji waved hello, and Rei simply nodded.

"It's always good to meet new allies of justice!" Jiro said, doing a snappy salute. "And who is this fellow?"

"This is Janus;" Tara said as she blushed. "I guess...I can call him my boyfriend."

"Glorious!" Jiro beamed, wrapping his arms around the necks of Granlif and Lifthrasir's pilots and pulling them closer together. "There's no flame that burns brighter than the fire of passion created through the power of love!"

"I dunno if I would call it that yet," Janus replied awkwardly. "Love is a strong word, you know."

"One day you will know, my friend," Jiro assured him as he let go of them. "And that day, I am sure, will be one you shall never forget!" Suddenly, Uribatake called down from below.

"Hey, Katsuragi! Get your ass down here...and bring Unit 01's pilot with you while you're at it!"

"I guess they've completed the analysis of the sword," Misato said. "Come on, Shinji; you too, Rei." Janus and Tara stayed behind to chat it up with Jiro...

* * *

Was the Emperor truly THIS trusting? That they, the two newest members of the Knights of the Round, would be brought to a place he had not even shown Bismarck Waldstein, the Knight of One, or even Schneizel, his Prime Minister? Suzaku and Tahra wondered this as they followed Britannia's ruler through a part of the palace that was off-limits to everyone except the Emperor himself.

The entire area was shrouded in a thick fog, though they could make out vast numbers of columns with glowing green parts near the base.

"Just one question, Your Majesty," Suzaku asked. "Why us? Why not Bismarck or Schneizel?"

"It is because the two of you are the only ones who know Zero's true identity," the Emperor replied coldly. Tahra remembered seeing Lelouch vi Britannia having his memories sealed. While neither of them knew that Charles had rewritten their own memories, they were aware of his power.

"And you are the only ones who I can trust to keep the existence of my ally a secret."

The trio exited the misty hall to find themselves on a platform hanging over a endless sky. Two staircases, connected by a smaller platform with a pair of columns topped with large orange gems to another area surrounded by similar columns topped with stones. The entire area, clearly some sort of ancient ruin, seemed to be covered in a perpetual dawn, with the sun constantly hovering in front of them.

"What is this place?" Tahra said, looking around. "Some sort of shrine?"

"No, my dear. This is...a weapon. A weapon for slaying the old gods," Charles replied.

"Not just that, my friend," a heavenly voice interrupted. The sun suddenly dimmed somewhat, as a brilliantly glowing white figure with three pairs of rainbow-colored wings appeared. Even as the glow dimmed, its face remained indistinguishable.

"The Sword of Akasha is also the key to opening paradise."

"Of course...how foolish of me to forget that. My apologies, 00."

* * *

The _Nadesico, _back at the Federation moon base, was preparing for its departure to Earth. But with time yet before leaving, Domon decided to train alone. He found a good spot: a park with a thick forest. On the otherwise desolate moon, such green places gave workers a place to relieve stress. And Domon had a lot of stress.

However, someone was watching him.

As Domon practiced, he suddenly heard someone laugh, as if mocking him. Being the hot-blooded, short-tempered man he was, the martial artist scowled and looked around.

"Whoever you are, come out and show yourself!" he yelled; "If you don't, I'll smash you and this whole forest into tiny pieces!"

Eventually, the hidden figure did appear - he had been hiding in plain sight, camouflaging himself against a tree using a sheet that was patterned like the tree's bark while he clung to it.

The man was an odd character. He wore a thick military jacket with red trim, mask, white gloves, black pants, and most notably, a red, yellow and black ski mask...it was Neo Germany's Gundam Fighter. The katana on his back made him seem like some sort of German ninja.

"Domon Kasshu...it's quite unlike a Gundam Fighter to leave Earth," the ninja said.

"You had to do the same to find me, Neo-Germany," Domon replied. "Unfortunately, now isn't the time or the place to have a Gundam Fight."

"Yes. But I, Schwarz Bruder, have sought you for a different reason," Neo-Germany's Gundam Fighter replied as he jumped down. "I have come to warn you."

"Warn me of what?" Domon asked, suspicious of this character, even as he sounded vaguely familiar.

"Cease your pursuit of the Devil Gundam and Master Asia," Schwarz replied. "You cannot hope to defeat them."

"I'll defeat them! Just you watch!" Neo-Japan's Gundam Fighter retorted angrily, lunging at him in the hopes of showing him otherwise. But Schwarz dodged every one of Domon's attacks with the greatest of ease, as if he was moving with the very air Domon's strikes displaced. He then counterattacked with a devastating gut punch that caused the Gundam Fighter to stagger backwards into a tree.

"That's all?" Schwarz said with disappointment. "You truly call yourself a Gundam Fighter with such weak skills?!"

Domon struggled to get up, but the blow had been too strong.

"Domon Kasshu - you delude yourself with the idea that you are superior to all other Gundam Fighters. If you couldn't even defeat your old teacher, Master Asia, then what makes you think you have any hope of overcoming the Devil Gundam?!"

"Damn you..." Domon growled.

"The Gundam Fight Finals draw ever closer," Schwarz said grimly. "As does the fall of the moon. But you do not possess the power you need to overcome these trials. Until you do...farewell!"

Without another word, Schwarz tossed down a smoke bomb, covering the area in smoke. Once it cleared, Domon saw that the mysterious fighter was gone. However, he knew exactly what the man meant. He needed to train, and to harness Shining Gundam's full strength.

* * *

To everyone's surprise, Domon asked the two ships to head for the Guyana Highlands as their first destination upon returning to Earth. However, Bright had to report in to the military headquarters, so the two ships had to split up temporarily - the _Nadesico _would head for the Guyana Highlands, while the _Ra Calium _and Londo Bell would head for Federation Headquarters. This forced Amuro, Judau, Kamille, Four, Fa, Chan and the rest of Londo Bell to leave the group.

But the Guyana Highlands, one of the last great rainforests, had far more to be found than DREAM could have ever bargained for...

* * *

_Aargh, short chapters! RAAAAAAGE. I should start writing summaries again. But we're coming ever closer to the tale's halfway point. Yes, I believe this tale is going to be 100 chapters long, plus the route splits.  
_


	56. Chapter 41

_We're drawing ever closer to the halfway point of the tale, as well as a route split! I've realized that I put all the plot-heavy animes in the Flourishing World, and the plot-light ones in the Ruined World. But I guess that's also why I've been bringing in some plots from the former over to the latter. Anyway, moving on!_

* * *

**Chapter 41 – Guyana Highland Ruins! Ghoulish Winged Evangelions!**

The _Nadesico _was now the sole ship of DREAM for the time being, and even with Londo Bell gone, it was quickly becoming cramped. They needed to have another ship to help them carry around so many robots.

As they flew over the Guyana Highlands, Shinji was looking out the window when he saw a cave up on the mountainside. It seemed like any other cave, yet somehow Shinji couldn't shake the feeling that something very important was there. Misato and Rei were also fixated on the cave, but the pale girl seemed to have a better sense of what might be down there.

"The sleeping ship from the dark world..." she muttered.

"Sleeping ship from the dark world, huh?" Misato said. "I'll see if we can check it out after we drop off Domon and company..."

* * *

Aboard a white hydrofoil with red and blue stripes, Cath Lonary, Bunny Higgins, Shirley Lane and Janet Smith were all excited to see Chibodee again, especially now that he was no longer infected with DG Cells. The four girls, after all, owed everything to the Gundam Fighter.

Before they met the boxer, they were members of a street gang in the bad parts of Manhattan. When they had attempted to stow away on a colonist ship in order to achieve their dream of going to the Neo America colony, they were caught. But by sheer luck, Chibodee appeared and bailed the four girls out. As thanks, they became his pit crew, his cheerleaders, and (in the eyes of some) his harem. Of course, Chibodee treated them with kindness and generosity, even if he did run them ragged at times.

As they approached the shore, they saw the _Nadesico _flying overhead, having just dropped off the Shuffle Alliance and Rain.

"So that's the warship from another world," Shirley Lane, the red-headed de-facto leader of the group, said as she looked up at the vessel.

"Yeah...I also heard that in the world that it comes from, there isn't an America!" Jane Smith, the blonde-haired mechanic, added. "Apparently, a country called the Holy Empire of Britannia is there!"

"I'd hate to be ruled by an emperor," Cath Ronary, the dark-skinned, black-haired personal physician for Chibodee said, the very thought sending a chill down her spine. "At least the President of Neo-America never makes anyone bow to him."

"Well, one thing's for sure: the only person we'd ever bow to is Chibodee," Bunny, the bespectacled brunette in charge of communications added; "Not that he'd be the type to want that; right?"

The other three girls nodded in agreement.

* * *

The _Nadesico _doubled back to the cave that Rei and Shinji had seen on the way. The members of DREAM figured that the Shuffle Alliance would run into trouble soon enough, and that the _Nadesico _could support them. But while things were quiet, they could poke around the highlands and see what they could find, and even do a little training of their own for their upcoming battles.

Misato and the three EVA children all headed into the oddly dry cave once they had landed and disembarked. The floor was also unusually smooth and straight - a clear indication that this wasn't a naturally formed entrance.

"I'll bet you guys this," Asuka said thoughtfully as she ran her hand along the wall, noting its smoothness, "that this tunnel was formed by an energy beam of some kind."

"What, you think a battleship's down here or something?" Akito said, skeptical of Asuka's statement. "I think that's..."

The group soon arrived at a wide cavern, where something massive loomed before them.

"Called it!" Asuka said with a wide grin on her face.

Just as Rei had said, it appeared to be a battleship of some kind, though it was hardly in the best of condition. It appeared to have been trapped there for centuries, though it was oddly not very rusted at all. In addition to being made of plates seemingly bolted together at random, what appeared to be a well-preserved, over-large whale skeleton was still attached to the frame. Anyone who had seen Evidence 01 would have recognized it.

"Okay, so this must be what the favorite was talking about when she said a 'sleeping ship'," Asuka quipped. "But what about the 'dark world' part?"

Shinji suddenly realized the answer. "Hey...didn't Gai say..."

"Which one?" Asuka interrupted. "We've got Murakumo, we've got Daidou, and we've got Yamada. I can't keep 'em straight."

"I think he means the _Gekiganger _fan," Misato answered. "Let Tenkawa finish."

"Thanks, Misato...anyway, Gai Daigoji said he came back to us from another timeline, right? Maybe this ship is from a world where things didn't go right, but somehow crashed here."

"I guess that's why it looks like it's been here since forever ago," Shinji commented.

Rei meanwhile, found herself suddenly transfixed on a single, gigantic pink finger sticking out from beneath the wreckage and started to move towards it. Once she got within fifty feet of it, the finger twitched, and something massive lurched out of the ruins, but flopped over, as if it had just spent the last of its energy.

The question of where the ship had come from was answered – the massive pink thing looked like an Evangelion. Sure enough, an entry plug extended from the EVA's neck, and opened up. Out dropped a girl about the age of the three Evangelion pilots, wearing a pink plugsuit. Her hair was maroon, and she wore glasses with one broken lens. The frames were the same color as her hair. Furthermore, she was actually breathing!

Shinji was the first to approach her. As soon as he drew close, the girl slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him. Almost immediately, she sat up...and started to sniff Shinji's neck, pressing her chest against his.

"Um...can I help you?" Shinji said uneasily.

"You smell nice," the girl said; "Kinda like LCL...yep, you're definitely him."

"Weirdo..." Asuka muttered.

"Oh, if it isn't the rest of my old friends...and a few new faces!" the girl said. "But, judging by the looks of utter confusion on your faces, I guess introductions are required." The girl put one hand on her hip and pointed the other straight up while grinning in a corny way.

"I am...Mari...Mari Illustrious Makanami!"

_Geez, this must be what I sound like to people_, Tara thought. _Might as well call this chick Mari Sue..._

"So let me see..." Mari began as she looked closely at everyone; "You're Shinji Ikari...Rei I-kinda-forgot...Asuka something-or-other...and Misato what's-her-name!" She nodded and turned back toward the wrecked ship, not immediately realizing its condition. "Okay, introductions are out of the way, now let's see if we can get this boat working-okay-maybe-we-won't."

"Let's see if Leeron can do something," Misato replied, unfazed that this girl didn't remember her last name. "If he can figure out the Evangelions, then surely this would be a cakewalk for him. Come on, let's head back."

* * *

Athrun lay in bed, gazing out at the sunset. He couldn't stop thinking about Nicol and Kira, and how the death of the former had caused him to kill the latter. He remembered that girl Cagalli telling him how Kira always cried so easily, and how kind he was. He began to doubt whether Kira had intended to kill Nicol.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Le Creuset here. I'm coming in." came a familiar voice on the other side. Sure enough, Rau le Creuset stepped inside. Athrun tried to walk over to him, but the masked commander motioned for him to stay where he was. It was time for him to put on yet another act.

"I got the report," he began. "You did splendidly, eliminating the Strike."

"Hardly," Athrun replied.

"I'm the one at fault this time," Rau replied humbkly. "I was unable to assist you when you needed it most, so consumed was I by my...rivalry. But the sacrifice you made was worthwhile, and is a testament to the skill of the enemy."

Athrun looked away a bit. Creuset grinned ever so slightly.

"But the people whose lives he cut short - Miguel, Nicol, Commander Waltfield, and many others, were not lost in vain," Creuset continued. "Your feat shall be acclaimed throughout our home nation...you are to be awarded the Order of the Nebula."

That was the highest military honor one could earn in ZAFT. But...he had killed his friend, and a fellow Coordinator, no less! Athrun didn't know what to feel.

"Also, I just learned that you're to be transferred to the special forces, and answer directly to the Supreme Council," Creuse Of course, I'll be deprived of a very skilled comrade."

"I'm sorry, Commander," Athrun replied.

"You don't need to apologize," Rau replied with a false smile. "You're a top ace now, Athrun. And as a top ace, you'll be receiving the latest equipment. Once you've recovered, you are to return home and receive it."

"Even so," Athrun said uneasily.

"Oh, and didn't you hear about your father's appointment as PLANT Supreme Council Chairman?" Rau asked. Indeed, after the events at the Tokyo Settlement, Patrick Zala took over Siegel Clyne's post. The new Chairman actively called for a quick end to the war.

And with both of his unwitting patsies running PLANT and the Atlantic Federation, Rau knew that the war would send the Earth Sphere spiraling further into madness...

* * *

Gundam Maxter bounded away from Shining Gundam as it attempted to hit with a flying kick. The two Gundam Fighters were training with each other.

"Man, this is awesome!" Chibodee said excitedly. "I can come up with all sorts of neat new moves just by fighting you, Domon!"

Neo-Japan's Gundam Fighter couldn't agree more - an opponent like Chibodee would surely help him figure out just how far he had come as a martial artist, and to advance further as well. Domon bounced a flurry of punches from the boxing Gundam, then countered with a heavy roundhouse kick.

But before much else could happen, both fighters immediately felt the hair on the back of their necks stand up as something appeared on the cliff above them, seeming to step out of a Threshold.

The intruder's overall body form was like that of an Evangelion, but it was there that the resemblance ended. It had a white body, a pair of great feathered wings, no visible eyes and thick, blood-red lips that surrounded a toothy grin. In its left hand was a heavy-looking two-bladed weapon of some kind.

Even though Domon was unnerved by this abomination, Chibodee gazed at it with abject terror; terrible memories that he had locked away burst forth, filling him with such fright that his body refused to move.

As if sensing his fright, the monstrous winged creature started grunting and grinning in a way that it seemed to be laughing. This scene was only made even more unnerving as three more of these creatures appeared.

"What the hell are these things?!" Domon growled.

* * *

"…EVA Series?!" Misato exclaimed when Mari identified these strange creatures. The _Nadesico _had picked up their signal and was on its way to help.

"Yeah - I don't know who sent them, how they're made or why they're here, but these things are mass-produced Evangelions, AT Fields and all."

"So we should send out all three Evangelions of our own, then," Misato said thoughtfully.

As Asuka listened, a sensation of fear came over her. Unit 02's pilot didn't know why, but for the first time in a long time, she didn't want to go into battle. Shinobu, who happened to be nearby, saw her and and put his hand on her shoulder.

"C'mon, Asuka, buck up," he said reassuringly. "Dancougar's gonna fight with you."When she heard this, Asuka smiled, her courage returning. As long as he knew Shinobu would be by her side, she didn't have anything to fear.

"Misato…I…um…would like big brother Janus to come," Rei stammered, feeling uneasy about this as well. The NERV officer sighed.

At least Shinji seemed to be able to work on his own…

* * *

Shinji maintained a tight grip on his hard-earned sword as he launched out of the _Nadesico_ in EVA Unit 01 with Asuka and Rei at his heels. Leeron and Uribatake had modified it to fit his mech's color scheme, so it truly felt like his weapon. Joining them was Dancougar, Granlif, Gundam Rose, Shin Getter, Boss Borot, Zeta Gundam, Nu Gundam and the pink Evangelion Unit 08.

When they arrived, they found Domon fighting for his life against a total of ten mass-produced Evangelions, while Chibodee's Gundam was tossed against the wall, as if it were a rag doll.

_Wait…there's no way there could be more than seven of them…_ Mari thought. _Either our mysterious nemesis figured out how to make the freaks breed, or I'm still asleep… _

"Be careful, guys," Mari warned DREAM. "These guys have built-in S2 Engines. That means you're gonna have to RIP that sucker out of their chest, or they'll just get right back up!"

"Right!" Asuka yelled as she rushed forward. The group followed, some launching distance attacks to get the EVA Series' attention, even if it didn't pierce their AT Fields.

"Boss, Rei, get to work on patching up Chibodee!" Amuro ordered.

"Aw, I wanted to kick some ass!" Boss grumbled. "Fine..." Boss Borot and Unit 00 rushed toward the broken Gundam Maxter. One of the EVA Series lunged at them, but Domon intercepted it.

"Boss! Rei! Once you're done fixing up Gundam Maxter, get Rain and Chibodee's girls to the _Nadesico_."

"Girls?" Boss quipped. He looked up and saw Chibodee's pit crew, immediately making him swoon. "You got it, Domon!"

"Go ahead," Rei told him. "I'll help Chibodee."

* * *

"DAISETSUZAN OROSHIIIIIIIIII!"

Shin Getter 3 spun like a tornado as Gai Daidou unleashed Musashi's famous technique on one of the mass-produced Evangelions. As the winged monstrosity tumbled to the ground, EVA Unit 01 leaped in and slashed at the mech's red core.

The core split open and spurted out a jet of blood, causing the monster to keel over. Unit 01 then ripped out the damaged core and crushed it with its free hand, just for good measure.

"One down..." Shinji said. Another EVA Series swooped down at him, but Granlif struck it with a blast of Gran Fire, sending it flying.

"Hey, Shinji, let me show you how your REALLY finish off an enemy!" Janus called out. "Let's do it, Xengar...SAINT INFERNOOOO!"

The Super Robot raised its sword, which was now wreathed in white flames, and swung it as hard as it could. It cut the mass-produced Evangelion completely in two, S2 Engine and all. Granlif turned its head toward Unit 00, who was just finishing up repairing Gundam Maxter.

Shinji felt a small twinge of jealousy. What did Janus have to prove to Rei all of a sudden?

* * *

"I'll admit, Asuka, we make a pretty good team," Shinobu complemented her as Unit 02 and Dancougar stood back to back, the former holding its progressive knife, the latter its sword.

"Yeah...I'd hate to take on all these things myself," Asuka replied. "Now...where did those that last one get to..."

Suddenly, one of the two-bladed weapons came whizzing towards Unit 02's face. The teen raised her mech's AT Field, but then the weapon turned into something oddly familiar: a Lance of Longinus. Shinobu could only watch as the spear pierced Asuka's field, and buried itself in Unit 02's head.

"ASUKAAAAA!" Shinobu cried out. He turned toward the EVA Series that had thrown the weapon, which was grinning as always. The leader of the Cyber Beast Force didn't know why...but something about seeing Asuka, that annoying girl who wouldn't stop flirting with him, suffer like that infuriated him.

"What's so funny, you FREAK?!" Shinobu yelled. "Let's see how YOU like it!"

Dancougar leaned back and tossed the sword with all its might. It blasted right through the EVA Series' AT Field and buried itself in its head. The black mech rushed in, kicked it down and then drove the Dankuu Ken into its core, finishing it off. But Asuka's cries still resonated in Shinobu's mind, and the EVA Series was still smiling, which only drove Dancougar's main pilot even more berserk.

"Shinobu, stop!" Sara cried as Dancougar started stabbing the monstrosity repeatedly.

"Yo, calm down! It's dead!" Masato called out.

"Damn it, Fujiwara, what's gotten into you?!" Ryo yelled. He yanked on an emergency lever, which caused the four components to Dancougar split apart. This motion suddenly snapped Shinobu out of his bloodthirsty rage. Only then did he see that Asuka was still writhing in pain.

"Asuka! ASUKA!" he called out to her.

"Shi...no...bu..." she gurgled, gripping her left eye as if to hold back immense psychological pain. "It hurts, Shinobu...it hurts...it hurts...it hurts..."

* * *

The _Archangel _crew was aflutter with confusion when the word came. Natarle, Flay, and Mu were to be transferred off the _Archangel _and to another ship.

But for Sai, he was almost too glad to see Flay leave, and he felt ill knowing that. On the one hand, his fiancee had betrayed him when they had made a commitment to each other. What was more, Flay had manipulated Kira into having a relationship with her. It couldn't have been the other way around...his friend wasn't that kind of person. Even so, he wondered if Kira hid his true nature from them until he had the chance to snatch Flay away from him.

Murrue could see this as well. However, she was more disheartened about the loss of her second-in-command Natarle...and the man she cared for most, Mu la Flaga. She decided that perhaps easing Sai's mind would ease her own.

"Argyle," she said as she approached Sai. He saw her and stood to attention.

"Yes, Captain?"

"At ease, Argyle," Murrue replied, causing Sai to relax a bit. "I just saw that you seemed troubled, and that maybe I could help."

"You don't need to shoulder my burdens, Captain," the crewman answered awkwardly. "I'm sure that you have a lot of things to deal with already."

"I think we'll be stuck here in Alaska a while," the _Archangel_'s captain said. "I don't have a whole lot to worry about at the moment."

Sai sighed and stood up.

"There's one thing you forgot to mention at the briefing..."

"That Kira and Flay had sex together while on board this ship?" Murrue interrupted. "Even though she sympathized with Blue Cosmos and knew Kira was a Coordinator?"

Sai gasped.

"You knew? Why didn't you do something?!" Sai exclaimed.

"I had other things on my mind, like getting through the war," Murrue answered. "I wanted to do something, but I couldn't. I'm sorry, Sai."

The crewman sighed, ashamed of himself for being so selfish...

* * *

"The Evangelions do WHAT?!" Shinobu screamed when he and Sara grilled Misato for information on the Evangelions and why Asuka suffered so much. They stood outside the medical ward, where Chibodee and Asuka were being monitored by Rain and Cath.

"It's a side-effect of the synchronization process," Misato replied. "The pilot's neural connection to the Evangelion is required for it to be piloted properly. There's nothing we can do to reduce the effect without compromising the EVA's fighting ability."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" the Cyber Beast Force's leader roared. "My team can synch with Dancougar without having to feel its pain!"

"Everything we've seen points to the Evangelions being at least partially organic," Sara replied. "They're capable of feeling pain, they bleed, they have to have plugs shoved into their spines..."

Shinobu got right in Misato's face. "Fess up! NERV is up to no good, and you know it! Why else would you require fourteen-year-old kids to pilot it?! What's next, an EVA contains the soul of the pilot's mother?!"

Inside the medical ward, Asuka heard all of this going on. She couldn't help but swoon a bit at how Shinobu was valiantly defending her. Granted, she enjoyed piloting her Evangelion, but on the other hand, she couldn't remember the last time anyone stood up for her like this.

"Oh, Shinobu...maybe you really DO love me," Asuka sighed.

"Ah, young...ergh...love," Chibodee grunted. He had taken some nasty blows from the mass-produced Evangelions, though. "Too bad he's too old for ya."

"Shut it, scaredy-cat," Asuka shot back. "At least I'm mature enough that I don't call out for my mommy whenever I see a clown laughing!"

"You've got nerve, you know that, twerp?" Neo-America's Gundam Fighter replied angrily. "You must have a lot of issues to be acting all tough like you are now!"

"Grrrrr...if I wasn't stuck in this bed, I'd beat your face in right now!" Unit 02's pilot retorted, not caring that the man she said that too was a champion boxer.

* * *

_Agh, more short chapters! On the other hand, freaking Mari Makanami! Hopefully soon we'll be getting to some really juicy plot! Until next time! _


	57. Interlude 4

_I didn't intend to do this quite at this point, but it looks like the third route split is gonna take place now! This time, our two main protagonists will be splitting up, so no "which route is canon" votes this time._

* * *

**Interlude 4 - Faraway Significant Others**

The removal of the wrecked ship for reconstruction revealed something else. It was a great stone slab, easily large enough to fit even a large battleship through them. Engraved on the door were the same symbols that had appeared on Granlif and Lifthrasir's consoles in a few of their battles. The _Nadesico_'s scanners also detected a massive Threshold signature coming from behind it. Granlif and Lifthrasir were brought down into the cave, as were their pilots.

But the odd thing was that Tara and Janus saw a second, much smaller door nearby. Everyone watched in bewilderment as the two pilots completely ignored the massive stone slab. What was more, everyone was shocked to see them walk right through a seemingly inconspicuous part of the wall.

On the other side, the two came upon a rather small chamber with two orbs sitting on pedestals. The orbs, one blue and one red, were contained within transparent cubes made of an unknown material. The pedestals had etched markings that extended from the pedestals to the wall.

However, Janus and Tara immediately recognized the nature of these devices...they were the power cores of their respective mechs, and were responsible for the ability to generate portals and Thresholds.

"Hey, Jan, do you think..." Tara said excitedly.

"Yeah, let's take them and put them in Granlif and Lifthrasir," Janus replied with a nod. "Besides, whoever built this place is probably long gone."

"Okay then...I'll take the red one, you take the blue one," Lifthrasir's pilot replied.

The two removed the power cores from their resting places, and found that they were very lightweight and merely warm to the touch. With that, they stepped outside. Sai Saici was the first to greet them.

"Hey, where the heck did you two go?" he asked. "You just walked through the wall...hey, what are those?"

"I don't know what you did, but the Threshold energy reading disappeared just before you came out," Ryoko added. "Care to explain?"

"I think we just found a solution to our Threshold problem," Janus replied as he and Tara held up the cores. "We'll need to borrow Leeron for a little bit, though."

* * *

A ZAFT security guard looked over Lacus, Nicol and Kira as they floated toward a door he was guarding. He didn't think twice about letting them through, especially with the daughter of a Councilman accompanying them. The door to a hangar opened for them and the four floated inside. Nicol and Kira gave snappy salutes as they passed.

The four soon reached a large mobile suit hangar, where work was being done on two mobile suits. One of them resembled the Strike, but with blue and black wings, and the other resembled the Blitz, but with a three-bladed claw on its left arm and a head that looked a bit more like the Strike's.

"Gundams!" Kira exclaimed, suddenly using the term everyone else in DREAM had been calling mobile suits like these.

"These are the ZGMF-X10A Freedom and the ZGMF-X14A Harmony," Lacus said. "But the term 'Gundam' does have a nice ring to it. They use state-of-the-art tech that complement the abilities of the mobile suits that were taken from the Earth Forces. They were developed under orders of Chairman Zala."

"Why are you showing us these, Ms. Clyne?" Nicol asked.

"There will be many battles for you two," she replied. "And the strength you need for them may come from these machines."

"I could understand giving Nicol one of these," Kira said, "But why are you letting me use one? I'm not exactly a ZAFT soldier, you know."

"Because neither will nor strength alone will be enough."

"Neither will nor strength alone..." Nicol said quietly.

"Please, hurry," Lacus suddenly said; "Get into the Gundams. We can't delay any longer!"

Kira and Nicol floated over to the Freedom and Harmony respectively, and got in with a little help from Lacus.

"Once you escape, rendezvous with the Junk Guild ship HOME," the songstress continued. "You can travel to Earth with them."

The two Coordinators started up their new machines, causing a panic inside the hangar. Without wasting any time, the Freedom and Harmony rocketed out of the hangar into the void of space. As they sped towards the rendezvous point, both of them understood exactly why Lacus gave them these new suits...

* * *

Tara grinned widely as everyone beheld what she had accomplished - thanks to the new power cores equipped to their mechs, Granlif and Lifthrasir were now individually capable of creating stable Thresholds on their own, and one such portal gaped wide, though it was now white like the Thresholds the agents of Zohar and Arubboth made.

"Well, at least now we can cross between worlds easily," Akatsuki said confidently as he looked on. "And I for one, hope we haven't missed too much back home."

"But there's still the issue of the moon and the Gundam Fight Finals," Yoko said. "I don't know if it's the best time to split up."

"No, I think this would be a good time, actually," Yurika chimed in, her keen tactical mind coming into the fore once again. "Our force is large enough that half of it can deal with just about any threat. And there's still forty-five days before the Gundam Fight Finals..."

"...And since time flows faster in our world relative to yours, we might be back in time!" Hikaru Amano chirped.

"But if we all go back to our respective worlds," Ruri said; "The group on this side may not have sufficient forces."

"I think two groups should stay behind to reinforce the team on this side," Daisuke suggested; "Is there anyone willing to stay behind?"

* * *

"You're staying, Shinji?" Nunnally exclaimed when she heard that the Evangelions and. "But...don't you want to return to our home world?"

"I do, but Misato said Asuka, Rei and I have to stay until the new ship is completed," Shinji answered with regret. "I'm sorry, Nunnally. But don't worry - Kaworu will be there, and your big brother too!"

"Yes...of course. I'll say hello to him for you," Nunnally replied, reassured a bit. "Oh, he'll be so happy to see that I can see again!" Of course, neither of them knew anything of Lelouch's capture and subsequent stripping of his memories; nor did they see Rei around the corner, listening to their conversation.

"I'll miss you a lot...you and your brother were the first people to ever be truly nice to me. I...I'll be alone when you leave."

Nunnally giggled. "No, you won't! You'll have all the other people who stay behind as well!"

"But..."

"And don't forget Rei," she added, much to Rei's surprise; "She likes you a lot, and I'm sure you like her back." Shinji blushed a bit, making Nunnally giggle again.

The pilot of Unit 00 blushed a little as well...

* * *

For as long as Lelouch Lamperouge could remember, he had gone to school at Ashford with his younger brother Rolo. His existence was, for the most part, carefree. He had been present during the Black Rebellion, but he thought Zero was a fool – a man with vision, he'd admit, but ultimately lacked the power to achieve his goals. But Lelouch had no idea that the life he was living was naught but a lie – an illusion carefully maintained by the Britannian government to achieve their ends.

Rolo, on the other hand, knew otherwise. He had told Lelouch that he was off to an activity outside the school grounds today. This wasn't entirely untrue – he had to meet with one of his associates, for he too, was in on the lie.

"Good evening, Knight of Eleven," he said as he strode out of the shadows. "I'm glad to see you back from your time at the Eurasian Front...tell me, though; why did His Majesty send you here?"

"I've been ordered to help the Knight of Seven and the rest of the OSI keep an eye on your 'big brother'," Tahra answered coldly; "As such, I've been asked to start attending classes at Ashford Academy."

"I guess that means we'll be seeing a lot of each other," Rolo replied with a smirk as he pulled out his pistol and casually started balancing it on his finger. "To think...both of the White Deaths - the pilots of Lancelot and Lifthrasir - will be joining our fair Academy."

"I'm only doing it as my duty to His Majesty," the Knight replied, leering at the boy. "If you ask me, I'd much rather be with Prince Clovis rather than be forced to associate with those beneath me."

_So much for acting like Marianne, _Rolo thought. _S__he's as much of a prima donna as the rest of the nobility are; then again...this could be a result of her being half of her original self..._

* * *

Immediately after the _Nadesico _made the jump back to the other side, Nunnally, who was chatting with Euphemia, suddenly felt her mind come under attack again - her vision started to grow dark as whatever power that had lost its grip on her in the other world began to regain control. She cried out, clutching her head in some vain effort to stop it. Seeing this, her sister rushed to Nunnally's side, only to see her fall from her wheelchair.

As she struggled, the younger of the two princesses heard the voice of her other self in her head -

_No...not again! My light..._

_Stupid girl! How can we expect to protect anyone if we're blind again? How can we be of any use to our friends when we can't even walk?!_

_But...what do I do?_

_Let me out. You've kept me caged inside for too long...and it was holding me back that made you weak!_

_...You're right. I-I'm nothing more than a burden...I'm only holding everyone else back!_

The darkness Nunnally had kept sealed in her heart, only let out during her time piloting Mark Nemo, finally burst out all at once. It flooded her, filled her to the brim with vigor while at the same time, she felt her consciousness fade as the part of her she had kept inside took control.

Euphie watched all this with grave concern.

"Nunnally! Nunnally! Please, hold on!"

Then the crippled princess stopped moving. After a few seconds, Nunnally's hair inexplicably turned a bleached blonde right before Euphemia's eyes. The older princess then watched her little sister stand up for the first time since Marianne's death, doing so as if she had never been crippled at all. Finally, Nunnally opened her eyes again. Instead of their usual purple color, they had turned a dark pink.

"N-Nunnally?" Euphie asked nervously.

"You mean that weak crippled girl who couldn't do anything but be a burden?" the one who now controlled Nunnally's body said spitefully. "She is no longer here. Now, there is only me...Nemo."

"What have you done with her?" Euphie cried angrily; "Give my sister back!"

"Oh, stop crying," Nemo said with a sigh. "I have no intention of turning on you. It was Nunnally herself who allowed me to stand before you."

But Euphie rushed out of the room in a panic, desperate to find someone who could save her little sister...

* * *

Megumi Reinard was absolutely entranced by _Gekiganger 3_. After repeated proddings by Tara, Akito, and the newly returned Jiro Yamada, she finally decided to give it a watch in her private quarters. To her surprise, it was the emotional roller coaster that the three had always said the show was. She had just finished an episode, and got up to switch it off.

"Wait! Don't turn it off!" someone who had suddenly appeared right next to her cried. She looked to her left to see someone dressed in what appeared to be a rabbit costume - or rather, the pieces of an oversized rabbit plush made into a disguise - squatting on her bed. In the dark of the room, she couldn't quite make out the jumpsuit similar to Ken's in _Gekiganger_...it was Tsukumo in disguise.

"Mr. Bun-Bun?!" Megumi exclaimed, nearly leaping out of her clothes in surprise. Tsukumo hopped off the bed, squatted down again and gazed intently into the television.

"Yes! Yes! This is surely one of the lost episodes our race lacks: the thirteenth episode of the first season...'Tragic Holy Night! Satan Clock M!'...th-this is incredible!" But suddenly, a knock came on the door to Megumi's room. Frantically, she turned to Tsukumo and paused the show.

"Don't move!" she said, unintentionally dropping the remote control just as Minato opened the door and turned on the light.

"Megumi, why aren't you up at the bridge?" she asked, immediately taking notice of the squatting white rabbit.

"Oh...um...I'm just tidying up a bit..." Megumi replied awkwardly. Minato took a step forward, stepping on the remote and unpausing the show. This caused Tsukumo to let out a great wail as he watched one of Joe's Kyo'ak love interests perish.

"Noooo! Aquamariiiine!" he cried.

"Um...Megumi...who is that?" Minato asked suspiciously. Seeing that he couldn't possibly keep up his disguise, Tsukumo stood up and removed the rabbit head.

"Tsukumo?!" the smaller girl exclaimed. "H-How did you get out?! And why did you come into my room?!"

"Please, I apologize for the deception," Tsukumo said regretfully. "I had managed to sneak out during the whole panic about one of your royal passengers. But when I heard your friend watching one of the lost episodes, I couldn't resist coming in to see it for myself!"

"Well, give us one good reason why we shouldn't just toss you back in your cell," Minato said, squinting at him.

"It seems Nergal has intentions of ending my life in order to keep the true nature of my people hidden," the Jovian soldier replied. "I can't allow that to happen...not when I have a mission to tell my people that there ARE Earthlings who believe in the words of Glenn the Just!"

"Something going on in there?" the voice of Gai Murakumo called out. "The captain needs us to assemble in the cafeteria." Minato and Megumi hesitated, as if pondering what the right thing to do was. But their hearts knew what was right.

"Everything's fine! We'll be there in a minute!" Minato called out. After a few seconds, they heard Gai walk away.

"You truly are kind souls," Tsukumo said gratefully. "Let us hurry and find a shuttle!"

The three rushed out of the room, but found that Gai Murakumo was still nearby, aiming a gun at Tsukumo's head as he pressed a sequence of buttons on the wall that activated an alarm system.

"Reinard...Haruka...step away from the Jovian," the Coordinator said coldly. "As for you, pal...I'm afraid it's the end of the line. Nothing personal, of course. You're the enemy, and we can't have you escaping."

"Gai, wait!" Megumi cried. "You of all people should have heard his story!"

"Hey, I'm not happy about this either," Gai replied, "But I'm doing what I have to do."

"So you're going to participate in this hypocritical lie?" Tsukumo suddenly said indignantly; "When you yourself were a part of one?!" This made Gai pause and lower his weapon a bit. For the first time in recent memory, he felt unsure of whether to follow through with his mission.

"You're willing to sink to the low that Blue Cosmos did when it created you, a Coordinator, for the sake of wiping out your fellows...the very fate you escaped from by the skin of your teeth?!"

Gai sighed. He knew all too well that Tsukumo was in the right here. He had foolishly told him the story of his existence a while ago. To the trio's relief, Gai put the gun away.

"All right. I'll let you go," Gai replied. "But I've already triggered the alarm. If you don't leave now, you'll be caught anyway."

* * *

"Great," Hayato grumbled; "First Princess Nunnally suddenly decides to bleach her hair and act like a brat, now the Jovian prisoner's escaped." The two Getter Teams had chosen to follow the _Nadesico _back to the Flourishing World.

"Not to mention that Minato and Megumi have disappeared," Benkei added. "I suspect he kidnapped them or something."

"Maybe," Tara said. "But something tells me we won't have to worry too much about them for the moment. Especially not if the guy wants to convince the Jovians that we Earthlings aren't the jerks they make us out to be."

"Yeah," Shinobu said in agreement. "They've probably Boson Jumped all the way back to Jupiter by now anyway...and even Thresholds can't get us that far."

"Not to mention you were thinking of MURDERING him just to keep up your deception!" Jiro added.

"Except the Jovians are our enemies," Akatsuki replied; "And what would they gain from telling US the truth?"

"At this point, we're just arguing pointlessly," Ruri interrupted. "Right now, we have more pressing issues, like meeting up with the _Archangel_ and saving the remains of the Black Knights, if any are still alive. After all, it's been nearly a year since we left..."

* * *

High above the streets of the Britannian capital, Pendragon, on a stormy night, seven purple-cloaked figures convened, each standing atop a single building. These seven figures were the Magnificent Seven Primevals - Arm, Nail, Ear, Eye, Intestine, Rib and Liver. Unlike their twenty-four other comrades, they were able to maintain humanoid forms. They also all wore bluish-purple headbands.

"Let us reaffirm our objectives," spoke Eye Primeval, who took the form of a young woman with blue hair and overlarge red eyes.

"First, we recover our comrades," said Nail Primeval, who took the shape of a long-faced man with a pointy chin, grey cheeks, long thin eyebrows that extended a fair distance from his face, as well as incredibly long and sharp nails.

"Then, we occupy the space station that belongs to the organization known as GGG," Rib Primeval, who had chosen the form of a man with a constant, perverted stare and badly maintained teeth.

"Third, we annihilate the Legacy of Cain and the Disaster left by Abel," said Liver Primeval, a massive, pudgy-faced giant with relatively small features.

"Excellent," said Arm Primeval, a rugged-looking powerfully built man with long brown hair and manly facial hair. "However, we have one additional objective."

"And what's that, Arm?" cackled Ear Primeval, a humanoid that crouched like an ape, and whose face resembled a living Tiki mask with over-large ears.

"Find the one HE had been seeking," Arm replied. "Only then will we receive his aid..."

* * *

_And so, we come our route split! Here's how it's going to go:_

**_Nadesico/Tara: _**_Martian Succesor Nadesico, Code Geass, Dancougar, Grendizer, Mazinkaiser, Macross 7, Getter Robo Armaggedon, GaoGaiGar, Gundam SEED  
_

_**Ra Calium/Janus: **G Gundam, UC Gundam, Evangelion, Shin Mazinger, Zeorymer, Turn A Gundam, Gurren Lagann, Combattler V, Voltes V  
_

_The reason I had Getter Robo and the two Choudenji Robots switch places because they're the only ones who don't have any plot focus in the route split, and wanted a little variety. Also, this could also be a long split...maybe 8 to 10 chapters? Anyway, until next time, mecha fans!_


	58. Chapter 42 Ra Calium

_Time for some more G Gundam and Zeorymer plot. Also, a surprise new enemy, straight from the SD Gundam series! Also, yay, I was able to write a decently long chapter! Hope you enjoy it!_

* * *

**Chapter 42 (Ra Calium) – Madness and Clarity! Twin Lords and Devil's Son!**

"Fools," Master Asia chuckled as he viewed the situation from a sinister pool of water that served as a mystical scrying device; "Dividing their forces up like that will make this the perfect opportunity to strike."

"Plotting something, Master Asia?" a heavenly voice suddenly came from behind him. He turned around and saw Raziel, one of the agents of Zohar, hovering between him and the Devil Gundam. "I am glad that you are making use of the scrying technique I showed you."

"Raziel, the Mysterious Librarian of Zohar," the old martial artist chuckled. "What brings you to the lair of the Devil Gundam this time?"

"I have come to you with a gift, to aid you in your endeavors. The power of Domon's allies may be too much for you and the Death Army to handle, but with this, the balance can be turned in your favor."

Raziel opened his book and approached the Devil Gundam. Muttering an ominous chant, the angel reached into the monstrosity with his hand and concentrated for several seconds. The Death Army troops looked on with interest.

After Raziel withdrew his hand and ceased chanting, something appeared on the Devil Gundam's flank - a purple, almond-shaped object about twice the size of a Death Army mech - it resembled an egg of some sort.

"What is that?!" Master Asia exclaimed. But Raziel was silent.

After a few moments, the egg-shaped object suddenly detached itself from its progenitor and turned upside-down. Then it opened up like a four-petaled flower, revealing what appeared to be a purple copy of the Turn X Gundam, but with cables that attached it to its shell rather than legs as well as a very slim lower torso. It emitted a low rumbling growl.

"Incredible...what is this machine?" Master Asia exclaimed.

"...Devil Gundam Junior," Raziel replied.

* * *

Christina's eyes widened when she saw the finished product of Amuro's hard work; at long last, the Gundam ALEX B-Type was finally completed. It looked much like the original ALEX, but also bore large funnels similar to that of the Nu Gundam. She then rushed toward it, and started examining it excitedly.

"I still can't believe you actually figured out how to make autonomous funnels, Amuro," Chan said excitedly, wrapping her arm around his body.

"I did get a lot of help from Janus' android co-pilot," Amuro replied humbly. "He was able to convert the code from the language Granlif used to the one used by our mobile suits."

"Hey, give yourself some credit, Commander!" Sleggar said, amiably slapping him on the back. "Thanks to you, regular pilots like Christina can go up against Newtypes with funnel weapons now!"

"But they won't be able to compare to a skilled Newtype pilot like Char," the Nu Gundam's pilot said with a sigh. "Still, maybe she'll feel that she can truly protect little Alfred now. But let's go see whether they've finished the system checks on Domon's new Gundam..."

* * *

Another unsuccessful day of training came to an end as Domon returned to the cave where DREAM was resting. He soon noticed the pilot of Zeorymer messing around on Rain's laptop computer. He was sitting at a small table that was set up in the center of the chamber.

"Masato, what the hell do you think you're doing?!" Domon yelled. "That computer belongs to Rain!"

"Hmph," Masato said, his other personality currently under control; "I wouldn't expect an ignoramus like you to understand."

Just at that moment, Rain walked in.

"Oh, hello, Domon," the mechanic said. "Miku was worried about Masato, so I thought I'd see what I could do. Masato said he'd cooperate with me if I let him look at the data I had gathered on the Devil Gundam."

"This doesn't sound like the Masato I'm familiar with," Domon replied with a leering stare. "Just looking at you makes me want to punch you and your mother."

"Domon, the poor boy's been through a lot!" Rain yelled at Domon. "Please, leave us be; I want to keep this conversation between Masato and I private." The martial artist huffed at Zeorymer's pilot and stormed out of the chamber. Rain turned back to Masato once Domon was gone.

"So, are you satisfied?" Rain asked.

Masato smirked cunningly. "Yes, I'm more than satisfied. Now, as promised, I'll tell you the sad, sad story of pathetic little Masato Akitsu...and of the Tekkoryu."

Rain was silent, but showed that she was listening intently. Masato stood up and began to pace back and forth a bit as he spoke.

"The Tekkoryu constructed a team of eight giant robots for the purpose of achieving world domination in this world drenched by Getter Rays. Each robot was keyed to a single individual's bio-electric and brainwave patterns, in order to ensure that each machine would only have a single pilot."

Rain noted that he seemed to actually be enjoying telling her this story. It was as if he didn't care about how the actual Masato would suffer upon hearing this.

"However, one of the scientists who built Zeorymer stole a test tube containing the unborn zygote that would become Zeorymer's pilot and fled with both zygote and machine. Now...do you wish to know WHO that zygote developed into?"

Rain had already guessed, but dared not speak it aloud. She could only gaze in horror at Masato's ever increasing joy at telling such a dark tale.

"It became Masato Akitsu!" the boy cried with twisted joy; "He's nothing more than a mass of genetic material made to pilot the almighty Zeorymer of the Heavens! He's..."

"I've heard enough," Rain interrupted. She wanted nothing more than to shut this maniacal side of Masato up. "Thank you for your time."

"No, I'm not finished! Let me tell you about the time poor little Masato thought he..."

But before he could finish, he grunted, and clasped his head as the more familiar Masato regained control of his body.

"Rain...did you..." Masato said meekly.

"Yes. I spoke with your other personality," Rain replied. "I'll tell you the details when you think you're ready. But first, do you remember being abused at all by your parents?"

"N-no," Masato replied. "They always treated me kindly. At least until the day I was taken by Last Guardian..."

* * *

"And that's my conclusion, based on what I've read and what I heard from Masato," Rain said to Miku after she was done with Masato. The two were seated in another part of the cave, which had been set up as a makeshift kitchen.

"I knew Oki wanted to make him capable of killing when he locked him up in there," Miku said sadly. "But how could a new personality spring up as a result?"

"Sometimes survivors of physical or sexual abuse end up convincing themselves that it happened to someone else," Rain answered. "As such, the trigger is generally some experience the person is trying to dissociate themselves from. This results in them creating an alternate self who gets put in charge."

"I see," Miku replied.

"This 'Other Masato'," Rain concluded, "was an attempt for him to cope with, at the very least, the weeks of isolation that Last Guardian put him through. What's worse, he seems to have taken on the viewpoint of his abusers."

As much as Miku wanted to believe that the almost megalomaniac Other Masato was just a coping mechanism - she couldn't shake the sensation that there was far more to him that that. Why was he so interested in the Turn A Gundam and Devil Gundam? Of course, she had no way of knowing the connection between Zeorymer and these other machines...

* * *

Just before dawn the next day, Janus heard something run by. He sat up in his sleeping bag and looked around, but saw no one who could have caused it. Everyone else in the room was asleep as well, even in spite of Kouji's snoring.

Granlif's pilot slipped out of his bag, carefully crept over the rows of other sleepers, and made his way to the mouth of the cave to watch the imminent sunrise and listen to the activity of the animals in the early morning. The Guyana Highlands were one of the few places where non-human, non-Invader life still thrived after the Getter Ray Armageddon.

But as he stepped out into the twilight, Janus spotted the silhouette of someone about ten yards away, who silently beckoned the young man to approach. Janus' instincts told him that this man was not an enemy, so he got closer.

Even when he got within a few feet of the figure, Janus still couldn't make out any of the man's features. But the reason behind came soon enough as the sun peeked over the horizon: his face was covered by the distinctive mask of Neo Germany's Gundam Fighter - Schwarz Bruder.

"Well met, Janus Olendra," Schwarz said in quiet greeting. "I'm glad I was able to attract your attention alone."

"You're Neo Germany's Gundam Fighter," Janus said, recognizing the flag of Neo Germany from Schwarz's mask. "What brings you out here? You wanna go toe-to-toe with one of the other Fighters? And now that I think about it, how do you know my name?!"

"I have my ways...but let's get to the matter at hand," the German ninja replied, "You're going to be training with Domon Kasshu today, correct?"

"What business do you have asking me that?" Granlif's pilot retorted. As it turned out, he was, but Schwarz clearly knew that already, and it was merely a rhetorical question.

"As you probably know, Domon Kasshu seeks to defeat the Devil Gundam and his former teacher, Master Asia. However, he cannot hope to achieve victory if he continues to rely on anger to wield Shining Gundam's Super Mode."

"So, what do you suggest, Baron Von Ninja?"

Schwarz's gaze to a tree branch hanging over the cliff. It was soaked with water from last night's rain, and water was dripping off of it, pooling in a slight indentation in the rock.

"_Meikyo shisui_."

"What is that? Is it something to eat?" Janus said, scratching his head.

Schwarz sighed, and explained. "It is a serene state of mind - one where your soul is as tranquil as a gentle stream and as clear as a mirror. It is one that is unclouded by rage, hatred and confusion...a state of mind where one's purpose is completely clear."

"Yes, Janus, that is exactly what Domon needs to master!" Xengar's voice suddenly called out. The two turned and saw the android standing at the cave mouth. "And it is something you should learn as well, Janus!"

"Wow, never thought you were capable of being sneaky, Xengar," Janus quipped. "And what do you know about being calm...you're practically the embodiment of..."

"Shut up! And listen!" Xengar bellowed sternly. "The true power of hot-blooded passion comes not from fury, but from courage - and true courage only comes when one's mind is is calm!"

"I couldn't have said it any better," Schwarz said with a nod. "Janus, I believe you can make Domon achieve a state of _meikyo shisui_. But it will require that you push him to his absolute limit."

"So, basically beat Domon within an inch of his life?" Janus said uneasily. "You're asking a lot of me, man. I've been in my share of fist fights, but Domon's a trained martial artist! He'd kick my butt ten different ways to next year! And even if I could, I'm afraid I'd kill him!"

"Achieve a state of _meikyo shisui_," Xengar advised, "and you will be able to overpower Domon and still leave him alive."

"Fine. I'll give it a go," Granlif's pilot said.

"Excellent...Xengar, I leave that task to you," Schwarz said. "As for Domon, his heart already knows how to achieve that state. He just refuses to accept it into his mind." Without another word, Schwarz bounded away, faster than either of their eyes could see. Xengar simply stood and watched the sunrise once Schwarz had left. Janus had no clue that he was actually waiting for something.

That something soon came, in the form of a curious Rei Ayanami, who had been awoken by the activity going on outside. In a swift and completely unanticipated move, Xengar rushed past his co-pilot, grabbed Rei by the arm, hefted her onto his shoulder and started down the cliff.

Janus, not understanding Xengar's behavior at all, started after him, terrified of losing Rei and furious about this sudden betrayal. Domon, Miku and Masato, who had also been awakened by the noise, saw them run by.

"What's going on? Why is Xengar trying to kidnap Rei?!" Masato exclaimed.

"I don't know...but let's try and catch him in Zeorymer!" Miku replied. "There's no way we can keep up on foot in this terrain!"

"I'll join in Shining Gundam!" Domon called out. He raised his hands as Miku and Masato headed down to where Zeorymer was waiting.

"RIIIISE, GUNDAAAAAAAAAAAM!"

* * *

Xengar intentionally slowed his pace to make sure Janus could keep up with him. As Rei shuddered with terror, the android whispered to her.

"Rei Ayanami...I must ask you to trust me. This is for your big brother's sake." The scared Evangelion pilot nodded, wondering just what Xengar was up to.

They soon came to a stop at a great waterfall, and after about thirty seconds, Janus burst out of the forest, but stopped as Xengar held the pilot of Evangelion Unit 00 by the throat.

"Xengar, have your circuits completely fried?!" Janus cried out. "Let go of Rei, right now!"

Xengar's stoic expression didn't change, and he tightened his grip around Rei's throat.

"Big...brother..." Rei gasped, flailing helplessly and vainly trying to move the android's fingers apart.

"I said, let her go!" Janus yelled, his rage, which cloaked a deep despair. But Xengar only tightened his grip yet again. Rei tried to call out again, but she could only weakly croak.

Janus, desperate to save Rei, rushed at the seemingly out-of-control android. He squeezed tighter still, now constricting Rei's airway to the point where she could barely breathe at all.

The young man felt his body tremble all over as he watched Rei gasp for air while his fury and despair started to boil over. His body began to change back to the raging angel form that he had exhibited that night in the Chinese Federation, but at the last moment, Janus suddenly saw a droplet fall from the tree, and stopped himself.

_No...If I lose my head, it will only get her killed...I've got to stay calm...I've got to..._

Janus suddenly felt his anger and despair disappear; leaving only a sense of clear purpose, free of malice..._meikyo shisui_.

His eyes shifted to a less menacing appearance; and shifted back to their normal colors, although they were far more brilliant than before; finally, a second pair of wings grew on his back. But before he could attack, Xengar dropped Rei, who was on the verge of blacking out. She lay on the ground, gasping for breath.

Then something unexpected happened - Xengar threw off some sort of cloak, revealing Schwarz Bruder beneath. But now that Janus had achieved the state of _meikyo shisui_, he was able to remain in this shape even when calmed down.

"Schwarz...I should have guessed," Janus said, chuckling a bit.

"Yes. _Meikyo shisui _is not obtained merely by desiring it. It comes when one recognizes when evil thoughts are clouding your own mind in the throes of anger, hatred or despair. By discarding the malice you had for me and focusing entirely on protecting your younger sister, you were able to achieve that state of mind. Of course, I didn't expect your body to change like that...it seems I'm still capable of being surprised."

Janus looked down at the water, and saw that his new form. Rei, having finally caught her breath, got up and immediately gazed in awe at her big brother's new form. Janus turned and smiled warmly at Rei, who smiled back.

But the moment was interrupted when Schwarz spotted some Death Army soldiers lumbering toward them from the east, and with several more following in formation.

"Janus - now is the time to see how well your machine performs now that you have achieved _meikyo shisui_." Schwarz said. "Engrave the memory of that instant of clarity in your mind, and you will be able to wield your power at will."

Janus nodded, and Schwarz gently picked up Rei.

"Come on, Rei." he said gently to the still-trembling girl, "I'll return you to your camp." With that, Schwarz darted off. Janus turned back to the approaching Death Army. He raised his hand high.

"RIIIISE, GRANLIIIIIIIIIF!"

He snapped his fingers, and a large portal opened just at the surface of the pool the falls were flowing into, and his machine rose out of it, with Xengar perched on top.

"I see you've done it," Xengar said proudly. "Now let us show the foes what we are truly capable of!"

Janus floated upward as Xengar melded into the machine. Janus flew backward, entering his mech through a portal. He reappeared inside the cockpit, the harness all ready to go.

"When dreams take wing in the face of a hostile universe..." Janus began, preparing once again to try and deliver the awesome pre-battle speech.

"Our battle cry will shatter all foes and light the way to the future!" Xengar cried.

"We are the guardian…mighty colossus…" they said together. Meikyo! Shisui! GRAAAAAAN...LIIIIIF!"

Granlif sprouted a third pair of wings, bring the total to six now, and causing it to glow silver. So energetic was this display that the release of energy caused the waterfall to reverse its flow for a few moments...

* * *

Domon and Masato saw this display from above, and gaped in amazement.

"Amazing!" the pilot of Zeorymer exclaimed. "Granlif's power output has increased by 220 percent!"

Domon, however, sensed that Janus had somehow, with almost no training, achieved the serene state of mind of _meikyo shisui _that had continually evaded him, one who had trained for years in the martial arts. Neo-Japan's Gundam Fighter fumed with jealousy as he landed. But as Zeorymer landed, Miku detected some all-too-familiar energy signatures.

"Masato, I've just detected two more Tekkoryu machines headed our way," the girl warned him. "They'll be arriving in a few minutes. But I know we can do it!"

"Sure," Masato groaned. "It's what I was born to do, right?"

"...Masato, quit whining!" Domon yelled angrily. "If you're going to be like that, then get off the battlefield!"

"You, Domon, need to chill," Janus chimed in. "You're not gonna defeat the Devil Gundam and old man Touhou Fuhai if you're always blowing your top, you know."

"Who asked you?!" the Gundam Fighter grumbled as Shining Gundam drew its beam saber and rushed in at the approaching horde...

* * *

Si-Aen and Si-Tau, the twin sisters of the Tekkoryu, waited inside the massive transport vessel that was used to carry the Hakkeshu mechs into battle. The two mechs were stylized in a similar manner to Zeorymer, but were slightly smaller, and had different weapons – one was Bryst of the Fire, and the other was Gallowin of the Water.

Dropped from two thousand feet up, the colossal mechs (the Hakkeshu mechs dwarfed even most Super Robots) rocked the entire landscape, creating wide but shallow craters on impact and flattening every tree within two thousand yards.

"You are to destroy Zeorymer and its two pilots," the voice of Yuratei came over their communicators; "As well as those who aid them. Do not fail me!"

"Understood!" the twins replied in unison. They locked their sights on Zeorymer, who seemed to sense their arrival, and turned to meet them, which left Domon and Janus to continue fending off the hordes of Death Army.

Tau, the pilot of Gallowin was the first to rush at Zeorymer.

"MEGA SEARCHER BEEEEAAAM!"

The two beams struck Zeorymer dead on. The impact forced Masato's head forward and smacked it against the control panel, cutting a gash in his forehead, but did relatively little damage to the mech itself, thanks to its powerful barrier.

"Tau," Si-Aen ssaid, "we must use the Twin Lords, or else we'll never defeat it!"

"No!" Si-Tau yelled. "I will defeat Zeorymer myself!"

"Tau, we need to do it together!" Tau's sister beseeched her. "For Her Majesty's sake!"

The pilots of Zeorymer saw an opportunity and moved in to strike the Hakkeshu mech directly. But Aen saw it coming and readied its own weapon.

"FLARE LAUNCHER!"

A stream of super-heated gas blasted forth from Bryst's cannons, wreathing Zeorymer in flames. Some of the sparks struck the ground, which quickly started fires throughout the forest. But Zeorymer itself held firm.

"Quickly, Tau! Fire a Beam Searcher!" Aen called out.

Tau grunted with resentment. She was always playing second banana to her sister. She would destroy Zeorymer and get all the credit, at least in her mind. But she did fire another pair of beams from Gallowin, which went right past Zeorymer, and connected with Bryst.

"IT ENDS HERE! MAG LAAAASH!"

Gallowin fired a massive blue blast, while Bryst shot a pair of red energy balls. But just before they could strike Zeorymer, it disappeared into thin air. The two shots collided, exploding catastrophically, enough to even stagger Shining Gundam and Granlif.

"What in the world..." Domon gasped as he caught a moment to catch his breath after this explosive event.

"Domon, let's deal with those Hakkeshu robots," Janus said. "Remember not to let your anger..."

"I said shut up! I'll fight how I want!" Domon bellowed. "...YOU deal with the Hakkeshu, while I finish off these Devil Army. Looks like Masato chickened out, anyway." Granlif's pilot sighed, readied the Gran Claymore and flew towards Bryst of the Fire.

But as Domon cut down the last few remaining Death Army, he spotted something he had never seen before heading his way - the Devil Gundam Junior, opened up and flying in a manner that appeared to be upside down.

The purple mech wasted no time in getting down to business; Its chest began to glow, and it fired a massive energy blast similar to the Mazinkaiser's Fire Blaster right at Shining Gundam.

It would have been for Domon to dodge if he wasn't so overcome by rage and jealousy. It struck dead on, dealing substantial damage to Neo-Japan's Gundam. It then released four bits that immediately began to lay a pounding on Domon.

_Damn it...what power, _the Gundam Fighter grunted. He looked up and saw it charging up for another chest blast, this one at full power. But before the monster could fire, another Gundam suddenly appeared in front of him, and shielded him from the attack just as the Devil Gundam Junior blasted it.

When the smoke cleared, Domon saw Gundam Spiegel. It was Schwarz.

"Domon...it seems you haven't lost your head quite yet..." Schwarz grunted as he knelt there in the cockpit, bleeding profusely. "But...I had hoped that by fighting alongside your friends you'd finally understand the true nature of Super Mode..."

It was by seeing Schwarz's wounded state that Domon finally realized what was wrong.

"You're right..." he said, disappointed with himself. "I...still don't have it together! I didn't train enough!"

But seeing that Shining Gundam's pilot let his guard down, the Devil Gundam Jr. lashed out again, this time unleashing a tentacle and wrapping it around its neck.

But to their surprise, it was the pilot of Zeorymer, who had been watching the battle from a high vantage point, who spoke out...and it was hardly encouraging.

"Look at you!" Other Masato cackled. "You really don't have it together! You pale before the spawn of the Devil Gundam! Don't worry, I'll gladly take care of Rain for you after I heroically avenge your death!"

Domon started getting angry at Masato, who dared mock him so..his rage began to grow stronger and stronger, causing his suit to slowly shift to red. Schwarz tried to speak, but was cut off by another tentacle from the Devil Gundam Junior. But suddenly, the Gundam Fighter felt his life ebb away, images of the people dearest to him passed before his eyes, and his anger started to fade away.

"Father...Mother...Akito...everyone..." he gasped. "I...I..." He suddenly heard Kyoji's voice telepathically speak to him from the Devil Gundam Junior...

_Domon - it's over...accept your demise peacefully._

_Accept...my...demise? _Domon thought. But just as he felt himself about to slip into unconsciousness, he heard Rain's voice.

_Domon! You can't give up! You mustn't lose!_

Just as Janus did, Domon felt all his rage melt away like snow in the warm sun, leaving only a clear sense of purpose, free of malice..._meikyo shisui_.

With a loud, hot-blooded roar, overflowing with courage and strength, Domon grabbed the tentacle of the Devil Gundam Junior and ripped it in two before tossing his foe aside. He unwrapped the now inert tentacle from around his neck, and began to whip it around like a nunchuck.

With his mind clear at last, he took a deep, calming breath, allowing the true power of Shining Gundam to burst forth. Instead of merely glowing gold as it usually did, the Gundam seemed to turn entirely gold now...and even Domon himself somehow obtained a golden hue to his own body.

"Yes, Domon..." Schwarz said. "You did it...you found your _meikyo shisui..._" Gundam Spiegel toppled over and crashed to the ground. Janus noticed this sudden turn of events and broke away from his duel with the Hakkeshu twins. Granlif picked up the damaged Neo-German Gundam and turned to Domon. Gallowin and Bryst, however, took substantial damage in their battle, and their pilots opted to make a run for it rather than take on Zeorymer's two allies. They were no condition take on two additional foes possessing powers rivaling the stolen Hakkeshu robot on top of Zeorymer itself.

"Hey, Domon, mind cleaning up?" Janus asked. "I'll take care of Schwarz here."

Domon smirked a bit. He was still brimming with confidence, but he no longer felt any jealousy toward Janus.

"Don't bother," Neo-Japan's Gundam fighter replied. "I'll finish this guy off in no time flat!" He turned to the Devil Gundam Junior, who was charging up for another blast.

"And now...this hand of mine glows with an awesome POWER! Its burning grip tells me to defeat you!"

Shining Gundam's hand glowed brightly as he launched himself at his enemy. As the floating monster fired off another blast, Domon extended Shining Gundam's glowing hand, which parted the energy blast as if he was sticking his hand into a jet of water.

"Spawn of the Devil Gundam, it ends now...KING OF HEARTS! SHIIIIINING! FINGEEEEEERRRRR!"

Domon buried his hand in the face of the enemy. With one more heroic cry, Domon crushed the monstrosity's head, and channeled the power of the King of Hearts, destroying the menace totally.

Other Masato, on the other hand, wasn't pleased to see Domon's victory at all...

* * *

_I really hope Janus didn't seem too Marty-Stu-ish here by overshadowing Domon. If he did, don't be afraid to let me know in a review and I'll find a way to tone him down in the future.  
_


	59. Chapter 42 Nadesico

_I guess I missed the plots of Code Geass, GaoGaiGar and Gundam SEED more than I thought. Well, it's time to get moving with Code Geass R2! How will things turn out with Nunnally being sort of badass, Suzaku brainwashed into the Emperor's service, and Euphemia still alive? Let's find out!_

* * *

**Chapter 42 (Nadesico) – The Day A Demon Awakens! Attack on Babel Tower!**

"Viceroy Keats, please hurry, the delegation from the Chinese Federation is waiting!" said Gilbert P. Guilford, Cornelia's Knight, as Shapiro Keats, now the undisputed Viceroy of Area 11, examined some Britannian soldiers.

"Tell them to keep their skirts on...I have other things to attend to," Shapiro replied dismissively. "Now, are the OSI people prepared for tommorow?"

"Yes. At Babel Tower, my lord," one of the soldiers said. Shapiro smiled.

"To think," he chuckled, "His Majesty had the providence to guess that the scattered remnants of the Black Knights would attack there...and what of the three ships?"

"Our contacts in the Earth Alliance have told us that the _Archangel _is still stationed in Alaska, but the _Ra Calium _has disappeared entirely."

"What about the _Nadesico_?" the viceroy asked, leering a bit.

"It was spotted re-entering Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific about five hours ago," the soldier answered. Shapiro smiled...oh, how he had waited for this day.

_Well, it seems that my dear old friends of the Cyber Beast Force have come back_, Shapiro thought,_ I'll be sure to grant them a most fitting welcome._

"Keep watch for the _Nadesico_," Shapiro ordered. "In all likelihood, they'll try to make contact with the Black Knights. Oh, and don't forget – NO WITNESSES."

* * *

It didn't take long for the _Nadesico _to find the Black Knights; indeed, it was more of a case of the Black Knights finding the _Nadesico_. As the battleship flew towards Area 11 and the Tokyo Settlement, an orange blimp came into view.

"Yurika, we're being hailed by what appears to be a Britannian...advertising blimp," Ruri said. "The signal's encrypted...the algorithm being used is one Omoikane knows."

"I bet that's them! The Black Knights!" Jun said excitedly.

"Open the connection!" Yurika ordered. After a few moments, an image of C.C. appeared on-screen. It was a bit static-y, and the sync between sound and video was a bit off.

"Welcome back, _Nadesico_," C.C. greeted them.

"Hey, you're Zero's..." Yurika said, recognizing the green-haired girl.

"I am merely his associate," C.C. replied; "And commander of the Black Knights in his stead."

"What about the others?" Yurika then asked, concerned for the safety of her fellow DREAMers.

C.C. shook her head. "It's just me, Kallen, Urabe, and a few others. Tohdoh, Ohgi...all the others were either captured or killed...except for one."

"Who else survived?" Ruri asked.

"I cannot tell you that now," the green-haired girl replied. "Let's rendezvous on one of the nearby islands, and I'll explain everything there."

* * *

Everyone was both shocked and relieved to hear that Zero was still alive and well once they had reunited. Apparently the rebel leader had been stripped of his memories, but was still somewhere in Area 11. After analyzing his movements, the surviving Black Knights anticipated he would be going to a newly finished hotel called Babel Tower tomorrow.

While Yurika, Ruri, C.C. and Urabe drew up the plans for the attack, Kallen decided to see how her fellow DREAMers were. To her surprise, she ran into Princess Euphemia, who was still looking very distressed.

"Princess Euphemia! You're all right!" Kallen exclaimed, overjoyed to once again see the princess who sincerely desired a free and independent Japan. "I'm glad to see you back on your feet again."

"Oh...Kallen Kozuki," Euphemia said in a somewhat subdued, "It's nice to see you too. Tell me, is Suzaku well?"

"Him? He's back fighting for Britannia, the lout!" Kallen replied with disgust. "He's a Knight of the Round now. You'd think after DREAM saved you from death that he'd have stayed on our side!"

Euphemia was silent, but her expression said it all. She still cared deeply for Suzaku, and any slight toward him was a slight toward her. Kallen quickly changed the topic.

"Say, is Nunnally with you?" the Guren's pilot then asked.

Unfortunately, this wasn't something that Euphemia had really come to terms with, either. As if the words called her, Nemo appeared from down the hallway, much to Euphie's distress. She now wore a sleeveless red dress that went down to her knees that bared much of her chest, though her dignity was (barely) preserved by an undershirt beneath it. On her neck, arms and legs were snugly fitting strips of leather with buckles holding them together.

"Oh...Kallen. It's been a while," Nemo said in greeting, try to be at least somewhat pleasant, which wasn't easy for a being who was primarily composed of negative emotions. Kallen and Euphemia suddenly turned pale with shock at Nunnally's new choice of attire.

"Nunnally...is that really you?" Kallen said uneasily."N-nice new outfit...and I see you bleached your hair..."

"Nunn...I mean, Nemo...get out of those awful clothes!" Euphemia demanded. "You look like a prostitute!"

"Nemo...so she's not Nunnally?" Kallen exclaimed.

"I don't have time for this nonsense," Nemo said dismissively; "Where's C.C.?"

"She's in a strategy meeting on the bridge," Kallen replied with suspicion, wondering what this Nemo person, who looked so much like Lelouch's younger sister, was up to. "What do you want with her?"

"It's not for you to know," Nemo replied coldly. "...If you'll excuse me."

* * *

Urabe and C.C. left the bridge of the _Nadesico _to return to the blimp they had stolen. As they walked, the green-haired woman suddenly sensed a familiar presence.

"You return to the ship. I'll be over there shortly," C.C. said. The sole member of the Four Holy Swords nodded and continued onward. However, the leader of the Black Knight remnants turned down the hall, and immediately spotted Nemo leaning against the wall.

"Oh, I see you managed to escape as well, Nemo," the girl said with a hint of smugness. "How ironic that YOU chose the sister of the person with whom I have a contract."

_Rub it, why don't you, _Nemo thought. _Must I always be tormented by reminders of my true nature?_

"But now that both Lelouch and Nunnally have awakened their powers," C.C. continued, "The Door can finally be opened."

"You're really that intent on causing THAT?" Nemo said suspiciously. "You truly wish to die that much?"

"You're thinking like a mortal," C.C. replied calmly. "Those who have a limited lifespan do not realize what a blessing that is..."

* * *

"Leloooouch..."

Lelouch Lamperouge paused where he stood, realizing the jig was up. The stern but sultry voice that just called out to him belonged to a woman with deeply tanned skin, yellow eyes and long silver hair styled in a thin ponytail on the back of her head, and a long strip left hanging free on her temple.

"Not again...you're persistent, you know that, Ms. Viletta?" he said with a smidgen of innocence in his voice.

"You're not getting away this time," the woman replied. In response, Lelouch took off running, with Viletta in hot pursuit. As he passed, students called out to him encouragingly. He suddenly turned a corner and dashed into a darkened science lab. But the woman caught up to him, and stood in the doorway.

"You lost as soon as you turned this into a contest of strength and speed," Viletta scolded. "Now give it up."

"Aren't you overreacting a bit?" Lelouch replied, faking nervousness. "This is just about making up a gym class, right?" He backed up a bit.

"You really need to quit cutting classes, Lelouch," the woman replied, approaching him.

"Hey...I have enough credits to graduate, right?" the young man said. He tipped over a chemical vial into a small dish of another liquid. The two chemicals began reacting, creating a pink smoke. As Viletta started coughing and fanning away the smoke, Lelouch darted by her and took off back down the hallway.

"Don't worry, that stuff won't hurt you!" he called back.

Lelouch had no intention of going to gym class. Not only was he not the physical type, but he had better things to do...and a destiny that he had completely forgotten waiting for him to awaken...

* * *

Babel Tower was a magnificent pinnacle that was considered the ultimate in entertainment. It had casinos, shops, nightly shows, opulent food...as well as a place for human trafficking, run by members of organized crime. With the destruction of the yakuza gangs eight years ago, other powers in the criminal underworld moved in. It was here that Lelouch, carrying a metal briefcase, and Rolo would spend the next class period, in defiance of the law.

As he stepped through a door to another part of the tower, Lelouch collided into a girl who was dressed in a skimpy pink and red bunny outfit, complete with ears and tail. She had been carrying drinks, except they now ended up all over Lelouch's pants and shoes.

Of course, Lelouch had no idea he'd run into two old faces, especially not in the literal sense. The girl he had collided into was none other than Kallen, who had infiltrated Babel Tower as a part of the plan.

Also working alongside her was Tara, dressed in a similar outfit, but in purple. She laid down the empty tray she had just been carrying.

"Oh, no...I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Tara said frantically, wiping the student's shoes, while Kallen got to work on his pants. Rolo blinked for a few seconds as he saw the purple-haired girl clean Lelouch's shoes.

_...What the hell is the Knight of Eleven doing here, _he wondered; _did she lose a bet with Prince Clovis again?_

"Don't worry about it, it's fine," Lelouch answered kindly, squatting down.

"But we're just Elevens," Kallen said, faking deference, "and you're a Britannian student!"

"Yeah, this is inexcusable!" Tara added.

"All the more reason to excuse you two," the student replied. "I hate it that our social class gets hung over you like a sword..."

Kallen looked up at him with sad eyes. "It doesn't matter. The powerless have to live with our lot in life, even if our oppressors are in the wrong..."

"I'd appreciate it if you'd stop pushing your self-demeaning values on me," Lelouch said.

"I beg your pardon..." Kallen said as she raised up what looked like a wireless communicator meant to go in the ear with her hand. Tara raised her eyebrows slightly. This

_So...Zero was Lelouch after all, _she thought; _to think that it was a Britannian who led the Black Rebellion._

But before either of them could do much else, the two girls were grabbed by the hair by a man with short grey hair, green eyes, a yellow coat with purple accents and fine leather shoes.

"Mhm. Fine goods you have here."

"Yes, of course, Lord Djibril, we have a large catch of high quality bunnies for sale today!" said one of the casino's staff.

"Whoa, hey!" Tara yelled angrily, briefly dropping her deferent guise. "We are NOT for sale!"

"On the contrary, my dears; you should know by now how things are here," the man replied coldly. "Only you are to blame for your own powerlessness – the strong devour those too weak to oppose them. It's what His Majesty says, no?"

"...His Majesty..." Lelouch echoed quietly, as if something was starting to stir in his mind.

"Lelouch, what are you doing?" Rolo whispered. "That guy's way up there in the Blue Cosmos chain of command..."

"What an arrogant display," Lelouch said, leering down at the man with flagrant disregard for Rolo's warning. "Feeding upon the weak, are you? A man who hates Coordinators, no less."

"Come now - this is the world of adults," Lord Djibril said, "...And it's not one that you're ready to enter, my boy. Now if you'd be so kind as to mind your own business..."

"Well then...will the adult world devour the student, or will it be the other way around?" Lelouch said, opening the briefcase to reveal a chess set; "Let's find out, shall we?"

"With chess?" Djibril said, rubbing his chin. Rolo, frightened for Lelouch's safety, grabbed his arm.

"Big brother...I don't think..."

"Come now, boy," the Alliance official interrupted with a laugh. "Your brother is about to learn a very valuable lesson in humility."

"I'll take you to that, Lord Djibril," Lelouch replied, "I've always wanted to face a Grand Master such as yourself."

* * *

And so the game went. One lowly student took on one of the greatest chess players in the Earth Sphere. To everyone's shock except Lelouch's...he won.

"That's checkmate, my friend," the student said as he moved his queen to a position that secured his victory. "Looks like you're the one who's been devoured here."

"Oh my, how inconvenient. I suppose I'm no Grand Master, am I?" the loser replied. "Unless you happen to be...of course!"

"What?" Lelouch said skeptically.

"Hold that wretched abomination down, men." Djibril said with a smug smirk. Two burly-looking bodyguards strode up to Lelouch and grabbed him as the Blue Cosmos official drew a pistol from his coat pocket.

"You...you filthy, lying adult!" Lelouch cried.

"You of all people should know that fair play never wins the game, Coordinator," Djibril spat as he cocked the gun and watched the two bodyguards slam Lelouch's head onto the table.

But before anyone else could act, the room started shaking, causing all the lights to flicker as gunfire broke through the ceiling. Immediately, every one of the casino's patrons began to panic. In the chaos, Kallen quickly back-kicked the Blue Cosmos official, causing him to drop his gun. Tara saw this and dived for it. She aimed the gun at Djibril's head and prepared to fire it. But when she looked up, she saw saw Lelouch's old Burai (now piloted by C.C.), Urabe's Gekka, and the Mark Nemo land in the room; she then spotted Kallen grabbing Lelouch by the arm and take off running. She saw Djibril lying there, his body crushed by the living Knightmare Frame.

Tara looked at Djibril's corpse and felt like something even more horrible had just been averted by the death of this man. But she pushed the thought out of her mind and quickly rejoined Kallen. The pair rushed down a hallway on one of the upper floors, where several other Black Knights were waiting, along with the Guren mk II and Lifthrasir, which had been air-dropped into the building. Xemmey was occupying the cockpit.

"Sorry, we couldn't get him here like we planned," Kallen apologized.

"Don't sweat it. Urabe and the others are looking for him," one of the Black Knights answered; "Plus the _Nadesico _is lending a hand as well."

"Tara, you handle things outside," Kallen said. "I'll look for Zero."

"Gotcha," Tara replied as she rushed toward the waiting Lifthrasir. As she entered the cockpit, she found Xemmey already waiting.

"Xemmey, you're in my seat. Move it!"

With a small smile, the android did so...by melding into the mech itself. Only then did the hologram of her appear on the console. Tara was about to say something, but changed her mind.

* * *

Lelouch, meanwhile, had fallen a great distance, but came to a stop on a rubber sheet which broke his fall, and now he was rushing up the stairs to reunite with his brother Rolo.

But he soon came upon a grim sight - countless innocents had been gunned down, a mix of all different nationalities.

"The terrorists...they did this..." Lelouch gasped. "But...Elevens were killed too..."

Suddenly, he heard the sound of a hatch opening. He looked up, and saw the Burai C.C. was using.

"The Black Knights..." he gasped. "Am I...doomed?"

"Lelouch," C.C. said calmly. The Knightmare Frame automatically turned ninety degrees, revealing the green-haired girl.

"Lelouch, I've come to get you out of here," she continued. "I am on your side...your ally; Your true enemy is Britannia...and we have a contract. You and I are accomplices...and I am the only one who knows the real you."

_Accomplices? _Lelouch thought, dumbfounded; _Contract...the real me? _As if drawn to her, the young man slowly walked towards C.C., as she extended her hand to him in invitation.

A gunshot ran out, and blood started dribbling out of the girl's throat as she slowly started to fall off her Knightmare. Instinctively, Lelouch ran up and managed to catch her as she fell. He looked back up and saw numerous Britannian soldiers and a Knightmare Frame standing there. To the student's horror, he then watched a soldier carrying a flamethrower step up and immediately start torching the bodies.

"What? What are you doing?!" Lelouch cried out.

The pilot of the Knightmare Frame appeared from his cockpit - a smug looking Britannian officer.

"You've served your function well, Lelouch Lamperouge," the officer said.

"Function?! What is that supposed to mean?!" the student yelled. The officer then whipped out what appeared to be a diary of sorts.

"We've been keeping an eye on you for quite some time now, young man," the officer said as he started leafing through the diary. "Oh my, it seems you've taken to watching _Gekiganger 3; _a pirated copy with the original Eleven voices, no less! That alone would land you five years in prison for possession of contraband, my boy."

"What?!" Lelouch exclaimed.

"Regardless, you've been splendid bait," the officer answered; "Bait to lure that witch, C.C., out of hiding."

"Wait, please! Tell me..."

"I'll have you know that I am a baron, and I'm through wasting words on bait like you. Time to dispose of you...after all, the Viceroy demanded that there were to be no witnesses." The soldiers took aim at Lelouch, who could only silently curse himself for his weakness.

But just as the soldiers readied their guns, C.C. suddenly awoke, grabbed Lelouch and kissed him deeply. All at once, the Geass that had been placed on him by his father began to crumble away as his memories and Geass power broke free from the cage of amnesia.

_I see...so that's how it is. All these things that didn't add up or make sense...it was all a lie...false memories were planted in me. But...I remember now. I am...I am..._

_I am...ZERO!_

Lelouch, with memories and power restored, felt the weakness he had exhibited moments ago fade away. He got to his feet, as did C.C., much to everyone's (except Lelouch's) shock. After all, she was one who could not die.

"Impossible...how could that girl be alive?!" one of the soldiers cried out. "She was shot through the heart!"

"Before you dispose of me," Lelouch said as he approached the soldiers. "I would ask you something - if being powerless is a sin, then is having power a virtue? Is revenge evil? Is absolute loyalty good?"

"Good and evil are meaningless in this situation," the baron said, "All that remains for you is the simple reality of death."

Lelouch smirked. It had been so long since he had given someone their comeuppance like he was about to now.

"Is that so?" the student said. "Well, then the same goes for you...I, Lelouch vi Britannia, command all of you...DIE!" The Geass power that had slept within him gleefully lashed out at the minds of the Britannian forces, enslaving them to his will.

He watched coldly as the smug baron shot himself in the neck, and the other soldiers opened fire on each other, drenching the floor with their blood...

* * *

"What?! Djibril was killed?!" Muruta Azrael roared when he heard the news from one of his subordinates. He had been sitting in his office enjoying a cup of coffee when he got the call about his right-hand man's death.

"Yes sir...we lost contact with him at Babel Tower; meanwhile, our satellites have spotted the _Nadesico _hovering in the mountains near the Tokyo Settlement. It looks like they're deploying several units. It's likely they're serving as a distraction."

_I see...so DREAM would deny us our pure, blue world after all_, Muruta thought.

"Notify our forces that DREAM is to be considered an enemy of the Alliance from here on out," the head of the Atlantic Federation said. "And order the boys at JOSH-A to hurry up with that Cyclops System...the _Archangel _can't be allowed to join up with them."

* * *

_I hope you guys didn't mind the lack of fighting. I didn't want this to get drawn out too much. Anyway, next time we'll see how the Ruined World team is faring...they're about ready to tackle the Devil Gundam!_


	60. Chapter 43 Ra Calium

_I decided to change things up a bit. I switched around the two previous chapters (which shouldn't matter since they're occurring simultaneously), and will be posting a Ra Calium chapter before a Nadesico chapter from hereon out. Also, we'll find out what sort of drawbacks Janus' little stint of power really had._

* * *

**Chapter 43 (Ra Calium) – Bright New Star! Devil and Master vs. God and Heavens!**

The group had seen the results of the chaos caused by the battle between the three DREAM members, the Hakkeshu mechs and the Death Army. Thankfully, another rainstorm came, which put out the blaze before it could burn the entire region to ashes. Unsurprisingly, they were happy to see their return.

Almost immediately, Domon's friends and allies noted a major change in his behavior. He was calmer, more level-headed, and a lot slower to anger. Of course, he still wasn't exactly all sweetness and light, but this was definitely an improvement over the loud, boisterous and aggressive person he used to be.

But there was better news coming down the line.

"Ah, Amuro!" Misato said excitedly when she heard the voice of Nu Gundam's pilot over the communicator. "How was your trip to space?"

"It was pretty quiet, actually; though the fact that Char hasn't made any moves yet bothers me. In any case, we've got two new Gundams on board now. One is the machine I designed for Christina - the Gundam ALEX B-Type."

"And the other?" Misato asked as Sai Saici walked by.

"Its name is God Gundam," Judau chimed in. "Neo-Japan wants Domon to use in the finals!"

"That's great!" Misato replied excitedly. "Shining Gundam's a little outdated anyway."

"Hey, don't call my bro's Gundam scrap outdated!" Sai said angrily as he marched toward the communicator. "All it needs is a little tuning up and..."

"Okay, thanks," the NERV officer said, holding the annoyed and ranting Neo-Chinese Gundam Fighter back with one hand. "I'll let Domon know right away! Over and out!" Just as Misato ended the call, Rei came in, looking terrified out of her wits. She was even crying, something that no one at NERV had ever seen her do.

"Misato...Janus...he's...he's..."

* * *

Simon and Rain watched over Janus in the makeshift medical ward, who had been writhing in agony just moments ago, before the medic had administered some painkilling drugs. He was still twitching a bit, but he was clearly not suffering as much thanks to the medicine.

"He's definitely showing signs of radiation poisoning," Rain said grimly. "Extremely high doses, no less; I'm amazed he's still alive. But what puzzles me is that there are barely any radioactive substances in his blood at all, at least any more so than a normal person would. I don't suppose you have an answer."

"I guess he can only stay in that form for so long," Simon replied. "Otherwise he suffered what Team Dai-Gurren called Spiral Poisoning - it's the result of someone has too much Spiral Power in their system for too long, but I suspect it works for energy like Getter Rays and whatnot."

"What did you do to cure Spiral Poisoning?" Rain asked.

"Light foods, lots of water and juice," Gurren Lagann's pilot said, "And most importantly, rest - and lots of it. As long as he gets those three things, his body will purge the energy on its own. He could be out for a good couple of weeks, though."

"Is there any way we could speed things along? We may get attacked by Zohar or Arubboth at any time."

Simon thought for a minute.

"That depends. I could show him a trick for quickly releasing the energy once he's all better, but I can't say much for how to deal with it now. But I think I know someone who can..."

* * *

Rei sat quietly, watching over her "big brother" in an all-night vigil, with only a small lantern and the glow of the screen that showed Janus' vitals to see by. As it happened, Shinji walked by, having gotten up to get a drink from the spring inside the cave.

"Rei? What are you doing?" Shinji asked, not noticing Janus initially.

"Watching over big brother," she replied calmly.

"You want a drink of water or something? Here, have mine." he presented her with the cup he had filled for himself. Uneasily, Rei took it from him. She wanted to use those two words to express gratitude, but was only able to say them that once. Now she tried to form them for a second time, to show Shinji that she appreciated his kindness.

"Um...th...th...th...thank...you..."

"Oh, you're welcome," Shinji replied awkwardly. "I'll be right back. I don't think you ought to sit here in the dark all alone." The boy then went off back in the direction he had just come from.

EVA Unit 00's pilot looked back at Janus, who had turned over on his side.

After a few more minutes of silence, Shinji returned and sat down on the only other stool in the room, moving it close to Rei before doing so.

"Hey Rei...why do you call Janus your big brother?" EVA Unit 01's pilot whispered. "I know he couldn't possibly be your actual brother, since he's not from our world."

Rei was silent. Her mind had difficulty conveying the words she knew in her heart...it was because Janus had never once treated her badly, ever since the day they met. Even when he had caught her spying on him, he dared not lay a hand on her. And the only other person she cared for on that level up until that point - Gendo Ikari - had saved her life only once...and she had realized that the man was simply using her.

But that was too much for her to say, so she simply shrugged.

Then again, there was one other person who Rei cared strongly about now - Shinji himself. Like Janus, he had treated her kindly. Every act of goodwill towards Rei, even as simple as bringing her a drink and having a chat, meant the world to her. To be treated like a person, and not as a doll...that was all she wanted.

"Um...Rei...listen..." Shinji stammered. "If it means anything, I'll protect you in your big brother's place, okay?"

Rei smiled as a new feeling crossed through her. It was similar to the feeling she had when she was around Janus, but it was still different somehow. The girl wasn't sure what it was, but she liked it a lot...

* * *

The morning quiet was shattered by the sounds of something immense bursting out of the ground outside. DREAM was quickly roused from slumber and readied for battle, only to find a disturbing new foe looming over them – the head of a fanged, evil-looking Gundam attached to a long, green, serpentine neck.

But it wasn't the only one of its kind – not by a long shot - in fact, no less than eighteen of these strange new monstrosities were scattered in the surrounding twenty-five square miles. Still, it didn't take long for Kouji, flying around in the Pilder, to determine who was controlling the Gundam heads...the Devil Gundam. It was back and stronger than ever.

Also accompanying it was a familiar, unwelcome face – Master Asia.

"DOMON KASSHU! COME OUT AND FACE ME!" he demanded. But instead, he was greeted by the other members of DREAM, led by the Shuffle Alliance.

"I'm right here, Tohou Fuhai," Domon said, calmly but coldly. With the _meikyo shisui _now under his control, Master Asia's pupil was quite capable of keeping his head.

"You've been cruisin' for a bruisin' for a long time, old man!" Chibodee retorted, jabbing the air with Gundam Maxter. "It's time for a little payback for making us into the Devil Gundam's little puppets!"

"You? Challenge ME?!" the martial artist laughed. "You fools are truly a barrel of laughs! Very well then, Shuffle Alliance, let's see what you've learned...Kyoji, I leave these other fools to you!" The pilot of the Devil Gundam, standing high atop his mech, snapped his fingers without a word. The Gundam Heads all started to lunge out at DREAM, mouths open to deliver fatal bites.

"Scatter!" Simon yelled, and everyone quickly got out of the way of the incoming heads.

Mari was the first to get back on the offensive, wheeling EVA Unit 08 around, bounding into the air and coming down on the neck of one of the Gundam Heads. She whipped out her EVA's weapon, an oversized pistol and took aim at the prone head.

"Point blank, freak-face!"

She fired repeatedly at her enemy, peppering it with bullets powerful enough to pierce AT Fields. It disintegrated after having the entire ammo clip emptied into its face. With a grin, Mari dumped the clip and loaded another one, just in time for another Head to come her way, which received a spray of bullets from Rei's machine gun, followed by being cleaved down the middle by Shinji and his sword.

"Wow, when did YOU get to be such a badass, Ikari?" Mari quipped. "I'm impressed!"

"Oh...uh...thanks!" Shinji said, scratching his head with embarrassment. But the Gundam Heads the three Evangelions had just defeated rose up from where they had fallen, and lunged at them once more.

"BREASTO FIYAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

A blast of heat and energy incinerated the two Gundam Heads, and Mazinger Z stepped in.

"You three really oughta watch yourselves," Kouji scolded them humorously. "Those Evangelions aren't exactly made of Z Alloy, ya know?"

* * *

Domon had been holding back on his master long enough. He had hoped to defeat the old man with the aid of the other Shuffle Alliance members, but to no avail - every attack they threw at him was either dodged or shrugged off. If he was going to win, Domon realized that he had no choice but to unleash Shining Gundam's true Super Mode, unleashed thanks to the serene state of mind that was _meikyo shisui_.

"Guys, you've done enough. I can take it from here," Domon said calmly.

"What? Are you crazy, bro?" Sai exclaimed.

"The five of us working together can barely touch him!" Argo added.

"As Simon is so apt to say," George interrupted; "it's probably best to believe in the Domon that believes in us."

"Fine...but if you get your tail beaten," Chibodee warned, "don't expect us to come and save your hide, Neo-Japan!"

Domon smirked a bit as if to show that he had no intention of losing. He then turned to face Master Asia, who was impatiently tapping his foot. When Neo Hong Kong's Gundam Fighter saw the other four Gundams take off, he smirked evilly.

"I see you're as much of a loner as ever, my wayward pupil," the old martial artist chuckled as he assumed a fighting stance. "What makes you hope to defeat me on your own?"

Domon said nothing, but thought back to that moment, where Other Masato was mocking him, and the Devil Gundam Jr. was crushing his neck – the memories of his family, his friends and of Rain. Just as he did before, Master Asia's student once again entered a state of _meikyo shisui, _causing his Gundam to obtain its golden sheen...

* * *

Zeorymer, having disposed of a few Gundam Heads, made its way toward the Devil Gundam itself. But with each enemy destroyed, Masato felt his own presence getting weaker and weaker, as his other personality, drawn by the thrill of combat, started to take over.

"Miku...I...I don't feel so..."

But before Miku could respond, Other Masato successfully assumed control of his body. He looked up and grinned evilly.

"Ah, the Devil Gundam," Other Masato said. "Look, Zeorymer...it's your elder brother."

"Masato?"

"But it is nothing compared to you, Zeorymer of the Heavens...Miku, raise the Dimensional Coupler System's output to maximum! It's time to teach this thing who its true master is!"

Something inside Miku compelled her to obey the command of Other Masato. The power output of Zeorymer's engine increased, causing the orbs to glow more brightly.

_MEI-OHHHHHHHHH..._

Just as it did against Lanstar of the Winds, the stolen Hakkeshu mech struck its fists together, causing stupendous energy to emanate forth from the Devil Gundam.

"KYOJI KASSHU!" Other Masato cackled at the top of his lungs; "PERISH! PERISH IN THE ETERNAL LIGHT OF THE HEAVENS!" A titanic explosion rocked the Guyana Highlands as the power of Zeorymer's ultimate attack consumed the Devil Gundam and Kyoji Kasshu. The remaining five Gundam Heads let out shrieks of pain and disintegrated as well, and everyone else was blown back by the sheer force of the explosion...

* * *

Domon Kasshu paused when he heard the explosion that tolled the Devil Gundam's demise. However, he held no resentment toward whoever destroyed the Devil Gundam. He had given his brother peace at last. But there was still Master Asia to deal with.

"Impossible...the almighty Devil Gundam...destroyed like THAT?!" the Undefeated of the East cried in despair. As if reinvigorated by the destruction of the Devil Gundam, the old martial artist launched a renewed attack on his pupil.

"No! I won't let it end this way! I won't! I WOOOON'T!"

"Master, stop! There's no need to fight anymore!" Domon beseeched his teacher as he found himself on the defensive again, trying to block his master's flurry of attacks.

"The Devil Gundam is gone!" But the old man was deaf to Domon's words - he would not stop for anything except the destruction of his own body. He attacked and attacked and attacked, bellowing with fury with each swing, and soon began to overwhelm his opponent.

But in his state of _meikyo shisui_, Domon noticed something about his master...he was clearly trying his hardest, but there was no soul in his fists - they lacked true strength. Indeed, it was as if Domon wasn't even fighting his master at all!

In this momentary lapse of concentration, Domon allowed one of Master Asia's blows to connect, and Master Gundam grabbed the face of Shining Gundam. Neo Japan's Gundam Fighter quickly grabbed his opponent's own face. They both activated their devastating finger attacks, dealing immense damage to each other. Domon's Gundam, having been pushed to its limit, finally gave out, forcing Domon to eject. Master Gundam, on the other hand, quickly got to its feet, and its pilot started cackling.

"Fool! You cannot hope to defeat the man who taught you everything you know!" the old man laughed. "Come, Domon, let us settle this with our fists! No relying on machines! I'll defeat you and use your body to resurrect the Devil Gundam!"

But suddenly, several particle beam cannon shots struck Master Asia's mech, knocking it away. This was immediately followed by two sets of funnels, which battered it further. Domon looked up and saw the _Ra Calium _flying in, with Nu Gundam and the Gundam ALEX B-Type landing nearby, the funnels returning to their owners.

"Special delivery for Domon Kasshu!" Christina beamed. Domon looked up and saw something being lowered – a new Gundam.

"Looks like we missed the party," Judau said as he landed behind them in ZZ Gundam; "I bet it was Zeorymer that blew the big guy away, based on the really big explosion we saw on the way here."

"Domon, hurry," Amuro said. "Get into God Gundam! It's all ready to go, thanks to the data from Shining Gundam that Rain lent us! Christina, we must stall Master Asia until Domon activates his new machine!"

"Everyone..." Domon said, hesitating for a moment before rushing over to God Gundam. ZZ Gundam lowered its hand, allowing the martial artist to leap into its palm; It then carried Domon over to God Gundam's cockpit hatch, which opened up. Meanwhile, Christina and Amuro turned back toward Master Asia, who was getting back on his feet.

"Stay down, ya old coot!" Christina yelled as she and Amuro launched more funnels, bombarding Master Asia with more blasts.

Inside God Gundam, Domon immediately noticed that the cockpit was exactly like the one in his old machine in every detail. But stopping his crazed teacher was the first priority, and he watched desperately as the mech's systems began to boot.

Even after four salvos of Funnels and a High Mega Cannon, Master Asia refused to go down...and it was then that Domon saw why it wasn't going down, and why he had felt no soul in his master's fists. Master Gundam was regenerating, thanks to DG Cells. Indeed, he could see his master's face being regenerated, even when his head had been blown off.

It wasn't his master at all, just a DG Cell copy. Neo Japan's Gundam Fighter had been dueling with the Undefeated of the East's shadow the whole time. But now with God Gundam, Domon would defeat him once and for all.

The new Gundam activated, fins on its back spreading in a hexagonal formation, and a bright, flaming circle of energy forming within them. Seeing this, Amuro, Christina and Judau ceased their attack.

"Domon! Finish this guy!" Judau called out.

The martial artist raised his hand as if he was preparing to use Shining Finger, but instead began to speak another phrase, as if he had planned it out all along. A blue gauntlet covered God Gundam's hand as it began to glow a fiery red.

"This hand of mine is burning red! Its loud roar tells me to grasp victory!"

He sped at the rising fake Master Gundam at full speed.

"It ends now, shadow of Touhou Fuhai! ERUPTIIIIING! GOD! FINGEEEEEEERRRRR!"

God Gundam buried its hand in its opponent's chest, and it raised him overhead.

"And now...HEAT END!"

Domon closed his hand, sending out a massive amount of energy from God Gundam's hand. The fake Master Gundam explode in a huge fireball after overloading on energy, which instantly annihilated the DG Cell copy of Master Asia.

* * *

The real Master Asia was safe in Neo Hong Kong, watching the battle from one of the many camera satellites set up by Neo Hong Kong for the Gundam Fight broadcast. However, it was being used to monitor the activities of DREAM as well. Sitting next to the old martial artist was a middle-aged man with long dark hair, sunglasses, and a suit, except the jacket hung over his shoulders like a cloak. It was Wong Yunfat, governor of Neo Hong Kong and current governor of the entire Earth Federation.

"So, it looks like Domon Kasshu's new Gundam worked too well," Wong chuckled, leisurely swirling a glass of wine he had in hand. "Your plan failed, Master."

"It is only because I sent a DG Cell copy of myself," the old martial artist replied with a disdainful chuckle. "If the _real_ me had gone to the Guyana Highlands, I would have defeated him easily. But with Dr. Hell threatening to attack, Hau Dragon getting all riled up, Saotome and his Invaders waiting for Shin Dragon to wake up, AND Neo Zeon trying to drop space colonies on our heads, I couldn't abandon my adopted homeland, now could I?"

"Too true...regardless, it also looks like our old friend Masaki Kihara has finally come out of hiding," Wong said after taking a sip of wine; "I had a feeling that he was still alive and kicking. Now, all but one of the men who worked on the Ultimate Gundam will converge on Neo Hong Kong..."

* * *

The battle was over. With DREAM battered but victorious, and with Bright Noa back in command, they ultimately decided to head for Neo Hong Kong, now that Domon's training and God Gundam's construction were both complete. Janus was transferred to the sick bay of the _Ra Calium_, where he would rest for the time being.

As the group flew over westward toward the Guyana Highlands, something peculiar appeared on their radar. It was huge – much larger than the _Ra Calium_. As it approached, a visual of the detected object came on-screen:

It was a battleship...probably bigger than any ever built before. It appeared to be cobbled together of brownish-red, blueish-purple and yellow armored plates. It had two long wing-like limbs spread outward, three satellite dishes mounted on its back, and a familiar-looking whale skeleton hanging from the bottom.

But before any alarm could be sounded, Mari allayed everyone's fears.

"Awesome! The _Wunder _is back in the air!" she cheered.

"Thaaaaaat's right!" Leeron chimed in as it opened a communication channel with the _Ra Calium_. "It took some fine-tuning, a lot of hard work, and about four hundred extra hands, but this baby's soaring through the sky once more!"

"My question is how will the rest of the world take it?" Viral chuckled. "I mean, we have a WHALE SKELETON attached to the bottom of it. It's hardly the best choice for decoration, if we're gonna come across as good guys..."

* * *

_Well, I hope this chapter turns out good, and that it doesn't seem too rushed. Besides, Zeorymer has a tendency to one-shot things, and I think putting Janus out of action for a while as a result of his overpowered moment will be sufficient justification for it._


	61. Chapter 43 Nadesico

_Alrighty, let's keep Code Geass R2 rolling! I have an idea of how I'm going to make this work, so I hope you like it._

* * *

**Chapter 43 (Nadesico) – Devilish Schemes! Can We Believe in Zero?**

V.V. walked down the dark halls of that unknown building, casually munching on a box of animal crackers. Ever since the raid on that Zifell girl's house, he had taken a liking to the mildly sweet treats, and now rarely went anywhere outside of the Geass Order's headquarters without a small box of them.

He entered what appeared to be a small, darkened chamber where several men sat underneath colored lights - white, red, green, yellow and blue. Their faces were concealed by hoods, and all were dressed in olive-green robes. Four of them were actually holographic projections.

Under the red light was a man with a gold watch; the green light showed a powerful-looking man than stood nearly seven feet tall; under the yellow light sat a man with a streak of red along the bridge of his nose; and under the blue light sat a figure whose form was completely hidden. Finally, under the white lights sat two different men - one was an old man with a red visor over his eyes. The other one was none other than Gendo Ikari. They were the inner circle of SEELE, and the true masterminds of world affairs. Even other members of this secret organization knew little, if anything, about their plans.

V.V. approached the table where Gendo sat, and the two gave each other silent nods as greeting. The man in the red visor rose to his feet.

"Britannia. China. Atlantic. Europe," the man said, referring to each member by their country of origin, rather than by name. "It is good we were able to meet on such short notice. I assume you all have gotten news of DREAM's return."

"Yes, but they've returned without the Evangelions," China's representative said. "This may prove troublesome if we are to overcome the Angels."

"What's to worry about?" the Atlantic Federation's representative laughed. "We have Tabris and Unit 04 on our side! Even if he isn't taking direct orders from us, that wayward Angel still doing our bidding by fighting his fellows. We have no need to use DREAM or the other Evangelions."

"Is that why you deemed them as an enemy of the Earth Alliance, Atlantic?" Britannia asked. "Or are you simply making excuses?"

"Chairman, please understand. The scrolls have shown that the ships have the capacity to deny our goals. They are our greatest threat."

"And they are also the most vital component," Britannia replied. "The keys to opening the Door are among them. If they are killed, all of our efforts will have been..."

"Enough," the chairman replied. "We must face both DREAM and the Angels as a single united front, even if we appear divided in the eyes of the general public. Allowing the borders around our nations to serve as the walls around our souls will accomplish nothing. Ikari, V.V., if you would."

"Of course," the long-haired young boy said as he stood. "As we speak, my agent, acting under the orders of Viceroy Keats, are moving in to deal with the Black Knight remnants. Hopefully we will obtain the first key by day's end."

"And you, Gendo?"

Gendo grimly got to his feet and began to deliver his report...

* * *

Inside Babel Tower, a lone Knightmare Frame, the prototype Vincent, was cutting a swath through the Black Knights. It was colored gold and designed in a similar manner to the Lancelot, though it was splotched with blood from its victims.

It seemed to move impossibly fast, disappearing and reappearing in the blink of an eye before striking down its foe. But it wasn't the Knightmare Frame that was quick...it was the pilot, Rolo Lamperouge, that seemed to stop time with the power of Geass.

As it circled around another hallway, he found his target - the Black Knight remnants. There was Zero's custom Burai, the Guren mk II and a custom Gekka. But there was another Frame that he recognized, but couldn't believe was there:

The Mark Nemo.

He had only seen it once before, but the memory of it was something he couldn't forget. Its eyes, its feral stance, and the fact that this machine moved so fluidly and organically were all disconcerting to even him, a killer who had seen it all. But Rolo was ordered by both the Office of Secret Intelligence (Britannia's espionage division) and V.V., the leader of the Geass Order, to capture the Mark Nemo and its pilot alive.

Zero would have to come later. The Mark Nemo was of greater importance.

He spurred the Vincent into a charge, and activated his Geass, hoping to disable the Mark Nemo in one swing. Instantly, everyone inside the area of effect had their minds' sense of time frozen, rendering them unable to move. His Geass couldn't affect non-living objects, so the counter-charging Guren MK II and custom Gekka still rushed forward thanks to their momentum.

However, this powerful Geass came with a heavy price - whenever he used it, and for as long as it was active, his heart would cease beating. The greater the duration and area of effect, the longer his heart would go silent. As he came down on the Mark Nemo, he was forced to release his Geass, lest he die of cardiac arrest.

That split second was all that Nemo needed to parry the Vincent's attack.

"What's the point of stopping time for me if I can see how you'll approach?" Nemo chuckled, recognizing Rolo through the nature of his power.

When Lelouch heard the voice of his sister Nunnally speaking in a manner so unlike her usual demeanor, a chill ran down his spine. He watched as the two clashed blades, neither one able to land a successful hit.

Rolo saw Zero hesitate, and broke combat, hoping to disable Zero's Burai without resorting to his own Geass power. However, Urabe saw this, used his Frame to shove Zero's aside, and blocked Rolo's attack with his sword.

"Urabe!" Lelouch and Kallen cried simultaneously.

"Zero...I don't care who you are or what your background is," he grunted. "I have complete trust in you. Kozuki...protect Zero, he's our last hope."

"Yes!" Kallen cried, still unable to move.

"Zero," the Holy Sword said to his leader; "Save Japan! Give our people hope and the strength to lift our heads and FIGHT!"

"Idiot...he doesn't need to..." Nemo growled and rushed forward. But before the Mark Nemo could make it, Urabe impaled his Knightmare with his own sword. The blade struck the Vincent on the shoulder as it came out the other side.

"Time for me to show you, Britannian scum," Urabe grunted, "that the name "Holy Sword" isn't just for show!" The Gekka exploded, taking the noble swordsman with it.

But when the smoke cleared, everyone saw that the Vincent remained, though it was on one knee. But before Kallen and Nemo could finish it off, C.C. radio'd in.

"Zero, we're all finished here," she said as she affixed the last of numerous bombs on the beams holding up Babel Tower. "We're ready when you are."

"It's done then," Lelouch said, raising a remote detonator. "Your sacrifice wasn't in vain, Urabe...hope begins now!"

* * *

Several members of DREAM were out and in the air, holding off a small swarm of Britannian reinforcements that had been directed to attack them. After slashing a flying Sutherland in half, Go suddenly heard several large explosions rock Babel Tower. Akito also saw this. Meanwhile, the remaining Britannian forces beat a hasty retreat as the tower fell.

"Yurika..." Akito gasped.

"So that was Zero's true plan," she said, horrified at the sight of the falling tower. "He intended to crush the enemies within Babel Tower as it fell...and..."

They watched as the Tower fell on the Britannian mobile commander center, where Sub-Viceroy Calares had come.

They all began to doubt whether Zero was still worth allying with. If he would stoop to something like this to achieve his goals, was he truly interested in peace?

* * *

Shapiro Keats could barely contain his laughter at just how incredibly well Zero's plan went, watching from a Britannian transport helicopter. Sub-Viceroy Calares had sealed off his own escape route, and broadcast his position, making him easy to target.

But his amusement only increased as the communication system he was watching suddenly started to get overtaken.

All across the world, broadcast systems were hijacked, all thanks to a little surprise Diethard Ried had kept tucked away during the Black Rebellion - the Omega Line...and using it to take over every insufficiently secured broadcast in the Earth Sphere was the image of the masked Zero.

"People of Japan...I have returned!"

"Hear me, Britannia, and all who possess power! My heart aches to see that war and discrimination, those malicious deeds perpetrated by the strong still go on. The world has not changed at all - it remains trapped in that meaningless interplay of tragedy and comedy which sees no end. That is why Zero was resurrected! As long as the strong oppress the weak, the rebellion of DREAM shall continue! It began with the judgment I just brought down on the foolish Sub-Viceroy Calares!"

_Yes, Zero...go ahead and make your excuses_, Shapiro thought._ I know what you really want._

"We shall fight against those who use their power solely for their own selfish gain! And thus, once again, I hereby declare the formation of the United States of Japan!"

_Terrorists forming a nation...how quaint._

"From this moment forward, this room shall be the first territory of the U.S.J.! Race, ideology, religion and genetic make-up will not matter; there shall be but one citizenship requirement: to do that which is just!"

_That's a slippery slope if I ever saw one_, Shapiro thought. _He must understand that one man's justice is another man's betrayal. Then again, he and I aren't so different, as much as he denies it..._

* * *

For Tahra and Suzaku, this news came far too late. They were already flying toward another front in Britannia's war for conquest - Italy, a boot-shaped member of the European Union. The Britannian forces requested their assistance, to which they complied. The Lancelot retained its Float System from the Black Rebellion, but the other Frame flying next to it was the Lifthrasir Bors - a Frame that resembled a cross between its namesake and the Lancelot.

"So, Zero's back, huh?" Tahra said grimly. "Do you think Lelouch regained his memories?"

"It's too early to say," Suzaku replied. "Rolo called Lelouch's cell phone and apparently got a hold of him, even during Zero's speech...hold it, there's our target."

Down below, hundreds of Britannian Knightmares did battle with the European Union's own forces. Unfortunately, it was quite literally an uphill battle. The Lancelot and the Lifthrasir Bors dove down into the middle of the battlefield, coming to a graceful stop, back to back.

"The Lancelot and the Bors?!" one of the European soldiers exclaimed.

"Britannia's Twin White Deaths!" another cried out in despair. "They actually sent Knights of the Round here to the front lines?!"

"Please surrender," Suzaku said calmly, sending a murmur of confusion throughout the European forces; "You have no chance of winning. Anyone who throws down their weapons will not be attacked."

However, the enemy Frames charged in anyway, ordered by their superiors to do so.

"Well, so much for talking," Tahra sighed, readying the Bors' maser vibration tonfas. "Shall we dance, my lord?"

"It seems we must," Suzaku replied grimly. He launched a pair of slash harkens at an incoming pair of Frames before smashing it into another two...

* * *

Lelouch was beside himself with mixed emotions as he sat in his room looking over photos from the past year. On the one hand, Nunnally was safe and in the protection of DREAM and the Black Knights, behind the walls of the Chinese consulate. On the other hand, it was like his little sister had been taken over by someone else...this 'Nemo' was as fake a sibling as Rolo was, if Kallen's report was to be believed.

He would find a way to get the true Nunnally back. Right now, he had to deal with the situation in the consulate, without anyone figuring out that he had regained his memories.

"Hello, big brother," Rolo said, having snuck up on Lelouch; "Looking through that album, huh?"

The two flipped through the album, laughing and joking about all of the different events that happened during the year between now and the Black Rebellion. But suddenly, Rolo cut to the real reason he was here.

"Funny. How did you manage to escape?" he said, leering a bit. Lelouch glanced back.

"You heard the news...the military had Babel Tower completely surrounded," Rolo continued; "How'd you get past them?"

Lelouch's mind raced for a plausible excuse.

"The military? Don't you mean the terrorists?" his "brother" answered. "There was an emergency underground passageway. I tried calling you, but I couldn't get any cell phone reception."

His gaze dropped a bit, and he caught sight of a heart-shaped locket hanging on Rolo's cell phone. He had given it to Rolo for his birthday...except that it had been intended as a gift for Nunnally, whose birthday Rolo just happened to share with her. Lelouch had to get it back.

"Say, Rolo," Lelouch said as he gently reached for his phone. "That locket. It's kinda girly, don't you think? Let me have it back, and I'll get you something else..."

Rolo, to Lelouch's surprise, pulled it away and then retreated. It was as if he was actually emotionally attached to the trinket.

"N-no! Don't take this!" the young assassin said, trembling as he clutched the phone and locket fearfully. "You gave it to me...so...it's mine!"

Lelouch took a second to grasp it, but he realized that he might have a way to manipulate Rolo...to gently coax him to his cause, and make him a suitable pawn. It was just a matter of pressing the right buttons...

* * *

Muge Zolbados watched the actions of Shapiro with great amusement. Since the end of the Black Rebellion, he had been nothing but a glorious show of ambition and bloodshed, which meant souls for him to consume and add to his army, and misery to grant them flavor.

Indeed, recruiting Shapiro as one of his generals was the best move the overlord had made in his entire campaign. Unlike his other generals, the man knew just how people thought, and was a master of manipulation and subterfuge. By merely investing an infiltration squad or two, Muge would get at least a dozen to two dozen souls out of each operation. And when the evil emperor had directly intervened during the Black Rebellion, he nearly got indigestion from all the souls he consumed. Thus, whenever Shapiro would beseech him for aid, he was willing to lend an ear.

"My Emperor, I humbly request your assistance on my latest endeavor," Shapiro said, bending his knee to the one being who could command him.

"Speak of its nature, and I'll judge its worth," Muge replied.

"I got to talking with the Britannian Prime Minister, who is working to try and resolve this situation. DREAM, the group of warriors who oppose our efforts, has a Britannian princess in their custody - the same one who tried to create a free Japanese state. I would ask you to lend me your soldiers to capture her, for she is within the consulate of a country that my adopted nation seeks to restore relations with."

"Take her yourself," Muge spat. "You have Desire, which I crafted for you."

"It is complex, my lord, but I assure that by controlling Princess Euphemia, DREAM will be helpless to do anything. Britannia will squash them, and the entire nation will plunge into the depths of despair...for no despair is greater than that which comes when great hope is dashed. And once DREAM is defeated, the Earth Sphere will be yours for the taking."

Muge smirked.

"Very well," he replied. "I will lend you my aid."

* * *

Night fell on the Chinese consulate with no end to the stalemate in sight. But while Britannia could outwardly do nothing but stew in their own fuming hatred, a pair of Muge Zolbados Empire soldiers infiltrated the consulate via Threshold, with a particular kidnapping target in mind...but it wasn't Lelouch or Nunnally.

It was Princess Euphemia.

The royal in question lay quietly on her bed in a guarded room in the heart of the consulate. She was plagued with doubts about her brother's methods. Was it necessary for him to go to such extremes for freedom...to blow up buildings and kill innocent people, even if they were civilians on the enemy side? Did that make him any better than Shapiro, who ordered the slaughter of thousands and nearly took her life as well?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of the soldiers, which she recognized. They were the same soldiers that were with Shapiro when she and Lelouch were about to form the Special Zone.

"Stand up, Princess, and come quietly," one of the soldiers said, guns pointed at her. Euphemia, quickly sensing she was in no position to resist, silently got up from her bed, still in her sleeping clothes.

"Why don't you just shoot me now and save yourself the trouble?" she said with disdain.

"Keep up that attitude and we might just do that." the other soldier replied.

"No. Lord Keats said that we were to bring the Princess to him alive," his partner growled. Upon hearing this, Euphemia became curious as to why Shapiro wanted to see her alive just as much as she was concerned about staying alive. Without another word, Euphemia calmly walked toward the soldiers, who pushed her into the portal.

They came out the other side in an opulent room, filled with fine goods, rugs made of the skins of endangered species, and all sorts of difficult-to-grow foods. Sitting in the center of it all was Shapiro himself, his upper body free of any clothing, though his arms and neck were adorned with gold jewelry. His lower body was covered by a long, flowing lavender sheet held in place by a lapis lazuli belt. Attending to his needs were several scantily-clad, pretty young women of various nationalities. Shapiro turned to her and waved the Muge soldiers away, then bade his female slaves to leave as well. The Threshold closed behind them, leaving Euphie and Shapiro alone.

"Princess Euphemia, how nice to see you again," Shapiro said with half-sincere amiability. "I'm glad you chose to hear me out."

"Save me the theatrics. Just tell me why you want me here," the princess said with a sulk.

"Right to the point. I like that in a woman," the pink-haired man chuckled. "Very well...you see, I'm afraid my popularity with the Elevens is in the gutter."

_Jumping off a cliff would be a good start, _Euphemia thought, such thoughts only reserved for men as loathsome as Shapiro.

"And then I remembered how much they adored you, their darling Princess Euphemia. So, I thought I'd hand the title of Viceroy over to you and move on to better things."

This was something had come entirely out of left field, and Euphemia was suspicious. Shapiro was a man who enjoyed power far too much. To hand it over, especially after he had tried to kill her recently, was definitely unlike him.

"There are conditions, I assume," the princess replied coldly.

"There are two," Shapiro answered with a smile. "First, you will cede your claim to the throne to me."

"And the other?" Euphemia asked, having no problem with the first condition whatsoever. To her surprise, Shapiro grabbed her and swept her off her feet, catching her mid-fall.

"...You will become my bride."

* * *

_So, it looks like Euphemia will be planning the unwilling pawn for Britannia instead of Nunnally. Don't worry, though...I'll make sure there will be plenty of action in the next episode! We'll hopefully get enough Code Geass plot out of the way to get the Gundam SEED plot rolling again! Maybe I'll advance the plot of another series or two as well..._


	62. Chapter 44 Ra Calium

_Now that G Gundam's major plot is over, I thought we'd get Shin Mazinger's plot really rolling now! I thought I'd avoid needless timeskips, especially since the Gundam Fight Finals arc is plot-light. And to kick it off, let's do the requisite hot springs episode! I just hope the material in this chapter doesn't get my story deleted..._

* * *

**Chapter 44 (Ra Calium/Wunder) – Onsen Antics! Ra Calium & Wunder at the Spa!**

Neo Hong Kong - a bustling, prosperous city-state that was far larger than Kamina City, even if it lacked anything as imposing as Lordgenome's old fortress; And with the Gundam Fight Finals drawing ever closer, the city was bustling and prospering even more than usual thanks to the slow, but accelerating influx of tourists that have come to watch the tournament.

And it was here that Photon Power Labs had been relocated over the past month. After an untimely attack by Dr. Hell's minions during Kouji's absence, the lab in Kamina City was all but destroyed. Thankfully, the majority of its staff was able to escape with their lives thanks to the efforts of the Grapearls, which turned to be quite effective against the Mechabeasts in Dr. Hell's army. Thanks to the fiscal sponsorship of Wong Yunfat, the governor of Neo Hong Kong, they had been able to start again...but even Juzo Kabuto didn't know the shades-sporting governor's true plans.

All the same, the _Ra Calium _and _Wunder _were contacted by the eccentric scientist as they approached the great metropolis.

"Hey! Hello in there?!" he called out.

"Oh, Dr. Kabuto! We weren't expecting you to be in Neo Hong Kong," Bright exclaimed. "Is everything all right at the Labs?"

"Is everything all right?" Juzo repeated sarcastically, seething with comical fury; "Is everything all right?! IS EVERYTHING ALL RIGHT?!"

"Did something happen?" Bright asked uneasily.

"Where's my idiot grandson?" Juzo bellowed. "Get him on the line, and I mean NOW!"

* * *

This time, the lab was closer to town, not far from a small spa resort known as Kurogane House, which was owned by a friend of the Kabuto family. It turned out to be good fortune for Boss, Nuke and Mucha as well: they were give part-time jobs at Kurogane House, and were watched over by the five heads of the spa's staff: the Kurogane Five.

It was to this spa resort, based on recommendations by Sleggar Law, that DREAM would make their accommodations.

"Welcome to Kurogane House," said Tsubasa Nishikiori, the mistress and owner of the spa. Sleggar, Amuro, Misato, Chan, Rain and Domon walked inside. Tsubasa's eyes seem to glisten happily as she recognized Sleggar, who was a regular patron.

"Pleasure to be back, Ms. Nishikiori!" Sleggar said. "I thought that I'd stop by since we're in the area. These people are my comrades in Londo Bell!"

At that moment, a tiny old lady in a kimono, only three-and-a-half feet tall, with cheeks that looked to have been overly stretched in her younger days, leaving them droopy and wrinkled in old age.

"Well, well, if it isn't Sleggar!" the old woman said cheerfully. "I see you've brought some new guests...It's not often that so many youngsters like yourselves come to a place like this."

"Guys, this is Kikunosuke," the blond ace said. "But everyone just calls her 'Sister Kiku', She's the head waitress around here. As for the rest of the staff, I'll introduce you to them if they come our way."

"So, shall I bill the Federation as always?" Tsubasa asked. "And I assume you'll be staying from now until the end of the tournament?"

"Yes," Amuro said. "We may end up staying longer depending on the situation here in Neo Hong Kong."

"Just how many will be staying?" the mistress asked.

"I dunno exactly, but it's definitely enough to fill up every available room in the place!" Sleggar replied. Tsubasa, somehow unfazed by Sleggar's completely true claim. "Just put every charge we incur on the Feddies' tab."

"Very well," Tsubasa replied cordially. "Sister Kiku, please gather the staff so they can accompany our guests to their rooms." She didn't even bat an eyelid as everyone began to file off the ship, looking around at their new home for the foreseeable future.

* * *

"Rossiu suggested WHAT?!" Yoko exclaimed when Simon told her the cure for Janus' nasty case of Spiral Poisoning as they stood outside one of the private baths. "I know crazy miracles have been born of Spiral Power, but how is a mineral water bath with powder derived from the arm of Zeus, the saliva of a spiritually awakened martial artist, and ten hairs off the head of an insane genius going to fix Janus' problem? We're really going to trust the word of Lordgenome's severed head?!"

"The Spiral King could never say something like that with a straight face unless he meant it," Viral replied. "That was just the kind of man he was."

Inside the private bath, a middle-aged Japanese man with egg-shaped sunglasses, a short haircut, a pink shirt and long flowing robe began the preparations for Janus' special bath. It was Yasu, the head bath attendant. Meanwhile, the young man was still groggy from all the painkilling drugs he had to take to reduce his agony from the Spiral Poisoning, though he seemed even more relaxed in the hot mineral water...so much that he had to be secured safely, lest he slip into the water and drown.

"Okay, let's see...spit from a spiritually awakened martial artist..." Yasu said as he dumped a small vial of saliva that Domon hesitantly provided into a small pot.

"Next, ten hairs off the head of a mad genius..." he mumbled as he gingerly dropped ten hairs plucked straight off of Juzo Kabuto's head.

"And the most important ingredient...powdered Super Alloy Z!" Yasu said excitedly as he scooped a handful of powdered metal and dumped it into the pot. He took the pot over to the bath and dumped it in on the opposite side from Janus.

Almost immediately, the seemingly nonsensical mixture began to react in the hot water, causing it to start bubbling violently. Yasu took a few steps back and watched. Somehow, he knew that this was supposed to happen.

But he didn't expect Janus' eyes to open wide, and veins started bulging all over his body, seeming to pump light as it would normally pump blood. His breathing quickened and he was clearly in unimaginable pain. Yasu rushed to the other side of the tub to pull the bather out before his condition could get any worse, but then he saw the bulging veins subside, and the water start to shine brightly, spreading across the surface as if Janus had suddenly emptied his bladder in the water.

The three Dai-Gurren members burst in, fearing the worst, but were relieved to see Janus still relaxing, even as Yasu was draining the water to replace it with a fresh batch.

"I think that did it," Simon said confidently; "Just about all the pent-up energy in his system is gone. He should be fine in about a half-hour."

"Yep. Nothing relaxes the body, mind and soul better than a nice bath at Kurogane House!" Yasu said proudly. "So about you three relax in the main baths? You must be so stressed..."

* * *

The women and the men were segregated into separate baths, and these baths were further separated somewhat by age group, though each could see and hear the other. The older female members of DREAM, including Rain, Chan, Fa and Yoko, sat in one bath, while the younger ones, including the three female EVA pilots, Puru and the two female Choudenji Robo pilots sat in another, more shallow bath.

The men all shared a single large hot spring, and just about all of them were, as was the cultural norm, completely nude, as was the case on the women's side.

"C'mon, Masato! The water's great!" Sai Saici called out in the direction of the men's dressing and shower rooms.

"I-I-I'm not going out there!" Zeorymer's pilot called out from within. "Not with all you guys naked!"

"Geez, prudish, much?" Hyoma scoffed. "He IS Japanese, right?"

"Cut the kid some slack," Chibodee replied. He was one of the few who still wore a pair of swimming trunks. "I'm not exactly a hundred percent for this whole nude communal bathing thing either."

"Just be glad that Gimmy isn't here," Simon said with a chuckle, remembering a certain incident back during his days with Kamina.

"Gimmy? You mean that red-haired Grapearl pilot?" Kosuke asked.

"Yeah...oh man...I really don't wanna think about that..." Simon said.

"Tell it! Tell it!" Judau said excitedly.

"Don't worry, we won't tell a soul," Kamille assured him. Simon sighed and began his anecdote...

* * *

_Janus floated high in the sky, looking down on the sea and land below. While everything was silent and in extremely pale colors, he could make out two titanic beings fighting it out with swords, the water merely knee deep even though they stood nearly a half-mile out to sea._

_One of the giants, which had a golden color and a helmet similar to Mazinger Z had its right arm severed from the elbow down. The other vaguely resembled a demonic version of Grendizer._

_He watched the Mazinger-like being pick up the severed arm and toss it at its opponent, causing it to explode. It erupted into a massive flaming pillar with a demonic face on it._

_Suddenly, a mech that he had never seen, but Akito told him about appeared on the scene. It was a red and blue Super Robot with a cyan and red samurai helmet with gold horns on top and on its sides, a gold mechanical beard on its chin, and golden eyes. It held up its palm, which had something which seemed to shine. The flaming being was drawn into the object in the samurai mech's palm._

_But the victorious giant had little time to catch his breath, as another, much smaller being appeared below, not far from where the Grendizer lookalike had fallen. With six pairs of rainbow-colored wings. it seemed to shine like the sun itself, but the golden giant and its companion stood firm. _

_They exchanged words for a minute or two, then the samurai robot tossed the golden giant the object in its hand. The giant caught it, and began to blaze with power._

_The giant and winged being clashed..._

* * *

Janus suddenly awoke from his dream at that moment. He looked around, puzzled as to why his surroundings had so drastically changed since he had fallen ill. He tried to stand, but noticed that he had been secured into his seat by a thick but flexible metal cord around his waist, hooked together by a seat belt clip.

The young man unhooked the clip, and unsteadily got to his feet. But as soon as his shoulders stuck out of the hot water, the cold air immediately caused him to sit back down, warming him again. At that moment, Janus saw someone oddly familiar open the door and enter the room - Sayaka Yumi. She was dressed in a red and yellow striped two-piece bathing suit, having planned to get some time in the bath herself, but also carried a bucket of water.

"Oh, you're awake! I guess the treatment worked!" she said happily.

"Sayaka...what are you...doing here?" Janus mumbled loudly, his mind still a little hazy since he had just woken up. Even Sayaka's noticeable assets didn't catch his attention. "Why aren't...you with the..._Nadesico_?"

Sayaka looked at him as if he was crazy, but then remembered what Kouji had told her - about the connected universes, Thresholds, and the existence of everyone at the other world's Photon Power Labs.

"Oh," the girl replied. "You must have me confused for my twin from the other world," she replied, still having trouble fathoming everything Kouji had told her. "This is the first time we've met, but Kouji told me all about you." Sayaka walked over to the drain valve that Yasu had used before and opened it, allowing the tub to empty. Janus immediately started shivering as the cooler air began to awaken his overly relaxed body. But only when Sayaka unceremoniously dumped the cold water from the bucket onto Janus' head did he fully come to his senses.

And it was then that he realized he was naked.

Sayaka, blushing crimson with embarrassment, handed Janus a large, thick towel, which he wrapped around his body.

"D-don't g-g-get any ideas," Janus stammered through chattering teeth. "I-I'm already s-s-spoken for."

* * *

Asuka, Puru, and Mari heard raucous laughter erupt from the men's side of the baths. Curiously, Puru got out of the water, wrapped herself in her towel, and approached the high wooden barrier erected between the two baths. Finding a hole in the fence, she peered through and listened as well as watched.

"Oh man, he really stuck his FINGER UP YOUR ASS?!" Judau laughed. Puru, who was clad in a one-piece suit, managed to get a look at him as he climbed out before wrapping the towel around his waist.

_Big brother Judau_, Puru said to herself, her cheeks turning beet red; _He's so..._

Suddenly, she was shoved aside by Asuka, who looked for herself.

"You're too young to be looking at this kinda stuff," EVA Unit 02's pilot said. "Wait until you're our age." Asuka in turn, was pushed aside by Mari, who ventured to peek in as well.

Meanwhile, Chan, Rain, Misato and the other girls watched the three struggling to get a look at the nude men.

"You'd think it would be the men trying to peek at us," Rain said with a sigh of disappointment. "I had assumed they would act better than this."

"Oh, Rain, why are you such a prude?" Misato quipped; "It's perfectly healthy for them to be interested in that sort of thing at their age. Besides, haven't YOU always wanted to see Domon naked?"

Rain blushed reflexively at the idea.

"What about you, Misato?" Yoko asked. "Which one of the guys do YOU want?"

"I dunno," the NERV officer replied. "I kinda like Amuro. He's like the best parts of geek and athlete all rolled into one."

"Misato, you shouldn't have said that," Rei chimed in as she watched Chan's smile turn to an expression of sheer fury. The blue-haired technician launched herself at Misato, and the two began to tussle in the tub, while Rain simply shook her head as he pulled herself out of the tub.

Unbeknownst to the girls, they too were being watched. Kittan, this world's Boss, and a rather unwilling Shinji had crammed themselves into a large tanuki statue to spy on the bathing beauties. The pilot of Evangelion Unit 01 wasn't sure how these two had convinced him to do this.

"Dayum! Look at Chan and Misato go at it! I just love a good catfight," Kittan giggled as he peeked out from one of the statue's eyeholes.

"Let me see! Let me see!" Ruined World Boss said eagerly, drooling almost uncontrollably as he tried to peer out the other eyehole.

"Guys, I don't think we should be doing this," Shinji said uneasily.

"C'mon, don't deny yourself this pleasure!" Kittan replied. "It's not every day you get a chance to see the women you work and fight alongside with completely naked, consequence-free!"

"Yeah! That Asuka girl's stacked for her age!" Boss added. "What do they feed your ladies to make 'em so freaking huge!?"

"Dude, she's fourteen," Kittan said with a bit of disapproval. "That's Shinji's territory."

"Oh man, check out that red-head!" Boss said, looking at Yoko. "Are those even real?!"

"Yes they are thank you very much, and I just happen to have the privilege of..."

The two older young men started squabbling, rocking the statue back and forth. Unsurprisingly, this got Rain and Yoko's attention. They both made the sounds of clearing their throat to warn the peeping toms that they were caught. This also served to break up the two cat-fights.

Without a word, Yoko pulled a pistol from out of her cleavage and fired it without taking aim at all. The tanuki statue broke into pieces, exposing the naked young men inside, without harming a hair on their heads.

Kittan and Boss immediately fell unconscious at the sight of Rain and Yoko in the buff as blood gushed out their noses, while Shinji averted his eyes.

"I expected Kittan and someone like Boss to do this," Rain sighed. "But YOU, Shinji? I actually thought you were a decent young man."

Shinji glanced up a little, and spied Rei in the hot spring – she too was in the nude. She stood up to see what the commotion was, giving Shinji a full-on view. The young man fainted along with the rest of his fellow perverts, blood dripping out of his nose and a goofy smile on his face.

"Boys," Yoko sighed. "What can you do?"

* * *

Domon, even in the lap of simple luxury, knew one thing was missing - food that could compare to Akito Tenkawa's Martian Bowl. Everything about it, in the martial artist's mind, made it the perfect dinner - it was filling, delicious and nutrient-rich, all at the same time.

As he headed toward the main dining hall, he heard an oddly familiar voice coming from the front desk.

_Kei? What's she doing here?_ Domon wondered as he approached. But when he got closer, it wasn't Kei, but someone else entirely - a girl, probably about sixteen years old, with dark green eyes, short but wild, almost boyish cyan hair, a maroon vest, yellow finger gloves, a denim shirt and jeans, and purple shoes. A crystal pendant hung around her neck.

"What do you MEAN the rooms are filled up?!" the girl yelled at Tsubasa. "We had a reservation for Room 76B made a year in advance!"

Room 76B...that was Domon's room.

"Listen, pumpkin," Tsubasa said bluntly; "I don't care if you were Wong Yunfat himself, all the rooms are filled up and I'm not about to kick out paying guests."

In earlier times, Domon would have simply let Tsubasa kick this girl out, but now that he wasn't so hot-headed, he saw that the girl was in the right.

"Hey, Mistress," Domon called out. "Go ahead and set her up in 76B. I'll just move into 75A with my mechanic now, if that's all right."

Tsubasa pondered this for a moment.

"Fine. I see no problem with that," she replied.

"Really?!" the girl said excitedly, hopping up and down. "You're the best, mister!" She picked up her things, a pair of two extremely heavy-looking suitcases, and started rushing off at full speed.

"Hey!" Domon called out just before the girl turned the corner. She doubled back and skidded to a stop a few feet from him.

"What's your name?"

"Allenby Beardsley's the name," the girl said cheerfully.

"Domon. Domon Kasshu," Neo-Japan's Gundam Fighter replied.

"Awesome! Maybe I'll see you around then, Domon?" Allenby asked. Domon nodded. The girl smiled again, then rushed back in the direction of her newly obtained room.

* * *

Juzo Kabuto couldn't make heads or tails of the relic he had began inspecting. He had gathered hundreds of relics from Bardos Island all those years ago, and had spent weeks, or even months attempting to place a single artifact in the context of the ancient Mycenae and how they may have fallen that one day.

But this relic, a black slate with writing on it, was different. The materials were not of Bardos Island, or anywhere in the Aegean Sea for that matter. What was more, the writing was entirely different than any Mycenean.

He double-checked the analysis results of its materials. They were consistent with materials found on the continental shelf near the Nansei Islands, and also contained traces of an element very similar to Japanium, but was red in color.

Suddenly, the pieces started to fit together in his head - the greatest enemy of the Mycenae, the people of the island beyond the rising sun - the ones who were the sole challengers to the Mycenae's domination of the Earth in the ancient past...

At long last, Dr. Kabuto had the first piece of solid evidence validating the existence of the Mu civilization.

* * *

_Hey, who said hot springs episodes had to be nothing but filler? Anyway, until next time!_


	63. Chapter 44 Nadesico

_I thought I'd do a combination of both Gundam SEED and Code Geass plot today. Don't worry, I'll be doing plots for the other series as well._

* * *

**Chapter 44 (Nadesico) – The Three Descending Swords! The One Million Miracles! **

The situation was getting more difficult by the second. Lelouch had just seen a broadcast showing the "glorious return" of Princess Euphemia. She had somehow returned from the dead and was to become Shapiro's bride, as well as the new Viceroy of Area 11. Lelouch knew that he would have difficulty rallying the people of Japan around him now that the princess who had offered them freedom was governing them once more.

What was more, the prince knew that Shapiro was counting on that.

As he pondered all this, a very familiar device began to ring, one that he had not heard since the Black Rebellion. As he sat in his room with C.C., the rebelling prince opened it.

"Alan Igor...it's been a while."

"Lelouch...glad to see you're back in the saddle," Alan replied. "As much as I want to ask you how everything's been going so far, this is no social call. I've picked up a bit of info that you can't afford not to act on."

"Go ahead."

"My contacts at ZAFT have informed me that ZAFT is planning a full-scale attack on Panama, dubbed Operation Spit Break."

"Makes sense enough. That mass driver is a vital structure. What does that have to do with us?"

"Lelouch, Panama isn't their real target...it's JOSH-A. What's more, I'll bet good money that the Alliance top brass know that."

"Get to the point, Igor."

"The Alliance is going to use the Alaska base as bait for something. The Atlantic Federation is moving all of its vessels stationed there to Panama and its own top officials back to headquarters in Geneva, while they leave some EU ships and the _Archangel _to get blown to bits."

Lelouch has a pretty good idea of what Blue Cosmos was planning. Unfortunately, he couldn't afford to send the _Nadesico _to Alaska to rescue the _Archangel. _Even at full speed, they couldn't make it in time. He let out a sigh.

"You're not so sure about sending the _Nadesico_, are you? I hate to admit it, but you're better off remaining where you are for the time being."

"Yes. All I can do is hope," Lelouch replied. "As that fellow Simon said, I must believe in them, just as they believed in me."

"Don't worry, I think I know of a way to save them. Just concentrate on Britannia for now; when the time comes, you'll see the _Archangel_ again."

With that, Lelouch hung up.

"It seems the only political entities you can trust now are Orb and the _Macross_," C.C. commented. "Every other world power has declared DREAM their enemy, officially or otherwise."

"I knew this would happen from the moment I first stepped on this path, C.C.," Lelouch replied; "And I have no plans on turning back - even if it means fighting Euphemia."

* * *

Murrue couldn't help but feel ill at ease at the sudden evacuation of the JOSH-A base in Alaska. It was the central stronghold of the Earth Alliance's military might, a mere stone's throw away from the northern border of Britannia, and just enough distance for ICBMs to be thrown at Pendragon...at least it would be, if not for the presence of ZAFT's N-Jammer systems. They blocked the movement of free neutrons in their confines, making nuclear fission reactions all but impossible. Only sakuradite seemed to be immune to its effects.

But based on information from the top brass, ZAFT was planning to attack Panama and its mass driver, the last one under Alliance control. All Atlantic Federation-affiliated ships were being moved to Panama to stop the attack, leaving behind the _Archangel _and a few Eurasian Federation vessels.

Not only did Murrue worry about the safety of the _Archangel _and its crew, but of the allies she fought with a year ago now, including the crews of the _Nadesico _and _Ra Calium_. She hadn't received any word from them since the failed Black Rebellion. Did something happen to them in the other world?

All these worries were made worse by the fact that she couldn't talk to Mu or Natarle about them.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a faint sound of an explosion coming from outside, and then the sound of alarms going off...

* * *

Eye Primeval was never one for direct combat. She much preferred to anticipate her enemies' movements and dodge them before escaping. Of course, she wasn't terribly worried about the four Japanese gangsters that had just surrounded her. After all, these were weak normal humans. For all of that mysterious white fellow's talk about the potential of the human race, the vast majority of humans were fragile and laughably easy to crush.

"Hey, check this chick out!" said one of the gangsters, a bald, heavily tattooed ex-yakuza.

"I've never seen such big eyes!" another gangster laughed; "Let me guess, they're all the better to see us with?!"

Eye said nothing.

"C'mon, lady, keep cool and we'll treat you REAL nice," the first gangster said as he prepared to grab Eye. But suddenly, he stopped and retched in pain, as if someone had stabbed him in the back. He fell over onto the ground dead. The other three gangsters looked up, as did Eye Primeval.

"Holy crap...i-it's her! The Knight of Eleven! One of the Twin White Deaths!" the third gangster cried.

It was Tahra Zifell, Britannia's Knight of Eleven, dual-wielding a pair of custom-forged combat knives, which she held back-handed.

"Get away from this woman, you scum," Tahra said scornfully; "Or else."

"What? You're scared of a little Britannian brat like her?" the second gangster said to his companion, drawing his own knife. But before he could make a move, Tahra, formally trained in knife combat, quickly overwhelmed him and jammed her knife into his chest. Eye Primeval watched all this without even batting an eyelid.

"Anyone else?" Tahra chuckled. The two gangsters, seeing that they were outmatched, took off running.

Eye Primeval looked at her savior. This was her...she was the one HE sought.

But outright kidnapping her didn't seem like the best option to Eye Primeval. Perhaps he could make her come willingly, by gaining her trust.

"Miss, I don't know how to thank you," she said meekly, using her host's voice to disguise her own. "...Especially since I have no home."

"What's a Britannian like you doing in this place?" Tahra said sympathetically. Her contempt for Elevens had softened a little in light of meeting Suzaku, but she held just about everything else above them. "I'll see if I can't convince my lord to let you stay at the villa for a night. Perhaps I could even have him hire you to the villa's staff!"

"You are...very kind," Eye replied. "Um...my name is Eye...Ai...Aira."

"Well, Aira, let's go, before more of them find us..."

* * *

Zero was on the _Nadesico_'s bridge discussing plans with Yurika when suddenly, the ship got a call onto its encrypted line. Considering that no one outside of DREAM knew the encrypted line's frequency, Yurika and Zero had an idea of who it might be.

Sure enough, it was Euphemia.

"Zero...Captain Misumaru," she said politely.

"Princess! What on earth are you doing back with Britannia?!" Yurika exclaimed.

"I've...given things some thought. I may have taken against my will, but now I have the opportunity to make things right!"

"You're just being used. You're nothing more than Britannia's puppet," Zero said; "...made to dance of their will."

"Maybe so...but at the same time, I still want to see a free Japan!" Euphie replied. While the Geass on Nunnally was merely suppressed in the other world, Lelouch's was completely wiped away. But all the same time, she still retained her resolve.

"And that's why...I'm going to recreate the Specially Administrated Zone! Just like we planned before!"

Zero paused.

_My dear sister, you truly haven't changed, he_ thought;_ But I will not allow the same tragedy to play out as before. If I am to create a world for you and Nunnally to be happy in, I must destroy the Holy Britannian Empire...as well as the other enemies that threaten the world - the Zonder, ZAFT, the Vega Empire, the Protodevlin and even Blue Cosmos. If I can just get Britannia off my back for even a little while..._

Lelouch's calculating mind came up with something. It was a big gamble, but if Suzaku was anything like he was in the old days, he'd have no choice but to allow it to go through...

* * *

Operation Spitbreak was going well so far. ZAFT's battalion of air, land and aquatic mobile suits, created with the aid of Britannia, were an unstoppable force. The winged CGUEs and DINNs utilized a variant of the Float System, while the GOOhNs and ZnOs were based off the aquatic Portman II Knightmare Frame.

Rau le Creuset, in particular, was pleased at the way things were going. In predictable fashion, his unwitting stooge Azrael, acting on information he had received from Creuset, was going to use a Cyclops System to self-destruct the base, just like at the first Battle of Jachin Due. At least, that's what the screens in the abandoned control room were telling him.

Suddenly, his mind was briefly struck by a sensation that he could never describe, but always knew what it meant...

Mu la Flaga was nearby.

He turned around and fired at the nearby doorway, just in time to see his nemesis duck down, fire another shot, and rush behind another desk.

"Long time no see, Mu la Flaga," Rau said affably, even as his hatred for the man burned like all the stars in the universe; "As much as I'd like to play with you, I just don't have the time right now."

Rau fired a few more shots, then darted out of the room. As he rushed down the halls, he spotted an Earth Alliance soldier approaching, and he quickly and effortlessly shot him dead. Then, to his surprise, he heard a young woman screaming, and saw someone trip out of the hallway...Flay Allster. Of course, he had no idea who she was.

Flay, terrified to the point of hysteria at facing this ZAFT soldier, picked up the dead soldier's gun and aimed it at Rau.

"My, my, how interesting," the masked man said with a chuckle, amused by Flay's desperation.

Flay in the depths of hysteria at everything that was going on, could have sworn she had heard her father's voice coming out of the masked man's mouth.

"Papa..." she mumbled as he took aim. But Rau was quicker than her trigger finger was. He closed the distance between them and knocked her out with a carefully placed gut punch.

He figured this girl could be useful somehow...

* * *

Inside the control room, Mu was looking at the computer monitors Rau had just been looking at, and was horrified at what he saw. But as he poked around, looking for any information as to why something like this was happening, he saw a message from what looked like a Blue Cosmos official.

It spoke of everything - Operation Spitbreak, when it would occur, where all of the top brass had fled to...but the most disturbing detail was the high priority order to keep the "rogue ship" _Archangel _from leaving until the Cyclops System activated.

Something in Mu's heart told him he couldn't abandon Murrue, and that she had to know. If he fled now and she perished as a result, he would be no different than Rau le Creuset...

* * *

Suzaku couldn't believe his eyes at the person he saw in the government building's courtyard. With him were Anya, Gino, Lloyd, and Cecile.

"Euphie...it's you...it's really you..."

He remembered that Euphemia had been killed, but she now stood before him as the Viceroy of Area 11 - and as the Euphie he remembered. He could never forget her gentle eyes, her kind smile, and the aura of pure benevolence that she seemed to emit.

"I know, I couldn't believe it either!" Gino said happily. "But when that Shapiro Keats guy said he had rescued her from the Black Knights, and was gonna marry her, then showed her on the TV, I nearly spit my morning tea all over my uniform!"

As Suzaku gazed at Euphemia, she gazed back at him, and quickly sensed that Suzaku wasn't quite his normal self. Having been so close with him, the princess possessed a sense of what he was usually like. At first, Euphie couldn't place WHAT was different, but then she remembered what Zero had told her - their father, the Emperor, had sealed certain memories of his away.

"Hello, Suzaku, my loyal Knight," the princess said. "I've missed you." Suzaku quickly walked up to her and knelt at her feet.

"Please forgive me, Your Highness. I couldn't protect you or save you from those Black Knights. I hope Zero didn't mistreat you. If he did, I'll...I'll..."

Euphemia was about to explain what really happened, but then remembered the task at hand.

"Suzaku, I spoke with Zero, and he still wants the Specially Administrated Zone."

Suzaku couldn't believe what he was hearing. In his mind, it was Zero, not Shapiro Keats, who had attempted to kill her and foil the SAZ last time. It wasn't farfetched that he had used his Geass on her to mess with her mind. However, he wasn't about question the person he had sworn to protect like that. All he could do was stop Zero before he tried anything...

* * *

The _Archangel _was in the throes of battle, firing everything in its arsenal at the enemy except the Lohengrins. Murrue, meanwhile, was at her wits' end. And the call she just got from Mu only threatened to push her all the way over the brink.

"A Cyclops System?!" Murrue exclaimed, terrified. "They're going to repeat the same trick they used at Jachin Due?!"

"Yeah, but this time they're doing it with the intention of taking you guys out," Mu said grimly, "along with the rest of the EU vessels."

Murrue sighed and buried her face in her hands.

"It's because we sided with Zero, didn't we?"Kuzzey sighed. "As soon as he had uttered the words 'whether Natural or Coordinator' in his little speech, he sentenced all to death."

"There's still time!" Mu said defiantly. "Murrue Ramius, you've gotten out of stickier situations. Even without the Strike or the other members of DREAM, you still persevered! Just because a few extremists want us dead is no reason to just keel over and die!"

"Mu's right!" Mirallia said in agreement; "We can't give up! If we did, how could we face Kira and Tolle?! They died trying to protect us, and if we don't live, their sacrifices will have been pointless!"

Murrue let this all sink in, then raised her head high.

"All right...ready the Valiants and Sledge..."

Suddenly, the _Archangel _was struck by a massive beam blast from a GINN.

"Heavy damage to the bow!" Mirallia exclaimed. "Launch hatch has been exposed!"

Before they could act, the GINN suddenly appeared right before their eyes, its one eye glowing menacingly. Time seemed to slow down for everyone there as death suddenly bore down on them.

As the GINN prepared to fire at the _Archangel_'s bridge, suddenly, a beam shot struck its rifle, destroying it. Then something swooped in and severed the machine's head - which ironically, did no harm to the pilot, since the cockpit was within the torso. A second and third GINN moved in to attack, but those had an arm and leg severed respectively.

Three mobile suits surrounded the _Archangel _now - the Freedom Gundam, the Harmony Gundam, and the Astray Red Frame, equipped with a flight pack similar to the Strike's. The Freedom took up the front, while the Harmony and Red Frame took up the two sides.

"This is Kira Yamato! I'm here to help! Please, get your ships out of here!" Kira called out through the communicator.

The crew couldn't believe it. Kira was alive. Somehow, beyond all reason, he had survived the destruction of the Strike.

"Kira?! Where the hell have you been?!" Mu exclaimed. "We thought you were..."

"Less chitchatting, more hauling ass, guys!" Lowe called out. "You gotta withdraw!"

"We...we can't!" Murrue cried. "They've planted a Cyclops System right under the base!"

"Yeah, they intended to destroy us and the rest of the EU fleet, along with ZAFT's forces!" Mu yelled. "That's why we gotta put some distance between us and the base!"

"Nicol..." Kira said, radioing his new ally, hoping he would convey this new information.

"I understand," the green-haired young man replied. "Attention, all ZAFT and Earth Forces forces..."

"...We ask that both forces cease combat and retreat from the area!"

"At any moment, the Cyclops System will activate, and the Alaska base will self-destruct!"

Yzak, who was participating in couldn't believe his ears. Nicol was fighting alongside the Strike's pilot. Nicol Amalfi, one of his dearest friends, was fighting alongside DREAM...

_No...it's not Nicol...it couldn't possibly be him!_

Yzak charged at the Harmony, but was suddenly intercepted by the Astray Red Frame, who sliced its legs in two. The falling body was caught in mid-air by a neaby DINN, who carried him away.

"That pilot...why did he do that? He could have easily...and yet he didn't. Why...WHY?!"

However, most of the ZAFT and Earth Alliance forces paid no heed to the warnings of Kira and Nicol, and continued to attack. Seeing that they had no choice, the three newcomers decided to cut a path for the _Archangel_.

Within moments, the entire base was inundated by deadly microwave radiation. Mobile suits exploded and overloaded, and the people inside were killed by having their bodies being boiled to the point of explosion. It expanded like a wave of destruction, wiping out everything in its path.

"Engines at maximum!" Murrue cried. "Evasive maneuvers!" The legged ship started flying at top speed, with its three saviors following close behind.

Kira saw the GINN he had beheaded now floundering about as it tried to flee, but before he could turn to rescue it, he saw Nicol already doing so, with the wall of microwave energy fast approaching.

He grabbed the GINN by the arm and rushed back toward the fleeing _Archangel_, the edge of the microwave emission now within a few hundred yards.

"Is that kid crazy?!" Lowe exclaimed. "He'll get fried!"

Kira finally turned back and took hold of the GINN's other arm. The two Gundams combined their engines output, and began to accelerate away from the blast...

* * *

One million.

That was how many Japanese were being gathered by Zero to join the Specially Administrated Zone. Unlike last time, though, it was not to make up the entire country. Instead, it merely consisted of a single part of the Tokyo Settlement, the Shizuoka ghetto.

But all the same, it was a pretty sweet deal he and Euphemia had worked out. In exchange for delivering one million Elevens to the SAZ, he would willingly go into exile as punishment for his crimes. All of the Japanese members of DREAM eagerly prepared to sign up as well, even Tara, who still didn't know about her family's murder, since she had been cooped up at the consulate since her return.

But the Knights of the Round suspected that Zero would still try something. Tahra, Suzaku and Anya watched from the stage as Euphemia's image came onto the screen. She was smiling kindly and happily, and the people let out a great cheer.

"Welcome, people of Japan, to the Specially Administrated Zone of Nippon," Euphemia began; "I'm filled with joy to see so many of you here today. Please, let us join hands and work together to build a new history!"

Suddenly, the feed of her changed to one of a studious-looking middle-aged woman with dark blonde hair tied back in a bun. It was Ms. Rohmeyer, the adviser to the Viceroy. While Shapiro was the real adviser, the people's hatred of Shapiro was too great to have him involved in the process at all.

"There is one matter that must be confirmed with Zero," the woman began. "As imperial subjects, all participants of the Nippon SAZ will have any criminal charges against them reduced by one degree, and all class 3 felons will have their sentences suspended. However, the man who instigated the murder of former Sub-Viceroy Calares can never be forgiven. Under special Area law, section 12, paragraph 8, Zero shall be permanently exiled from this nation."

The crowd murmured a bit. Tahra was surprised that the reaction wasn't more severe. She wondered if something was going to happen and to prevent this, began to look through the gathered Japanese with a pair of binoculars to see if anything was amiss.

As her gaze passed through the middle of the crowd in the center, she happened to get a look at Tara. As she started toward another group of people, Tahra quickly moved her binoculars back toward Tara. She adjusted the focus and increased the magnification.

_That girl...she looks just like me...but I never had any twin sisters..._

Yet it didn't feel like she looking at someone new. The only difference Tahra could spot were that Tara's eyes were a darker blue than hers. Yet everything else was a perfect match.

It felt like she was staring at herself in a distant mirror.

She took a second look to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. Meanwhile, Tara had moved elsewhere in the crowd, and was no longer visible to her doppelganger. Her search was interrupted by the appearance of Zero on the monitor.

"Thank you, my Britannian friends, for your lenient treatment," he began. Suzaku got in front of Euphemia instinctively.

"Zero, show yourself! I'll be more than happy to deport you myself!" Suzaku yelled, looking around at the crowd.

"Your offer is kind, Suzaku Kururugi, but I don't wish to be in debt to you," Zero replied. "However, I would ask you a question - tell me, what do you think it means to be Japanese...to be a nation?"

Suzaku blinked a few times, not sure why Zero was asking this.

"Is it language?" he asked strongly. "Territory? The ties of bloodlines?"

Suzaku searched himself for some sort of answer. He felt like he should have known the answer, yet for some reason it never came to him.

For Lelouch, this confirmed the fact that Suzaku had been brainwashed by Charles' Geass, just as he had. He would find a way to overcome it, but first he had to ensure Britannia would be out of his hair.

"In my view," Zero said. "It is the heart. It is their self-awareness, their values and their pride that makes them Japanese. As long as their roots of their culture remain in their hearts and are passed on to their children, then they are Japanese no matter where they live!"

Those words were a signal for the various members of DREAM scattered in the crowd. They pressed triggers concealed in tote bags, and soon the entire stadium was covered in smoke. Immediately, the Britannia personnel began to prepare for the worst. Anya took Euphemia's hand and they started to leave.

"All forces, prepare for suppressive..." the voice of Guilford, who was hovering overhead in a flying mass-produced Vincent, a Vincent Ward.

"Wait! They aren't making any moves to attack!" Suzaku called out. "Do not open fire! I repeat, do NOT open fire!"

The Britannian forces watched for several tense minutes. The smoke slowly began to clear as time went on, and quickly, the figure of Zero was visible in the front row.

"So Zero was here after all," Tahra said, drawing one of her knives. But as the smoke cleared further, they saw that there was more than one Zero. There were a million of them.

Euphemia, however, knew exactly how to handle this. After all, she was in on this plan as well.

"Oh...wow...look at all these Zeros." she said, doing her best to fake surprise. "I wonder which one is the real Zero?"

"I'm Zero!" Koji called out.

"I'm Zero as well!" Sara yelled.

"I too, am Zero!" Jiro Yamada bellowed.

Each and every member of DREAM began declaring they were Zero, and before long the entire crowd had followed suit. But by some unseen signal, the one million Zeros calmed down.

"Um...well, I guess since you're all Zero...I have no choice but to exile you all permanently," Euphie said, shrugging. "Sorry!"

"The Viceroy Euphemia has ordered you!" the Zero on the screen declared; "All of you Zeros, leave this country at once! Let us find a new land...but remember that we are all Japanese if we hold it in our hearts and pass it on to our children!"

"C'mon, all you Zeros, let's find ourselves a new home!" Boss cried. But it didn't take long for the crowd to realize that they had no idea WHERE they were going to go.

However, the solution came looming over the horizon...a massive artificial island, much of which was formed from the remains of Dr. Hell's old floating fortress. The island was well over a hundred kilometers in width on its longest size. From the air, one would immediately see a gigantic mass driver running along the western side of the island.

And flying above it were the _Nadesico _and the _Archangel_.

_So that's his game, _Tahra thought as she drew her other knife. _I'll just have to kill every one of these stinking Elevens until..._

But Suzaku grabbed her hand. Even if he hated Zero with all his being, he knew that the massacre that had occurred could not be allowed to happen again. Not with Euphie there.

"Stop! Do you want a repeat of the last time?!" Suzaku yelled. Lelouch noticed the girl that his friend and nemesis was restraining, and was briefly flustered by her resemblance to the Tara Zifell who was in DREAM.

"Let go of me!" Tahra cried, struggling to escape her fellow Knight's grip. However, Suzaku held tight. Lelouch noted that Tahra's voice was also the same as Tara's.

Then he remembered something. Right after his memories were taken away, he had briefly been brought back to partial consciousness as he had felt the room being sucked into something while Tara let out a long scream. He had barely opened his eyes, but just wide enough to see something float out of her. What was more, the _Nadesico_ reported that she had reappeared on the other side, having forgotten everything except Janus Olendra and her "promise" to him. Finally, he had tried to get in touch with Haruhi and Gilbert Zifell, but couldn't. Further investigation revealed that someone had come, killed them and burned down their house.

He would have to confirm his theory another time, after everything here was settled.

"Letting the people go is the princess' will!" the Knight of Seven grunted as he restrained her, "I don't want to have to punish for defying it..."

"You're seriously willing to let a million workers just leave?!" the Knight of Eleven grunted. "If this is because you were once an Eleven, then..."

"This isn't about that!" Suzaku replied. "It is sometimes better to let the guilty go free than the innocent be punished! And even if they are guilty, will sentencing them to death really accomplish anything?!"

He turned back to the Zero on the screen.

"Zero! I want your word!" he demanded; "I want your word that you will protect these people! If you don't, I swear I will PERSONALLY hunt you down and mount your head on a pike over the Tokyo government bureau!"

"Suzaku Kururugi..." the Zero onscreen said. "I will do everything in my power to do so. Now, will you protect the remaining Japanese here in Area 11?"

"Why do you think I became a soldier?!" Suzaku replied loudly without a second thought. Zero was silent for a moment.

"Good," Zero said. "I trust you, then." With that, he disappeared from the screen. However, a voice soon came from the artificial island over a loudspeaker. It was the real Zero.

"Attention, all you Zeros! Sir Kururugi has spoken! All disruptive elements are banished! Nothing more holds us back now...come, and let us make this floating island our land of freedom!"

* * *

"That...was...EPIC!" Tara cheered as she and Kallen headed along a walkway along the island to report to Zero; "I can't believe we actually pulled it off!"

"Yeah," Kallen replied. "But it was thanks to Princess Euphemia's cooperation that we got as far as we did."

"I bet that even if she wasn't," Tara said with a smirk, "She would have done exactly as Zero wanted anyway...speaking of which, isn't that his office?"

They approached a small door with the logo of the Black Knights on it - Zero's room. Kallen knocked.

"It's Kallen; I brought Tara, like you asked me to."

"Come in, then," Zero's voice came from within. Kallen opened the door and let Tara walk in first. The room was still unfurnished, but there was a desk by the window, and a bed as well. C.C. was working on making it up, while Lelouch sat at the desk, his face covered by a book, even as his mask sat atop the desk.

"Reporting in, Zero," Tara said, somewhat curious to know if Kallen had really been right that day. Zero lowered the book and showed Tara his face. It was indeed Lelouch Lamperouge, as she had guessed.

"Tara Zifell, I would like a word with you. Kallen, you may stay or leave."

Kallen knew what was coming, and wanted to be there for her classmate.

"Miss Zifell, I am burdened heavily by the news I am about to tell you...but it is important that you know. It relates to Haruhi and Gilbert Zifell - your parents."

"Are they okay?" Tara asked, understandably concerned. Lelouch bowed his head sadly.

"...They were both murdered, and your home was burnt to the ground." Lelouch said. "It was during the Black Rebellion. I'm sorry."

* * *

_Now that Britannia is out of DREAM's hair for the moment, we can move on with the plots of other shows, like GaoGaiGar and Martian Successor Nadesico, or even Grendizer! Which will it be? Stay tuned! Until next time, mecha fans!  
_


	64. Chapter 45 Ra Calium

_Now for some more Shin Mazinger plot, plus a surprise!_

* * *

**Chapter 45 (Ra Calium) – Android's Tragedy! Sorrowful Blue Danube!**

Shiro, Kouji's younger brother, and Puru were chatting it up in the mid-morning after breakfast. Even having only been here for three days, the two kids struck up a fast friendship that bordered on young love. Of course, that was only because Shiro, even at his tender age of ten, was already getting interested in girls.

But when a beautiful blue-eyed girl with long blonde hair stood in Kurogane House's lobby, he couldn't help but be smitten at first sight, much to Puru's annoyance.

"Excuse me," the girl asked, looking around. "Is the mistress around?"

"Oh, if you're looking for her, she'll be gone until this evening," said a bald man with a large, stitched up cross shape on his face; he was known as Cross, and he was the head clerk of Kurogane House. "What's your business with her?"

"I've been sent here from my papa on an errand," the girl replied. "I have to speak with her."

Shiro stood up and rushed over to her side. "Hey! How about I show you around Neo Hong Kong! You can come with me and Puru!"

"Oh, I guess so..." the girl replied. "By the way, I'm Lorelei."

"I'm Shiro," the boy replied; "And this is my friend Elpeo Puru!"

Puru sulked and fumed a bit at someone stealing Shiro's attention. First, it was Judau, and now it was Shiro. Anytime she found a boy she liked, someone swooped in to steal it from her. But the Cyber-Newtype wasn't going to let this broad take Shiro away from her...

* * *

"SCRANDER CROOOOSS!"

Kouji was training on Lantau Island, which would serve as the ring for the final battle, on permission from Wong Yunfat himself; and today, he was testing Mazinger Z's wings - the Jet Scrander. Having picked up some pointers from his counterpart in the other world, he was able to quickly master docking with his rocket-propelled wings even when it was in mid-flight.

"Excellent, Kouji! Superb! Wonderful!" Juzo Kabuto cheered, jumping up and clicking his heels together in mid-air as he watched Mazinger Z soar through the air; "You've already mastered docking the Jet Scrander onto Mazinger...my choice to have you join the _Ra Calium _wasn't a complete waste after all!"

"Now I can kick the asses of any flying Mechabeasts that come at me, right?!" Kouji said proudly as he landed Mazinger.

"Idiot!" Juzo yelled. "All we've done is practice docking and flying! You haven't had an iota of aerial combat training yet! Besides, it isn't even midday yet!"

Kouji sighed. As much as he liked piloting Mazinger Z, this was getting to be torture.

"And to that end, I've enlisted some help...ah, here it comes now!"

Flying in just over the nearby hill was another giant robot, which had a feminine form, two antennae on the sides of its head, and seemed to be wearing a cowboy hat. The Sayaka Yumi he had been friends with, as opposed to the one from the other world, was piloting it.

"Hi, Kouji!"

"Sayaka? What happened to Aphrodite A?"

"It was destroyed when Dr. Hell attacked the old labs," she answered. "Luckily, my dad just happened to have this new one ready in case something happened to Aphrodite."

Dr. Kabuto subtly eyed the mech with a perverted stare from his remaining good eye. He had helped design it, and now he would see those missile breasts in action...

* * *

Xengar, being an android, opted to avoid the hot springs for the sake of his circuits, but was still able to keep occupied in other ways. Even something as simple as sitting in the meditation garden and rummaging through the data in his memory was enough.

Suddenly, he heard the voice of Kouji's younger brother coming from just around the corner. He watched Shiro come around with Lorelei, who was getting the grand tour of Kurogane House. Shiro noticed Xengar sitting there, and decided to introduce her to him, since he had done so for every other member of DREAM.

"Lorelei, you remember Janus, right? Well, this is his co-pilot, Xengar."

As Xengar's gaze met Lorelei's, he briefly visualized the silhouette of a girl about Lorelei's apparent age in his memory, but he couldn't place who that silhouette belonged to. He couldn't help but wonder why this particular girl triggered the appearance of that image.

"Hello, Mr. Xengar," Lorelei said.

"Hey, you wanna know something cool? You're not gonna believe it, but Xengar is actually an...um...what's the word?"

"Android?" Lorelei guessed.

"That's the word! But he doesn't act like a robot at all...he can think, feel, laugh, and he even acts like my big brother Kouji does whenever he gets worked up!"

Lorelei giggled.

"I like your name. It sounds like it belongs from someone from my homeland."

"Oh, yeah," Shiro asked. "Where DO you come from, Lorelei?"

"I'm from Neo-Germany, actually. When I go home to papa after he meets with the mistress, he and I are going to watch the Gundam Fight Finals..."

Suddenly, another person, one Xengar didn't recognize, came frantically running down the hall - a slack-jawed man in a fedora who had apparently just come from the bath. Instinctively, Xengar shielded Lorelei's eyes.

Following behind was a cloaked blonde woman with two long pigtails that she was using as whips. Xengar then shielded Shiro's eyes from the sight. But the boy pushed his hand aside.

"Hey! That crazy lady's attacking Inspector Ankokuji!"

Before any of the trio could act, there was a crash, and then one of the woman's limbs came flying out.

But it did not bleed, for it was entirely robotic.

Cross came out from around the corner, while the terrified (yet somehow smitten) Inspector creeped out, covering his privates with a small washcloth.

Lorelei, meanwhile, recognized the android, but said nothing.

* * *

That evening, Tsubasa returned to Kurogane House, having completed her business in town. Cross met her at the door, the android he had wrecked that afternoon lying behind the desk.

"Some girl came in today, saying she was looking for you," he said. "She's went into town with Shiro and that Elpeo Puru girl, but..."

Oddly enough, Shiro and Lorelei were heading toward the door right as she came in. Amazingly, Lorelei seemed to recognize her on sight.

"Are you the mistress of this house?" she asked. Tsubasa nodded, suspicious of this girl.

"My papa has sent me here to find you, Tsubasa Nishikori," Lorelei replied. "He wishes to see you and your teacher again." The mistress had a vague idea of who this girl truly was, but needed only one thing to confirm it.

"What is your name, child?" she asked kindly.

"Lorelei," the girl answered. "Lorelei Schtroheim."

"Oh, and we found THIS running around," Cross added, picking up the mangled blonde android he had smashed before. "It was probably trying to assassinate Kouji or Juzo...it must have been sent by Dr. Hell."

That was enough for Tsubasa. Apparently HE was waiting for her, and she wasn't going to keep him waiting any longer. But to think that Schtroheim had returned from the depths of hell just to see her and Juzo Kabuto.

"Cross, get a hold of Misato Katsuragi in Room 99A and tell her that I need a big favor from her. Also, get Kouji and the old man...we're taking a trip to Neo Germany, and I don't mean the space colony."

"Can Shiro come too?" Lorelei asked. "And Puru as well? I really want them to meet my papa! Oh, and Xengar too!"

* * *

The _Wunder _soared gracefully above the clouds to avoid attracting unnecessary attention. Even more so than the _Ra Calium_, the battleship was basic in its accommodations. But what it lacked in luxury it made up for in performance. Retrofitted with a Spiral Engine (since its original power source was unavailable), it sped through the sky at an incredible clip. Even a trip nearly a third of the way across the planet would take less than six hours.

Joining Lorelei, Tsubasa, Kouji, Shiro and Juzo were Misato (who was captaining the vessel), Asuka, Shinji, Janus, Xengar, Puru, Judau, Christina, Masato, Miku, Simon and Viral. Their respective machines waited in the hangar as well.

Masato's reasons for coming, unsurprisingly, were not his own...it was 'Other Masato' that wanted to come along.

"Juzo. Doctor Juzo Kabuto."

The old scientist was excitedly perusing the ship, taking mental notes on everything that he saw. Even in the twilight of his years, he still had a child-like curiosity and thirst for knowledge. But when he heard that voice, his excitement quickly turned to distaste when he recognized the tone. Only one person had ever spoken to him in such a scornful, arrogant manner...not even Dr. Hell has spoken to him in such a way.

"I suppose you have some questions for Schrotheim, don't you, Masaki Kihara?" Juzo said, not giving Masato so much as a glance. "Or have you come just to haunt me?"

"Come now," Other Masato laughed, "Can't a scientist check up on old colleagues from back during the Ultimate Project?"

Juzo stopped, and glared at Other Masato ...with his one good eye.

"Fine - deny your finest achievement," Masato laughed. Juzo was silent.

"Of course, I've gone on to surpass even the rest of the team in every scientific field...biochemistry, robotics, genetics, even theoretical physics!"

"It is only because you discarded your morality," Juzo replied, finally looking straight at him. At that moment, Kouji came in, looking to ask his grandfather a question, when he saw the two chatting. He immediately sensed that something was different about Masato.

"Morality? You're one to talk!" Masaki laughed, noticing Kouji had shown up. "You force your grandson into that pile of junk you call Mazinger Z! At least I'm willing to put my own life on the line when I fight with Zeorymer!"

Kouji stopped dead in his tracks when he heard this.

"Hey, what's the matter with you, Masato?" Kouji said angrily. "Don't you dare call Mazinger Z a pile of junk...and don't call my grandpa a coward, either!"

"Kouji, stay out of this," Juzo replied. "I'm not about to let you fight my battles, especially when he's insulted me on my very inability to do so!"

"Tell you what, old chum," Masaki chuckled. "How about after you settle your little bet with our host, I take on the winner?

"Bet? What bet?" Kouji asked, suddenly curious about it.

"Oh, where do I begin... ah yes, it all..."

Before Masaki could launch in the story, he gripped his head in pain as Masato Akitsu regained control of his body. He looked around and blinked a few times as he got his bearings.

"Oh, Kouji...Dr. Kabuto. Have you seen Miku? I was looking for her when I blacked out...I guess 'Other Masato' came out. I always lose consciousness for a second before he takes over. Rain says I have 'dissociative identity disorder' or something."

_There's no way this could be a true split personality_, Juzo thought. _If anything, it's Masato Akitsu that is the false personality here..._

* * *

"Hey, Shinji," Asuka said as she approached him while he was sitting in the rudimentary lounge, reading. She was in one of those moods, and without Shinobu around, the only person she thought would be remotely receptive to her would be Shinji. Besides, if she couldn't have the leader of the Cyber Beast Force, she could at least steal Ikari from right under Rei Ayanami's nose._  
_

"Hi, Asuka."

"Shinji, have you ever kissed a girl?" she asked.

"Huh? Um...no." he replied awkwardly.

"Okay, then let's do it," Asuka said. Shinji gasped in confused surprise.

"What?! Why?"

"Because I'm bored," Asuka answered bluntly.

"You're bored?" Shinji said.

"What? It'll be another three hours till we get to wherever we're going and there's nothing to do."

"I don't think it's such a good idea..." the pilot of EVA Unit 01 replied.

Asuka smirked smugly. "What, are you scared or something?"

"N-no! I'm not scared of kissing!" he replied, annoyed that Asuka would assume something like that.

"I hope you brushed your teeth."

Shinji nodded. Asuka then hopped over the back of the couch and sat down next to him.

"Okay then...here I come."

She leaned over to Shinji's face but paused briefly. The two teenagers stared into each others' eyes for a bit, then got even closer. Suddenly, Asuka stopped.

"Don't breathe through your nose," Asuka said gently, "It tickles." She then grabbed Shinji's nose and held it closed as she kissed him as deep as she could, pressing her body right up against his. Their lips remained locked for several minutes, slowly suffocating Shinji, making his skin slowly change colors as his blood was losing more and more oxygen.

But relief came when Tsubasa burst in. The surprise caused to tumble off the couch. Tsubasa managed to see them kissing moments before the fall, and smiled nostalgically.

"Ah, to be that age again..."

She closed the door, leaving them alone again.

"Huh, I was expecting you to be a terrible kisser," Asuka said. "But you're not half bad!"

Shinji blushed heavily as his mind eagerly processed the girl's unique scent and taste...

* * *

The _Wunder _lowered its altitude as it approached their destination: a great castle at the edge of the well-known Black Forest of Neo-Germany. Running near the castle was a wide, tranquil river - the equally famous River Danube. Yet even here, scars of the destruction caused by the Getter Ray Armageddon could be seen, even though the Getter Rays themselves have since retreated - many trees were dead or covered in woody tumor-like growths, the result of exposure to such radioactivity.

The castle itself looked like it fit right in a movie starring a vampire - it was dark, ominous, and only a single window at the highest point in the tower was lit. Four torches emitting purple flames, two on each tier of the castle, could be seen glowing in the night like evil beacons. Numerous gargoyles could be seen placed around the outside, all menacing in appearance.

Lorelei, however, looked absolutely elated to be there as she led up the long stone stairway to the main door of the castle.

"N-nice castle," Shinji said, nervous in these rather unsettling surroundings.

"Pffft, I've seen scarier," Asuka said dismissively. "It's right out of an old cheesy horror movie!"

"I guess that's why we never get visitors all the way out here," the young girl replied with a small sigh. As they reached the doors that led inside, she stopped and turned to her guests.

"Listen, can I ask you all a favor?" she asked.

"Go ahead," Janus answered kindly.

"My papa is...a bit odd," Lorelei said, slightly embarrassed. "Please try not to act shocked while you're here."

"Are you kidding?" Shiro laughed; "My grandpa's the weirdest guy I know!"

"Stupid boy," Juzo said, flabbergasted at such a statement; "I'm not weird...I'm eccentric!"

"Same thing, gramps," Asuka chimed in wryly.

"Besides, w-we wouldn't be so rude as act that way...in front of him anyway," Shinji added. He could barely hear the muffled sound of footsteps coming from behind the doors, which were slightly ajar.

"But, do you really live in this gigantic castle with just your father?" Kouji asked. "He's gotta be really rich."

"Yesz. Really," came the voice of a man with a heavy German accent from just behind the doors. The doors opened up to reveal the castle's only other resident - a man with a metallic half-dome over the right side of his face, with a small light blub replacing his eye. He had stitches all over his face, while his skin was a pale, almost corpse-like greyish-purple, but his hair was a rich brown. The man wore black slacks, a finely pressed white shirt and a black bathrobe and black slippers.

Everyone except Juzo, Cross, Tsubasa, Xengar and Lorelei nearly leaped out of their clothes with fright at the appearance of this figure.

"Oh, you just said you wouldn't act shocked!" Lorelei groaned.

The man in stitches chuckled. "No, no, no offense taken. Please, come in. Doctor Heinrich Schtroheim welcomes you to his home."

* * *

The group assembled in a simple but elegantly decorated library, the shelves lined with books of all sorts, many of them decades or even centuries old.

"Well, I'm surprised you brought so many guests along, Lorelei," Heinrich said. "I was expecting Juzo, Shiro and the mistress, but not all these other people."

"We don't like taking chances," Misato replied. "With all of the threats out there, anything could happen."

"Whatever...why did you drag us all the way out here, anyway?" Kouji demanded; "I heard you had a bet with my grandpa!"

"Yes...let's see, where to begin..."

Kouji and Shiro's jaws were sore from having hung limp for the duration of Heinrich's tale thus far. As it turned out, Tsubasa had been engaged to Heinrich when they had left for Bardos Island with their father, grandfather and Dr. Hell. But during the years-long trip, Tsubasa had fallen out of love with Heinrich and...in love with Kenzo Kabuto.

"So...that means..." Kouji gasped.

"Yes. Tsubasa Nishikori is actually Tsubasa Kabuto," Heinrich said. "...Your mother."

Juzo looked away from the two boys. He had hoped to one day reveal the truth themselves, but only when the world was more stable. But now the cat was out of the bag now.

"That's all very well and good, but I didn't come here to have you tell Kouji and Shiro their genealogy," Tsubasa interrupted. "I came because of Gamia Q...sound familiar?"

"Patience, patience, my dear," Heinrich said. "This is something your children must know. I haven't even gotten to the important part yet."

Kouji and Shiro didn't like the sound of that.

"At the time, there were four genius robot engineers known throughout the Earth Sphere," the scientist continued; "Juzo Kabuto, myself, Masaki Kihara...and your father, Kenzo Kabuto. But, just as Juzo may have told you, he died while excavating the Mechabeasts of Bardos Island."

Suddenly, Juzo jumped in and began speaking. "As a result of the death of your father, this man wanted to reclaim your mother. Even if you were born out of wedlock, she was still your mother, and I would not let anyone take her, or you two, from me!"

"But she and I were to be lawfully wed!" Heinrich said loudly, as he became visibly angrier. He rose to his feet and approached Juzo, fists clenched.

"Papa, please calm down," Lorelei pleaded, grabbing onto her father's robe. "There's no need to hurt him!" Heinrich did calm himself, and stepped back into his chair.

"Regardless, I made a bet with Heinrich," Juzo continued. "We would each build a robot - the strongest we could possibly make - and then have them fight each other. If Heinrich won, I would have allowed him to wed Tsubasa."

"But the fight obviously never happened," Janus said. "What stopped it?"

"It's quite simple," the stitched up scientist said frankly. "I died and went straight to the underworld."

This time, everyone except Juzo and Tsubasa let out a gasp of shock - even Lorelei had not known about this. But to reassure his daughter, the Neo-German scientist patted her on the head.

"It was an accident," he said gently; "Merely an accident."

"Sooo...why are you still alive?" Kouji asked. He had a hunch as to who it was, and quickly realized he probably didn't need to ask.

"As it turned out, I didn't have to remain there long...an old colleague of mine was able to save me from death, thanks to surgery techniques he performed with his own two hands. In return, I would make him the world's mightiest robot..."

But suddenly, the bells in the castle tower began to toll.

"Dinner time already?" Asuka said. "Awesome!"

"Yay! Dinner!" Puru cheered.

"No...those aren't dinner bells..." Juzo said grimly.

"Ah, our other guests have arrived," Heinrich chuckled. "And a troublesome bunch, no less. I pray they didn't take your battleship."

The group went over to the windows in the ballroom and looked down. Assembled out in the distance was a small army of Talos, as well as a number of Groizer X10 copies. Leading the pack were three Mechabeasts, each of them dark-green with spikes for arms and a pair of heat-generating vents on its shoulders. On top of one of the Reaver F9s was a familiar face: Baron Ashura.

"Hear me, Doctor Heinrich Schtroheim! I am Baron Ashura, one who has returned from hell just as you have! I have come to lay claim to what my master asked of you!"

"Look who's back...it's everyone's favorite hermaphrodite," Kouji sighed. "Guess we gotta scramble."

"Yeah. We can't let him have that robot the doc was working on, right?" Shinji said.

"Return to your vessel for now," Heinrich added; "I will do what I can to stall our guests...I have no intention of turning over my greatest creation to Dr. Hell now." He then turned to his daughter. "Come, Lorelei."

Lorelei nodded and followed her father out of the library. Meanwhile, everyone started heading back down toward the ground level - except for Xengar and Shiro, who followed Dr. Schtroheim up the stairs.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Misato called out and started to head back in their direction, but Janus stopped her.

"Don't worry," Janus reassured her. "He can interface with Granlif remotely. It's not quite as effective as him joining directly, but I'm not gonna get myself sick again with that last trick I did."

Misato sighed and started down the stairs. However, Janus couldn't help but wonder why Xengar was so interested in protecting Lorelei...there's no way Leeron would have programmed THAT sort of thing into him.

Heinrich carried Lorelei, who was now in a long white nightgown, over to a plush bed behind some curtains and gently laid her down.

"It's going to get noisy," the stitched-up scientist said gently. "But don't worry. Just relax."

Lorelei nodded. "Okay." Without another word, she went to sleep, almost instantaneously. Just as Shiro and Xengar reached the room, they saw Heinrich turn out the lights.

"Oh, what are you two doing here? Aren't you returning to the ship?"

Xengar stood before him and knelt down, as if doing so before a king.

"I know this may seem like an odd request - but please...let Shiro and I protect Miss Lorelei!"

"Very well...something tells me that you two are the most fit for that task," Heinrich said. "However, I must ask that you remain here at the door."

"That is acceptable," Xengar said. "Shiro, go and keep Lorelei company." Shiro smiled and ran inside, and Schtroheim closed the door behind him. Once that was done, Heinrich started down the stairs, but paused and turned to the man who would guard the door.

"Tell me...why are you so intent on protecting my daughter? Does she remind of you of a loved one? Did you fail to protect a loved one in the past?"

"That...and also because she and I are the same."

Schtroheim smiled. The two sacrificial lambs that would bring about Lorelei's true awakening were right where they needed to be.

* * *

Both halves of Baron Ashura were getting extremely impatient. Dr. Schtroheim had not answered their demands, or even give any indication that he had heard them.

Thankfully, the two-faced golem was not aware that their nemesis, Mazinger Z, was close by, for the ship was equipped with a cloaking device of Leeron's design, so it could be hidden in plain sight. Furthermore, the ship was hidden opposite of where Dr. Hell's troops had entered, and they had entered from the castle's rear door.

All the same, Ashura wasn't going to wait. Even as it saw Schtroheim come out of the castle door, Ashura raised a staff, a magical one from deep within the ruins of Bardos Island, which could remotely control robots based on Mycenae technology.

The castle began to shake and rumble as the machine sleeping deep within the castle began to awaken...

Evangelion Units 01 and 02, Mazinger Z, ZZ Gundam, Quebley, Gurren Lagann, Gundam ALEX B-Type and Zeorymer had finished launching just as the shaking started.

"Damn it, what's going on?!" Viral growled. "Don't tell them that the two-faced freakshow has an earthquake machine or something!"

"No...look!" Puru called out, pointing to the castle. On one of the sides of the castle near where Lorelei, Xengar and Shiro were, cracks were forming. Suddenly, a huge black robot burst out. It had a bulky barrel, chest, but relatively feminine arms and legs; its bucket-shaped head had relatively small facial features peeking out from what looked like the holes of a helmet; and a single gold sphere, with a long metallic tentacle trailing out from it, was attached to its forehead. The eyes were glowing red, a sign of Baron Ashura's domination over it.

But most disturbing of all was that a very large face on the center - one that was the spitting image of Lorelei. Its eyes were closed and its expression stoic.

"What? A Gurren Lagann-type Gunman?!" Simon exclaimed.

They watched Baron Ashura, atop Reaver F9, guide the mech away from the castle.

"No, but whatever that thing is, we're not letting Ashura have it!" Kouji declared. "Janus, hurry up and launch, already!"

"I'm trying, but I can't move Granlif without Xengar remotely interfacing with it! Just go ahead without me!" Janus called out. "...Damn it, why'd I let that bucket of bolts stay behind?!"

"All units, mobilize!" Misato commanded.

Mazinger Z, equipped with its Scrander, flew forward, while the rest of DREAM followed suit, and began to attack the enemy army.

Unlike the original Groizer, the copies were smaller and lacked the devastating power of the original. This made it far easier for DREAM to deal with them. Kouji quickly locked on to one.

"EAT THIS! ROCKETO PUUUUUUUUUNCHIE!"

The flying fist flew out, and struck the flying Mechabeast in the face, where it detonated in the air. Kouji then spotted one of the Reaver F9s, and flew toward it, since it was in the path to its sibling, which has Baron Ashura on top.

But Mazinger was blown back by blazing-hot shots of energy emitted from the Mechabeast's shoulders.

Before it could attack again, the Reaver F9 suddenly exploded spontaneously. Nearby, Zeorymer was holding up one of its fists, the orb on its hand glowing brightly.

"Thanks, Masato...I am talking to Masato, right?"

"Yeah. I'm still me for now," Masato replied. "Hurry and stop Ashura...the rest of us will take care of his forces!"

The second Reaver F9 was being attacked by Judau, Puru and Christina, who in turn were holding off several Talos.

"Hey, you're pretty good with those Funnels, Christina!" Judau said as he slashed a Talos in two. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a Newtype just like me and Puru!"

"Hey, Chrissie...let's see if we can get our Funnels to work together!" Puru suggested. '

"Okay, why not?" Christina said, adjusting a few settings on the attack drones.

"DOUBLE FUNNEL ATTACK!"

The ALEX B-Type's and Quebley's Funnels began attacking in sync, quickly demolishing the enemy Reaver F9's armor, though it still functioned.

"Big brother, finish it!" Puru called out.

"Yeah!" Judau declared. He readied his beam saber, and concentrated his Newtype powers, increasing the blade's length.

"Here we go...DOU-BLE ZE-TA-KEN...YAAAAATE YARUZE!"

Judau brought the blade down hard, slicing the other Mechabeast in two.

_Heh, I don't know why,_ Judau thought, _but I've wanted to do that ever since I met Shinobu._

Meanwhile, Gurren Lagann and the two Evangelions were making short work of the Talos. Shinji and Asuka unleashed numerous rounds of machine gun bullets while the drill-wielding robot finished off any Talos that they missed.

"Okay you bronze bozos, time to take you to the cleaners..."

Gurren Lagann soared up high and came down with a flying kick, which was inexplicably on fire.

"EAT THIS! SUPER INAZUMA..." Simon cried.

"FLAMING CHARIOT..." Viral yelled.

"KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK!" they screamed in unison.

Ten Talos were reduced to slag instantly from the heat of the attack, and then shattered to bits.

* * *

While all this was going on, Heinrich had been rushing along, trying to catch with Danube Alpha-1, and soon managed to get on top of the last remaining Reaver F9, where Ashura was gloating over his victory, partially thanks to the strengthened body Dr. Hell had made for him.

"I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to leave with Danube Alpha-1!" the scientist proclaimed.

"What? How did you..." Ashura's female half exclaimed. "Never mind! Give me one good reason why I should!"

"Without Dr. Hell," Ashura's male half said; "You would have never been able to build this machine!"

"I am aware of that. But Danube is incomplete!" Heinrich answered; "For it to truly be my strongest robot in both in name and in reality, I must complete it! That is why I cannot give it to you yet!"

"Hmph...as long as it can defeat Mazinger Z, I see no need for it to be finished!" Ashura said. The two-faced golem surreptiously put his female half's foot down onto a large but inconspicuous button on the floor of the beast.

The scientist scowled. "Then...PERISH!"

The light bulb that replaced Heinrich's left eye began to shine, and fired a bolt of energy at Ashura. But to his dismay, the bolt struck an invisible energy barrier that Dr. Hell's minion had activated. The bolt bounced back at Schtroheim, and blasted him off the mech.

"Foolish man...didn't he think that Dr. Hell would warn me about that?" Ashura laughed. "Now, go back to the underworld where you belong!"

* * *

Lorelei, Xengar, Shiro and the others exited the collapsing castle just in time for watch her father plummet from the top of the remaining Reaver F9. Xengar stopped and quickly began to concentrate as he remotely connected to Granlif's controls, but then noticed that the machine wasn't even on...Janus had given up on launching at all.

After disconnecting from Granlif, he then saw Lorelei running toward her father's fallen body, with Tsubasa, Cross and Shiro close behind. The other members of DREAM tried to attack, but several Groizer X-10s started bombing them, forcing them to stay back.

The girl approached her father's fallen body.

"Papa! Papa, are you okay?!"

Heinrich opened his eye, and weakly turned his head toward his daughter.

"Oh, Lorelei...you are safe," Heinrich said with a weak, raspy voice. "Unfortunately, it seems Papa is done for..."

Shiro and the rest soon arrived by her side.

"But...before I go...I must reveal to you a secret."

"A secret?" Lorelei said, distraught beyond anything she had ever experienced before.

"You're...you're not really my daughter...nor are you human..."

Shiro and Lorelei gasped. Xengar, Juzo and Tsubasa, however, had already figured out the truth about Lorelei.

"You are...the true Danube Alpha-1..." Heinrich continued, struggling with all his might to stay alive long enough to reveal everything.

"No..." the blonde girl gasped, shaking her head in disbelief; "That's...that's..."

"So that was your secret," Juzo said. "You wanted to create a robot with feelings and emotions, and could think for itself, and even learn."

"Yes...the flaw with piloted robots is that they are limited...by the abilities of the pilot...but if I could design...a perfect artificial intelligence...I could...overcome that. I was planning on using Danube to defeat Mazinger, then hand it over to Dr. Hell."

"But as you raised her like a human," Xengar said, having anticipated what Heinrich was going to say; "In order to teach her feelings and emotions. But somewhere along the line you forgot that she was a robot, and loved her as your daughter."

"Yes...you are...very perceptive...Xengar," Heinrich said, chuckling a bit, which made him violently cough barely noticeable wisps of black vapor. "Thus...that robot, which Ashura is stealing, is Lorelei's body..."

He turned back to Lorelei.

"And you, my dear, sweet Lorelei, are Danube's brain...its heart!"

Lorelei was too dumbfounded to speak.

"Lorelei...grant me one last desire...remove...the ribbon...from your head. With that...you can...become one...with Danube...and...defeat...Mazin...ger...Z..."

No longer having the strength to speak, Heinrich laid back and closed his eye.

Lorelei couldn't believe it. She...was a machine. And yet this feeling of sadness, the one emotion she had never learned - but now experienced having watched her father's life ebb away - was as real as the joy she had meeting Shiro, Puru, Kouji, and the rest of DREAM.

At the same time, she felt compelled to follow her father's wishes.

The wishes of the man who had given her life, and loved her like a real girl.

She reached for the ribbon and prepared to yank it out, which would allow her to fuse with Danube Alpha 1.

But a large hand stopped her...Xengar's.

"Lorelei, before you go into battle, I must ask you something...is this truly what you want? To throw away your human life, simply to prove that your father was the superior scientist?!"

Lorelei looked back at her father.

"No...but...I must obey my father's final wish...I...I must defeat Mazinger Z!" Lorelei declared. She reached over with her free hand and pulled out the ribbon out of her head. It had been embedded in her head via a large bolt, which was now covered in orange-colored liquid.

Immediately, her body began to shine a brilliant white; her eyes turned to pools of blue; Her hair fanned out wildly, and she began to levitate off the ground. Without so much as a side-ward glance, Lorelei flew toward Danube Alpha 1 and melded into it through the face on its torso.

"Amazing...so by learning sadness, she is completed..." Juzo gasped.

"How ironic," Tsubasa said, "He probably wanted to use Shiro. But it turned out he was the sacrificial lamb that would awaken Danube's true power."

Danube Alpha 1's body began to change upon Lorelei fusing with it - its black body became a vivid blue, like the river that flowed through Neo Germany whose name it shared. The eyes on the torso face opened, and the robot accusingly pointed at Baron Ashura.

"Baron Ashura, I am not a doll to be played with by people such as you!" the robot declared, both of its mouths speaking as one voice.

"Whoa, it spoke!" Asuka exclaimed.

"I wanted only to live here in peace with my father," Danube Alpha 1 continued. "But now...he's dead because of you! YOU'LL PAY FOR YOUR CRIME WITH YOUR LIFE!"

With one swing of its head tentacle, Danube sliced the last remaining Reaver F9 in two. Suddenly, Heinrich, using what little of his strength remained, asked Tsubasa a question.

"Tsubasa...once I die...make it so I cannot be brought back to life again..."

Tsubasa didn't answer, but silently accepted his last wish, and watched him close his eye for the final time. But as that happened, he suddenly began to spew more of the dark-colored vapors from his body.

Immediately, alarms inside the _Wunder _went off as the dark clouds melded together into one.

It was an Angel.

"You're kidding..." Misato exclaimed. "What the hell was Schtroheim doing with an Angel in his body?! We should have detected it as soon as we got close..."

The dark cloud seemed to hover in midair, considering its target. Oddly, it decided against aiming for either of the Evangelions...instead, it rushed at Danube Alpha-1. Before the blue robot could act, the Angel entered through the gaps in Danube's armor. It quickly took over Schtroheim's mighty creation. Its head began to twist and writhe horribly as it grew wicked fangs and stretched out a bit. The face on its torso suddenly became covered by a glimmering blue substance, and its expression turned to one of agony. Even the usually unflappable Tsubasa wore an expression of abject terror at what had just transpired.

"Enemies of the infinite realities...we are the Angel of Haze," the Angel said, speaking directly into the minds of all present. "This Danube Alpha-1, built by the hand of Heinrich Schtroheim, shall be the engine of your demise. And I will start with Mazinger Z, who wields the Photon Power that laid low the true heirs of this planet!"

"Lorelei...no..." Shiro said weakly. "Come back...please...go back to the way you were before..."

Asuka and Shinji prepared to charge and attack the Angel, but Mazinger blocked them.

"Wait..." Kouji said. "This battle was fated to happen. I have to be the one to defeat it in single combat...SCRANDER OFF!"

The Jet Scrander detatched from Mazinger's body and took off back toward the _Wunder_.

"That dude's crazy!" Asuka exclaimed. "He gets rid of his one advanatge?!"

"Misato, please let us attack! We can't lose Kouji!"

"No. This is Kouji's fight for now," Simon said.

"As honorable warriors, we must stay out of a fated battle such as this," Viral added.

Xengar and the others could only look on as Danube and Mazinger squared off. Which would be the stronger machine? Neo-Japanese scientist Juzo Kabuto's Mazinger Z, or the Neo-German scientist Heinrich Schtroheim's Danube Alpha-1, boosted by the eleventh-hour appearance of a mysterious Angel, codenamed Bardiel?

Mazinger Z fired off both fists, then charged forward, using the fists to grab Danube's head tentacle while it barreled into its body. But the blue robot counterattacked with a two-handed smash, then whipped its tentacle at Mazinger, sending its own Rocket Punches back at it.

While Mazinger was prone, it commenced to whip Mazinger with frightening speed.

_Damn it...it's so fast, _Kouji grunted; _it must be because its not an ordinary AI...no wonder Janus is so fast..._

The Rocket Punches returned to Mazinger's arms, and it retreated back a bit. However, the combined intelligence of Lorelei and Bardiel were right on him. The robot extended the face on its torso, which began to spin wildly, creating tornado force winds mixed with a wave of extreme cold.

"GERMAN BLIZZAAAAAAARDO!" Lorelei cried. Ice began to form all over Mazinger Z's body.

"Lorelei!" Shiro cried over the howling wind. "Please, return to your human form! Come back!"

"Lorelei, enough!" Xengar called out. "You've shown it! You've shown your superiority!"

But Lorelei could not hear him, for the Angel was gaining more and more control.

"Shinji, pretty soon the Angel's gonna snuff out poor little Lorelei," Asuka said grimly. "And then once it's done with helmet-hair..."

"You're right," Shinji said. "We have to stop Danube while Lorelei's mind is still intact...let's go, Asuka!"

The two Evangelions rushed at the Angel possessed mech. Asuka drew Unit 02's Progressive Knife, while Shinji drew Unit 01's sword. The bullets struck Danube's torso face, stopping the blizzard. As Unit 02 closed in, Danube grabbed it by the neck and unceremoniously snapped the Evangelion's neck.

"Asuka...YOU'LL PAY...FOR HURTING ASUKA!" Shinji roared.

He let out a scream of rage as he raised Unit 01's sword to attack. Danube knocked it out of the Evangelion's hands, but that didn't stop the raging Shinji, who was enraged at seeing Asuka suffer. He lashed out at the robot Lorelei was inside and struck it with a fist. It whipped its tentacle at Unit 01, and wrapped it around its body, though Shinji managed to grab hold of it and started pulling.

"LORELEI!" Shiro screamed again.

"Shinji, s-s-stop!" Kouji cried between chattering teeth.

But Shinji, lost in the heat of his rage, would not stop. Unlike the incident with Andrew Waltfield, he really DID want to destroy Danube Alpha-1. He managed to yank off the robot's head, then rushed at it, delivering a horrifically strong blow right to its remaining face, knocking it down. Unit 01 leaped on top of it, and pulled out its progressive knife, then jammed it into its chest. It cut a massive gash in its armor and then ripped it open, and then commenced to start tearing out its inner workings, oil and other liquids spewing out of it like blood.

Everyone watched, aghast at this sight. Even if it was a robot being torn apart, knowing that Lorelei, the robot who had just learned to be human, was inside. Even Puru, who had resented her for stealing Shiro's attention, couldn't control her horror at the Evangelion's brutal assault.

Shiro rushed over toward the battle, screaming and crying as loud as he could to get Shinji to stop.

But he stopped dead in his tracks as Unit 01 held up the other face. Shinji, having linked with his Evangelion deeper than ever before, was now complete consumed with wrecking his foe. He slammed the face on the ground and began to punch it over and over again, breaking the face down into chunks. Finally, it got a hold of a glowing white something with its hand and started to squeeze.

Shiro screamed as loud as he could. "STOP IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ITTT!"

* * *

_Did Lorelei survive, or did her death just become even more tragic than before? We'll find out next time! Have a Happy New Year...if you can! _


	65. Chapter 45 Nadesico

_Now that we have Code Geass out of the way for a while, let's get into some of the other plots. Today, it's all about dat Grendizer, since we really haven't seen much of them at all!_

* * *

**Chapter 45 (Nadesico) – Great Sea Monster! Defend the Floating Island!**

Things were looking up for DREAM - they had finally managed to get Britannia off their backs for the time being thanks to Zero and Euphemia, and a million Japanese now had a new home, where they could call themselves Japanese once more. Furthermore, the _Nadesico _and _Archangel_ had rejoined at long last, and with new allies to boot. There was even an upside to having the Earth Alliance as their enemy - they could finally do what their hearts told them was right, and not have any high and mighty extremist general or politician order them around.

But that wasn't all. Two other surprises awaited them.

"A new battleship, huh?" Koji exclaimed when he saw a new vessel sitting out on one of the artificial island's many ports. It was mostly blue, with a white and golden-yellow underside, where several cannons were mounted. On the front was a black section with a pair of horns; emblazoned upon it was the symbol of the Black Knights.

Rakshata, who was overseeing the preparation of the vessel, nodded proudly.

"Yes, my dear boy. Using the remains of the _Kuro _and the _Gawain_, I was able to create a new flying battleship for the Black Knights - the _Ikaruga_! It's capable of any sort of battle - space, air, and even underwater battles! It's more than the _Nadesico _and _Archangel _can say!"

Being carted over to the _Ikaruga _were the Guren, several Sutherlands, and what appeared to be a slightly bulkier version of Kyoshiro Todoh's custom Gekka. However, they all sported backpacks with four thin wings.

"Oh, and did I mention I'm working to make all of our Knightmare Frames capable of flying?" she quipped as she pointed to the Frames. "It's thanks to my Air Glide system, which is an improvement upon the Britannian's Float System! Like the _Ikaruga_, I've even given it the capability of flying in space!"

"Hey, you should work with Professor Yumi," Koji suggested. "They could use someone like you at the Photon Power Labs!"

"Sorry, kid," Rakshata said, "I'd rather work for the Black Knights. They keep things interesting for me."

* * *

Lelouch had not gotten a chance to speak with Nunnally since he had regained his memories. He felt the need to confirm Kallen's report for himself. But at the same time, he couldn't risk showing his face to her, and let her know that he was Zero. The few among the members of DREAM who did know his true identity swore to keep it a secret.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knocking on his door. He quickly put on his mask.

"The door's open. Come in," he said. The door opened.

It was as if the very thought of Nunnally had summoned her. The girl was dressed in the very outfit that Kallen had described. In addition, the girl's hair was bleached blonde, her eyes a dark pink, and she seemed ever so slightly more developed. She had a slight swagger in her hips as well. Lelouch had to resist every impulse to race up to his sister and embrace her...that would completely blow his cover.

"Nunnally Lamperouge...speak of the devil," Zero said. "I haven't gotten the chance to speak with you since the incident at Babel Tower."

"My name is Nemo," the girl said, annoyed at being called by that name; "...not Nunnally."

_Nemo...a word that means "no one", _Lelouch thought. _How ironic that she would choose that name. _

"Very well then Nemo...what do you need from me?"

"I've only come to make myself known to you, and to make one request."

"And that would be?" Zero replied.

"If you ever find a young man named Lelouch Lamperouge, tell him his sister won't be coming back anytime soon. She had exiled herself from the world of her own will."

Lelouch froze up. Did Nemo already figure out his true identity? Was she some demon who had possessed his sister's body? Or was this some aspect of Nunnally that was manifesting as an alternate personality?

Satisfied, Nemo stood up and walked towards the door, but paused at the door, turning around to look at Zero, and gave a small smile.

* * *

Tara just wanted to cry...to just collapse into a mess on the floor and start wailing in abject despair.

She had lost everything...her home, her family, and for the foreseeable future, her beloved - and yet, she still soldiered on. There was too much work to do, too much at stake for her to just lie around in her room and grieve. Tara continually told herself what Zero – or rather, Lelouch - had told her long ago...she and Janus were the glue that held DREAM together, and if they didn't fight, both worlds were on a one-way trip to hell. She had to double and redouble her efforts.

But all that only served to stress her out even more.

As she was walking down the road in the residential area of the island, watching the remaining Japanese refugees move into their new homes, she happened upon Daisuke Umon and Hikaru Makiba moving the last of their things into their own apartment.

"Oh, Tara! Good to see you," the pilot of Grendizer said; "Once we move these last few things inside, we'll have lunch." However, Daisuke seemed to have something weighing heavily on his mind as well. He lifted up a box and carried it inside.

"You're welcome to join us," Hikaru said, approaching her; "I'm whipping an old favorite of Daisuke's."

"Uh...sure, I guess," Tara replied. "Thanks."

* * *

"The reinforcements from our Gisfil outpost have arrived at our fortress, my liege," Zuril said to Emperor Vega over their communication systems. He was within an underwater fortress beneath the Pacific Ocean built by. "Now our strength is even greater than it was prior to the start of the invasion! With their forces divided, those fools who harbor Duke Fleed and the stolen UFO Robo will be unable to resist us!"

"Excellent. And what of the artificial bio-weapons?" the alien overlord asked.

"We have one of them already at full maturity," Zuril answered; "With three more close to adulthood. The sole mature one has been confirmed to be superior to the original in every way."

"Yes...to think that such a formidable creature still existed on this backwater world," Emperor Vega said thoughtfully, clasping his fingers together and chuckling. "But take no chances - send a force of Mini UFOs and Saucer Beasts to reinforce it."

"Of course, Your Highness."

"Since this creature was of your making, I'm putting you in charge of the raid. Do NOT disappoint me."

* * *

"Holy cow, you gotta show Akito the recipe for this sauce!" Tara exclaimed when she took a bite of the dish that Hikaru had prepared, fried shrimp tempura. She dipped the fried shellfish in a creamy white sauce flecked with brown bits of something. "It's heavenly! It's out of this world! It's...what IS this sauce, anyway?"

"It's a recipe handed down from generation to generation by the royal family of Fleed," Hikaru said proudly. Tara's brain stopped short when she heard the last part of the sentence, dropping her chopsticks.

"Wait...y-you ate this on your home planet, Daisuke? As in the p-planet Fleed?" Tara stammered, now worried that she had accidentally poisoned herself.

"Oh dear, I shouldn't have served you that one," Hikaru gasped. "I'm so, so, sorry!" Daisuke, on the other hand, didn't look worried.

"Hikaru...she only took the tartar sauce. I used up the last batch of Fleedian krew-mu sauce before we made the move, remember? You know how quickly it goes bad if it isn't kept cold!"

Tara sighed with relief and continued eating.

"Speaking of Fleed," Daisuke said, changing the subject. "I've been meaning to talk to the three captains about something that's been bothering me."

"What?" Tara asked after swallowing another bite of shrimp tempura.

"The Vega Empire...they dramatically reduced their activities on Earth after seizing Panama several months back," the prince of Fleed said grimly. "They could have easily continued the invasion from there...but they didn't. In fact, the Vegans had already abandoned Panama when the Earth Alliance forces arrived to take it back."

"Maybe they changed their minds about the whole invasion thing?" Tara suggested. As if to contradict her, the raid alarm started going off.

"I really need to keep my mouth shut," Tara said with a sigh.

* * *

Assembled out at the edge of Giga Float was a small army of winged warriors. Several members of the Black Knights had their Knightmare Frames equipped with the Air Glide System that Rakshata had developed; this included Kallen's Guren mk II, and the new models for Tohdoh and the Holy Swords - Akatsuki Jikisans for the former, and the unique Zangetsu for the latter. The formerly imprisoned Black Knights had been set free by Princess Euphemia to apply to the SAZ, but had been among the one million "Zeroes" who were banished from Area 11.

Also among the defenders were Mazinkaiser, Great Mazinger, Grendizer, Shin Getter, Black Getter, and Getter Q. Rounding out the group were Freedom Gundam, Harmony Gundam, Astray Red Frame, the Super Aestivalis, and of course, Lifthrasir.

"Tara, I'm detecting numerous problematic fluctuations in your brain wave patterns," Xemmey said as Tara sat down in the cockpit of Lifthrasir. "I can only conclude that your parents' deaths are weighing heavily on your mind. It isn't good for you to be piloting in this condition."

"Can it, Xemmey," Tara said stoically; "I'm doing this because I have to. If I don't...I'll..."

"Look alive, people!" Tohdoh called out. "We've got aliens headed our way."

Swooping into view was a sizable force of Vegan mini UFOs and UFO Beasts.

Meanwhile, Zero sat in the captain's chair of the _Ikaruga, _mentally preparing his strategy. His new personal Knightmare Frame was still undergoing testing, so he wouldn't be able to use it for some time yet. Of course, the rebel leader was at his best when micromanaging a battle from the rear lines rather than getting into the thick of it.

"Zero, detecting an unknown energy signature coming from the ocean...5000 and closing!"

Suddenly, out of the sea came an abomination that rivaled any Invader in ugliness - it resembled a fleshy, red jellyfish, but with a monstrous face with squinted eyes and a huge mouth. The ends of its numerous pink tentacles each consisted of the head of an aquatic dinosaur with shark-like gills on its neck. To top it all off, the peak of the main body was dotted with wicked spikes.

"What?!" Koji exclaimed. "They've really resurrected it?"

"It?" Ryoma asked, having never seen these kinds of fiends before. "You know what this thing is?"

"Dragonzaurus," Daisuke said grimly. "A fiend that gorges itself on fossil fuels like oil and natural gas. Some have dared call it divine punishment from the Earth itself, for the crime of despoiling its gifts."

"Well, we beat it before," Koji said confidently, "and we can beat it again!"

"Bwahahaha!" Zuril laughed. "You may have been able to defeat it before, but can you defeat this new breed, which was designed to be superior to the original?!"

"Geez, look at the size of that thing..." Nicol said. "From the looks of it, they're so soft, they'll absorb just about any blunt impact we can throw at them!"

"Beam weapons look to be ineffective as well," Ohgi said from the bridge of the _Ikaruga_, where he was serving as Zero's second-in-command. "It seems like we'll have to get in close with solid edged weapons or other energy weapons."

"Ready the hadron blasters! If they can bypass the barrier of EI-01, they can stop these things! Junk Guild, set Giga Float's course to full reverse; DREAMers, keep the Vega forces from reaching the island!"

With that, the mix of Gundams, Knightmare Frames and Super Robots charged forth to meet their enemy.

* * *

Rolo, Viletta, Suzaku, and several other Britannian intelligence officers sat around a conference table beneath the hall of Ashford Academy. It was a special operations room set up by the Britannian OSI to monitor Lelouch's activities on campus, as the office wanted to watch for any indication that the student had regained his memories and assumed the identity of Zero once more.

"So, what do we do now?" one of the Britannian intelligence officers said. "Zero and the Black Knights are gone."

"No - as long as Zero exists, he's a threat to Britannia and to the world," Suzaku said grimly, standing. "The only thing the Viceroy achieved was giving DREAM a mobile fortress to operate from. And since the Earth Alliance disowned them, they answer to no one but themselves."

"They also control a mass driver," Viletta added. "This gives them easy access to space, where we can't monitor their activities."

"There's gotta be a way we can stay close..." Suzaku thought.

"Are you suggesting we try to infiltrate their numbers, Suzaku?" Rolo asked coldly. "That's a rather tall order."

"I wouldn't say that. I hear that many of DREAM's top members are very trusting," Suzaku answered, wondering how he even knew that in the first place.

"Suzaku's right," Viletta said thoughtfully. "Plus, Zero doesn't hold all of the power in the group - he shares command with the captains of the _Nadesico _and _Archangel_, and if we could gain THEIR trust, he'd have no choice but to accept a mole."

"I'll go. They're less likely to be suspicious of a little kid like me," Rolo said, standing up; "Suzaku, if Lelouch asks where I went, tell him I was called back to the homeland. He might let down his guard, and we can discern whether the Lelouch that's here at Ashford when Zero is out and about is really him."

"It's settled then," Viletta said decisively, standing up. "I'll notify the OSI to modify your records so that they show that you betrayed the Empire. That will make your alibi more believable."

"Be careful, Rolo. Zero will likely try to lure you in with his ideas," Suzaku warned Rolo. "Don't fall for them - he's nothing but a terrorist and a mass murderer."

* * *

Kira couldn't believe how resilient Dragonzaurus was - even when he unleashed the Freedom's entire beam arsenal at once, they didn't so much as scratch it.

"GETTER TOMAHAWK!" Ryoma bellowed as he charged one of the Dragonzaurus with axes bared. He dodged past a tentacle, sliced off the serpent head, and then charged at the main body. To his shock, the ax failed to cut through. The beast's soft form instead hardened for a second, just long enough to resist the cutting edge of the blade.

Furthermore, the head that Ryoma had just cut off grew back in seconds. However, Black Getter was quick enough to avoid the counterattack, and retreated. The Harmony Gundam beheaded it again, then sliced the neck in twain...only for it to form into two new heads.

"Heh, the Invaders back home could learn a thing or two from these guys," Ryoma said with a chuckle. "Hey, Michiru, you remember at all how to kill these things? You said the Getter Team from this world helped defeat one." He already met and gotten to know the Michiru from this world from her time in his own world.

"We threw tanks of oil into its mouth, sliced its body open, then Mazinger Z, Getter Dragon, Grendizer and Great Mazinger combined their strongest attacks to make the oil tanks explode."

"But this world doesn't use fossil fuels for energy anymore," Kei grumbled.

"No...but we've got something even more explosive..." Koji said excitedly as the solution dawned upon him. "Hey, Zero, we got any sakuradite you can spare?"

"Not enough to kill all four if you plan to do it that way," Zero answered.

Tara, meanwhile, was fighting as hard as she could. She wasn't nearly as good in the pilot's seat as she was on a good day, and even Xemmey couldn't pick up the slack. Lifthrasir took several nasty hits from a particularly feisty Saucer Beast. Just before it could finish her off, Jiro Yamada swooped in and wiped it out of existence with a powerful Gekigan Flare, used by raising the Distortion Field on his Super Aestivalis and charging in at high speed.

"Tara, where's you passion?! Your fighting spirit?!"

"I'm fine, Gai," Tara said in an annoyed tone, still using Jiro's preferred name. What she really wanted was to tell him how upset she was, but her instinct was to hide her grief, which was getting more and more difficult to do.

A Mini UFO buzzed in and fired some beams, which Jiro quickly intercepted with his Distortion Field before firing several missiles at the enemy, shooting it down.

"Please, Tara, as your friend and fellow _Gekiganger _fan, I must ask you to..."

"No! I said I'm fine!" the Lifthrasir's pilot yelled. "Leave me alone, Yamada!" With that she sped off after the Dragonzaurus, who was drawing ever closer. She didn't see an incoming Saucer Beast, which was intercepted by Grendizer, who was flying in a rebuilt Double Spazer, with Hikaru Makiba piloting it.

"Tara, you're really out of it today," Daisuke said, concerned about his friend's welfare. "Go ahead and withdraw; I'll cover you."

"No, I can fight! Just watch...I'll take that bloated monster out in one shot!"

Tara turned and aimed her rifles at the monster's face. But Dragonzaurus spotted her and sent one of its tentacle-heads at it. She couldn't dodge quickly enough, and was caught in its jaws.

"Tara!" Daisuke cried. "DOUBLE HAKEN!"

Koji drew a pair of sickles from Grendizer's shoulders, flew toward the tentacle holding his friend and severed it with one powerful slice. Unfortunately, it had already done major damage to Lifthrasir. Luckily, the UFO Robo was able to catch the white robot as it fell, jetting away just as the head regenerated and attacked again.

"Tara, I don't know what's bothering you, but you clearly can't fight in your condition, especially at this point."

Zuril laughed wickedly as he saw DREAM's apparent inability to do more than slow down the Dragonzaurus' advance.

"Fools!" the Vegan scientist cackled. "Attempting to challenge my Dragonzaurus will do you as much good as throwing the very machines you pilot at them!"

Ironically, this taunt gave Zero an idea. He couldn't use the sakuradite fuel tanks, but he COULD use a few old Burais that still had their sakuradite cores inside. The Black Knights had switched entirely to the new Akatsukis, and were in the process of transferring their drives from the obsolete Frames.

And then there was the island's main feature - its mass driver. If it was capable of propelling a large spaceship all the way into orbit, he could only imagine what it would do if it was used as a weapon.

"Lowe Gear, is it possible to change the trajectory of the mass driver?" Zero called out to the pilot of the Astray Red Frame.

"That's a big ten-four, good buddy! It can be lowered to about ten degrees, but no lower;" Lowe replied as he sliced a Saucer Beast in two with Red Frame's katana, the Gerbera Straight. "You got a plan to scrap this overgrown jellyfish?"

"Have the crew manning the driver lower its launch angle all the way, then have them place a few of the old Yggdrassil Drives into the large, empty metal containers. Have them contact me once that's all done."

Meanwhile, the pilots of Grendizer and Double Spazer, having dropped Tara back on the island, returned to the battle.

"Zero, do you have a plan to stop the Dragonzaurus?" the Fleedian prince asked as he unleashed a Screw Pressure Punch at a pair of Mini UFOs.

"I do, and it looks like the enemy numbers have been reduced enough to try it out. I want you, Mazinkaiser, Great Mazinger and the two Getter Robos from the other world to lure that monster to the southern end of the island, where the mass driver ends. I'll order all other units to retreat to the mass driver and the residential areas."

"Understood!" Daisuke said. "Koji, Tetsuya, Ryoma, Go, it's time to end this!"

"Right-o!" Koji said excitedly.

"Roger," Go said.

"I'll follow your lead," Ryoma answered.

"I'm ready!" Tetsuya said.

The five Super Robots flew back toward Dragonzaurus, and used some weak attacks to attract its attention. Zuril watched them, wondering what they were up to, only to let his ship get struck by a few hadron blasts.

"Grrrrr...Stupid human vessel..." Zuril grumbled. "All cannons: shoot down that black-faced ship!"

His change in focus was just enough to make him lose track of Dragonzaurus. The Vega ship fired its weapons, but the _Ikaruga _blocked the shots with a red barrier much like the Guren mk II's energy claw.

"Radiant Wave Shielding is holding, captain. Keep that alien's attention. As long as we can keep his eyes on us..."

"The mass driver is all set!" said Tamaki over the communicator. "Just say the word!"

Meanwhile, the five Super Robots lured Dragonzaurus, who had taken to the air, right into the mass driver's line of fire.

"Everyone! We must keep him from moving until they launch!" Daisuke called out. "Hikaru, let's do it...SPAAACE THUNDEEEER!"

"CYCLONE BEAAAAM!"

"GETTER! BEAAAAAAAM-U!"

"THUNDER BREAK!"

"GETTEEEEEER BEEEEAAAAAM!"

The five blasts struck the monstrosity at the same point, searing its flesh and causing it to writhe, even as it remained afloat.

"Zero, we've got him held down!"

Zuril saw this, but realized that he couldn't stop what was to happen now. Instead, the Vega scientist quickly made good of his opportunity to escape, sending his battleship into a full retreat...only to take a hadron blast to his engines, sending his vessel plummeting into the sea.

"DO IT!" Zero bellowed.

"EAT IT, SLIMEBALL!" Tamaki cried as he slammed on the button to activate the mass driver. The five Super Robots scattered, leaving Dragonzaurus wounded and unable to avoid the incoming projectile.

The metal crate sped forward at incredible speeds, straight into its maw, and tried to go out the other side. But when it struck the flesh on the back of the creature's mouth, the highly unstable sakuradite within was jostled, causing the crate to detonate on impact, consuming the 550 meter behemoth instantly. The force of the explosion was enough to stop the moving island dead in its tracks.

Zero sighed with relief as everyone on the island cheered at the demise of the monster that had threatened their new home. Tamaki was particularly ecstatic...after all, he had actually defeated something without getting shot down for once, and it was the main threat, no less...

* * *

The three commanding members of DREAM agreed upon their next course of action. With Britannia no longer an immediate concern, they concluded that the invading forces from space - the Vega Empire, Protodevlin, Jovian Lizards and Zonder - were the most pressing issue. After all, if they continued to ignore them, civilization on Earth would end because of the alien invasion.

Thus, the _Archangel _and _Nadesico _would head to space, with Zero on board, where they would meet up with Macross' powerful _Battle _7starship. Meanwhile, Ohgi, with the help of Kaguya Sumeragi, the young head of the Kyoto House, would lead the Black Knights on Earth from the _Ikaruga_. The Holy Swords would remain behind to help out, while C.C., Kallen, Nemo and Tohdoh would head out into space with Zero. The other core members of DREAM could come as well - they would need all the firepower they could muster to challenge so many threats at once.

As for Tara, she, too, was ordered to head with the group out into space, even with Lifthrasir under repairs. Zero finally divulged the reason for the Lifthrasir's poor performance, and they agreed that she needed the support of her friends more than ever...and to leave her behind would invite disaster.

* * *

_Yes, ladies and germs, we're going to have the two of the Flourishing World ships head into space to meet up with the Battle 7 for some action with the series that I've been neglecting. Don't expect a whole lot of Code Geass or Gundam SEED plot for now - it's gonna be GaoGaiGar, Nadesico, Grendizer and Macross 7 plot for the next several chapters!  
_


	66. Chapter 46 Ra Calium

_Well, I guess we'll have to hold off a bit on Shin Mazinger plot, because it's time for some G Gundam plot! We're also coming up on some major Gurren Lagann events in a couple of chapters, so stay tuned!_

* * *

**Chapter 46 (Ra Calium) – Let the Finals Begin! Ominous Foes Gathering!**

It was nothing short of a miracle that Lorelei survived the wrath of Evangelion Unit 01. The agonizing scream of Kouji's little brother snapped Shinji out of his seemingly unstoppable rage a split second before he could completely crush the girl's body. While her head was completely intact, the rest of her body was severely damaged. A normal human being would have been killed from the mere shock of have all of their bones snapped at once.

As a result, the group had to stay behind for a day while Tsubasa and the others tried to locate Lorelei's blueprints amidst the ruins of the ruined castle, and Juzo did what repairs he could on her shattered body aboard the _Wunder_, while Shiro kept her still-functional head company. The scraps of Danube Alpha-1 were also gathered, and would be transported to Kamina City for reconstruction when the opportunity arose.

Shinji nervously peered into the medical ward and saw Asuka sitting up in the bed, rubbing her neck as if it was still sore.

"Asuka?"

The red-headed girl looked up and saw him peeking through the door, and jumped back into bed, covering herself in the sheets.

"Get out of here, you pervert!" she yelled; "Can't a wounded girl have a little privacy, you...you...YOU DUMBKOPF!"

Shinji, frightened out of his wits, dashed away. He happened to pass Juzo Kabuto on the way, who watched him run by on his way to get something to drink.

_That's the pilot of Evangelion Unit 01?_ Juzo thought;_ The one who tore Schtroheim's greatest creation, which even Mazinger Z could not defeat, to shreds?_

He would have to talk to Misato about this once they returned to Kurogane House.

* * *

The remaining few weeks before the Gundam Fight Finals passed without further incident. Lorelei's body was rebuilt, while Asuka recovered from her injuries.

Even so, Team Dai-Gurren would frequently look up toward the heavens during that time, to watch for signs of the moon beginning to fall. They received no word from Harry regarding that either. Was the Anti-Spiral bluffing? Or was there something they hadn't anticipated? Lordgenome checked the city's growing population - there were still only about five million people present in Neo-Hong Kong, only halfway to the ten million needed to trigger the moon's fall, but more and more people were trickling in every day.

Meanwhile, Londo Bell awaited word of Neo-Zeon's next move. Surely Fifth Luna wouldn't be their last attempt at dropping a colony onto the Earth - after all, Amuro suspected Char would try something during the Gundam Fight Finals. The question was when.

There were rebels hiding on Axis to consider as well. Would the Turn X be involved in this battle? This worried Loran to no end.

But it wasn't long before the hype over the Finals began to grip even the most worried and vigilant members of DREAM, especially on the opening day of the Finals. The vast majority of DREAM were rooting for the five members of the Shuffle Alliance, but Lorelei was rooting for someone completely outside their group - Gundam Spiegel of Neo-Germany, her own homeland. No one held that against her of course, especially since Schwarz Bruder, according to Domon, had helped him and Janus.

DREAM's forces, in order to best watch for an attack, split up into several groups - one group stayed at Kurogane House, two watched from the skies aboard the _Ra Calium _and _Wunder_, while a fourth watched from the streets of Neo Hong Kong itself.

Janus and Xengar were with the fourth group, along with Masato, Miku, Rain and the rest of Neo Japan's ground crew.

"Here he comes! Here comes Domon!" Miku called out excitedly as God Gundam passed by.

"Oh...excuse me," someone said from behind them. "Are you from Neo-Japan as well?" The four turned around and saw a young man about Janus' age with wild unkempt hair, a red shirt and red shorts, making him look like he had just come back from soccer practice.

"Oh, yeah," Masato said. "You're in time to see God Gundam pass by. Here, have a look!" The young man nodded gratefully and squeezed his way into the front where he could get a good look at the towering God Gundam.

"Impressive. It's quite a machine," the young man commented. "You know its pilot?"

"Yeah," Janus answered. "We're pretty tight with Domon Kasshu, actually. If you'd like, I can introduce you to him once the ceremony is over."

"I heard he's staying at Kurogane House," the young man then said. "I was hoping to stay there as well, but it seems every room is full."

"Wait...didn't Allenby just move out?" Masato chimed in. "Yeah, I think she just moved to where the rest of her staff was staying."

"Indeed, if you need a place to stay," Xengar said. "Kurogane House is a fine establishment Let me just make your reservation."

"You're too kind, sir...oh, and you'll probably be needing my name," the young man said.

"Hello, Mistress? This is Xengar. I'm calling on behalf of a...tell me your name?"

"My name...it's Akira Hibiki."

* * *

Suddenly, a small explosion rocked the stadium, but it was one too small to do any real harm. From out of the water rose a familiar Gundam - Gundam Spiegel.

Watching the opening ceremony on the television from Kurogane House were Kouji, Shiro, Lorelei, Tsubasa, the Combattler team and the Voltes team.

"Yay! It's Schwarz! It's Schwarz!" Lorelei cheered. "He made it!"

Just then, riding astride a massive robot horse came Master Gundam, with Master Asia, the reigning champion, piloting it.

Domon could immediately tell that this was the real deal. The one he had defeated back in the Guyana Highlands - even when made of DG Cells, its energy and fighting spirit couldn't compare to the aura being given off by this fighter.

However, everyone else was shocked to see that the man had survived. The Gundam raised its hands as if to silence the crowd.

"Gundam Fighters of the Earth Sphere, I welcome you and congratulate you for making it this far!" he declared. "In this 13th Gundam Fight, each of you will fight each other in preliminary matches to determine who among you are the strongest. The fighters with the most wins will go onto the Battle Royale on Lantau Island."

"However...as the reigning champion and the most experience Fighter around, I'll be waiting there for all of you..."

Master Gundam clenched its fist.

"...Waiting to crush you! I will finally be...the ultimate champion - the Undefeated of the East, West, South, North and Center; I will become SUPER ASIA, AND BE CHAMPION OF ALL! HAAAAH-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Man, I'm hungry again," Daisuku groaned.

"Yeah, I bet," Ippei quipped. "Because this guy's a regular ham and cheese sandwich!"

Everyone else in the room groaned.

"If that's so," Domon answered, "then I make a declaration as well! I declare right here and now that I will win ALL of my preliminary matches, all to just to face you!"

The crowd and other Gundam Fighters let out a gasp at the bravado of this remark and began to stir again. But they soon quieted down as the roof of a small building opened up and an ornate chair, occupied by Wong Yunfat himself, rose out of it.

"Now, now, everyone...these ceremonies are all about harmony and unity!" he said. "Save your energy for the upcoming matches, especially since you'll have to play by three new rules."

"New rules?!" Kenichi exclaimed. "This Wong has got some nerve!"

"Except he kinda rules the Earth Federation right now," Tsubasa replied. "At least politically. He has been awfully hands-off about his governing, though."

"First! The Gundam used may be repaired, reconstructed and replaced without being disqualified!" Wong declared. No one in DREAM saw any problem with this.

"Second...the cockpit of an opponent's Gundam may be targeted!"

"Whoa! That means..." Hyoma exclaimed.

"...These matches could be fights to the death!" Kosuke added. "This guy is crazy!"

"The final rule is this..." Wong concluded; "The remaining survivor of the Battle Royale shall be given the title 'Gundam of Gundams' on top of their country being given the right to rule the Earth Federation!"

The crowd cheered at this statement. Of course, DREAM wasn't amused by some silly title. They all immediately began to suspect this man was up to something.

"And to commemorate these opening ceremonies, I invite Neo-Hong Kong's Master Gundam and Neo-Japan's God Gundam to demonstrate their abilities!"

Master Gundam and God Gundam stepped forward into the center of the field, just in time to spot a massive Threshold opening up before them - and from it came a medium-sized force of Arubboth angels, now an even mix of Principalities, Virtues, and Powers. Also, two new sorts of angels were among them.

But before the crowd could panic, Wong Yunfat raised his hands.

"Worry not, people. Whoever had sent these intruders has picked the worst possible time to attack - after all, we have the best of the best assembled here at this very stadium!"

"Those are...Arubboth troops!" Masato exclaimed. "Guys, we gotta get to the ships!"

Janus turned to Akira. "You get to safety. We're going to help the Gundams hold off this menace!"

Akira nodded, but had no intention of running away. Not when these were the very enemies that Raideen had so much experience fighting...

Meanwhile, the Shuffle Alliance assembled around Domon and Master Asia.

"Master Asia, is this your doing?!" Domon said accusingly. The old martial artist, however, was just as surprised as Domon was. He had not expected any enemy like this.

"No. I would not use outside forces to defeat you, my pupil." Master Asia answered. "But we must protect the this city - so for now, I ask you put aside your hatred and work together with me!"

Domon sighed.

"Fine - but only because we have a common enemy before us right now."

* * *

The amethyst Raphael and the ruby Uriel watched as the assembled Arubboth force began to close in on Neo Hong Kong. It had been a long time since they had acted directly, but with these destruction of Bardiel, they were convinced that direct action was required.

However, they were soon joined by a third commander - an angel similar to the other two, but with light emerald skin and dark purple hair - not to mention that this was a female, albeit with modest assets; In one hand she carried a sword - in the other, she carried a bouquet of lilies.

"Gabriel, you have come," Uriel said to the newcomer. "It is rare that all three of us would be asked to oversee the same operation."

"Our leader has told us that since HE has obtained his second pair of wings, he will prove to be an obstruction to his plans," Gabriel replied; "Not to mention that the Legacy of Mu is present as well...who completely trounced you, if I so recall."

"You have forgotten so soon, Gabriel?" Raphael scolded; "That machine is powered by Mutron Energy, which was able to even defeat our leader, who is one with God!"

"I remember...but our leader only lost because he had just cast off his weak side and was still adjusting to his new form. It was prudent of him to send all three of us. Come, let us meet our foe."

The three commanders followed their troops in to meet the forces of DREAM, as well as the representative Gundams...

* * *

"Is that best you can do, winged ones?!" Master Asia laughed as he struck down a Virtue with his Gundam's beam cloth. "You can't hope to defeat Tohou Fuhai with those weak moves!"These were not the warriors of Zohar; that much Master Asia knew. And even if they were ultimately on his side, he had to protect Neo Hong Kong - at least long enough for his plan to go through.

But the old man also couldn't help but marvel at Wong's ability to keep the crowd in line - there was no panic to flee the stadium. Indeed, it was as if he had convinced them that this was all part of the show.

He saw a Principality dart by, followed close behind by God Gundam, who intercepted it.

"GOD SLASH!" Domon cried as he drew his new Gundam's beam saber. He sliced the Principality into bits, which dissipated on the wind.

Master Asia sensed that his pupil's time in the Guyana Highlands wasn't wasted. His mind was more at ease, his rage under complete control. Surely he would be a worthy opponent now...all that remained was to teach him the final secret technique - the Sekiha Tenkyoken.

But he'd have to see Domon keep his word about winning all of his matches - and to do that, this enemy had to be repelled.

* * *

Janus cut down a pair of Virtues and Powers with Granlif's Gran Claymore, then turned to face his next opponent. He recognized Raphael, but not Gabriel or Uriel...but they recognized him. All three had their swords drawn as they rushed in. Janus was barely able to avoid two of them, and parry the third.

"Well, well, if it isn't the thorn in our leader's side," Gabriel said with a small giggle.

"You...you're all Arubboth's generals, aren't you?!" Janus yelled. "Looks like you've saved me the trouble of hunting you down one at a time! Maybe I can get all the answers out of you at once!"

Janus concentrated and activated his _meikyo shisui _power, boosting Granlif's power dramatically. With incredible speed, the white robot lashed out at the three Arubboth commanders, who dodged quickly.

"Ah, impressive. I think this is going to be fun!" Gabriel said excitedly, even though her expression did not change.

"We can't afford to waste time," Raphael grumbled. He saw Granlif unleash a small swarm of Gran Bits

"Come now, it's been so long since we've fought together as a team," Uriel said as he dodged several of them. "We should enjoy it."

* * *

Meanwhile, Combattler V and Voltes V confronted a pair of new angels - creatures with the wings of eagles, the bodies of lions, and the faces of humans, wearing crowns of blue and gold.

"Heh, I've never seen these kinds before," Hyoma said. "They look way stronger than any of the others we've fought so far."

"But they're no match for our Super Electromagnetic Power!" Kenichi said. "Hyoma, let's try out those new techniques we were working on in the Guyana Highlands!

"Right!" Hyoma called back. "Everyone, prepare to initiate Grandasher!"

"Got it!" the rest of the team declared.

"Gran Light Wave, fire!" Hyoma cried. Combattler fired a flattened beam of energy that looked like a wide track that struck one of the new angels, a Cherub, dead on. Combattler then changed its shape slightly, forming into a sort of high speed land vehicle that sped along the track of light it had created.

"GRANDASHER!"

Combattler collided with the Cherub, breaking it in two while it continued to form track beneath it.

"CHOUDENJI...BAAAAAAAALLLLL!"

Voltes raised its sword and launched a ball of Super Electromagnetic energy, paralyzing it on the spot. It then flew over to Combattle, and landed on top of it.

"Hyoma, lets take out this other one together!" Kenichi called out.

"Right!"

"GRANDASHER!"

"SWOOOOOOOOOOOORD-O!"

Hyoma struck the Cherub dead on, but sent it spiraling upward. Voltes flew up after it, and sliced it in two.

"Awesome! It worked perfectly!" Hyoma cheered. "Now we're really gonna kick some ass!"

* * *

Janus felt it coming on - that gut-wrenching sensation, like he were about to throw up the entire contents of his stomach. He had been fighting for a long time in his powered-up, _meikyo shisui _state, but couldn't maintain it for much longer without succumbing to Spiral Poisoning. He had landed a few good hits on the trio of generals, but that was all - he couldn't defeat them all single-handed, even with his power boost. He had to let it out for now. His mind raced as to what the solution was...

"Janus!" Simon called out. "Calm down...take a deep breath and just exhale!"

"Now is not the time..." Janus said, feeling his heart race.

"Do you want to suffer Spiral Poisoning again?!" Viral yelled.

Closing his eyes, Janus mentally forced open the valves that held the power inside, but kept them as wide open as he could to reduce the amount of "pressure" that the flow of energy had. The energy gushed out slowly like water from a faucet, and back into the air. Granlif emitted a golden steam as Janus released this energy.

"Is that it?" Gabriel said with some disappointment as the three angel commanders retreated a short distance from the heavily panting Janus. "You've reached your limit?"

"Yes, you've given the three of us quite a workout," Uriel added. "However, we cannot afford to let you live a moment longer. Now, witness the combined wrath of Arubboth's three High Seraphim, for it shall be the last thing you shall ever witness before your corrupted soul is extinguished...you and the Spiral Warrior!"

Janus was at his limit now. He could only watch helplessly as the three Arubboth generals assembled in a circle around and him, and charged their weapons with energy. The energy arced between them, combining into one devastating energy blade that hovered over his head.

But before Simon could act, something else rushed in blazing fast, knocking Uriel off balance and disrupting the attack, causing the energy blade to dissipate.

"So, the Legacy of Mu continued to get our way," Uriel scowled as the thing that had disrupted him became obvious - Raideen.

"Are you alright?" the voice of Akira Hibiki called out to Granlif's pilot.

"What the?! Akira?!" Janus exclaimed. "You know these guys too?"

"We can discuss that later...I must take care of these winged intruders! Simon the Digger...accompany your friend to safety!"

With that, Raideen turned toward the three generals and opened its mouth, as well as several small hatches on its body. Simon, sensing that a huge attack was coming, quickly sped away, with Janus at his heels.

"You'd use THAT, Legacy of Mu?" Raphael said; "Even though it eats away at your very soul?!"

"I will not allow your plans to succeed!" Akira cried. "GOD...VOIIIIIIIIIIIICE!"

Energy started crackling over Raideen. The angels quickly assembled and charged in simultaneously, hoping to stop the attack.

"GOD...RA-MUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

Raideen let out a sound that was as pure and crisp as anything ever heard before, but impossible to describe - but it was surely the sound of destructive power. Like Mic Sounders' Disc X, it caused vibrations right on the atomic level, but unlike the former, it would affect anything in its path. The trio of Arubboth Generals were caught inside the waves of energy, which immediately began to disrupt their bodies' ability to even hold together.

"Cursed...Legacy of Mu..." Uriel grunted. "We must retreat..."

The other three nodded, and disappeared into Thresholds to escape the almighty God Voice. Only when the three had fled, did Akira let up on the attack. But it had taken a heavy toll on his body - he was bleeding out of his ears and mouth, while the rest of his body felt like it was about to burst into flame. Even his very soul was weakened.

Raideen switched to autopilot mode and took Akira safely out of the battle.

* * *

The battle was over, and the victorious members of DREAM returned to Kurogane House for a much deserved rest.

Simon relaxed in one of the private baths, considering the situation. With Arubboth, who appeared to have the same goals as the Anti-Spiral, having taken direct action, he had a feeling that the Human Extermination System's activation was all but imminent.

It became even more obvious when he heard someone warp into the room. It was Nia, still under the control of the Anti-Spiral.

"As promised, I have returned, now that the moon is ready to fall," the Anti-Spiral agent said emotionlessly.

"Funny how you chose to barge in on me while I'm taking a bath," Simon said nonchalantly. "I suppose you've come to taunt me some more, and tell me how it's useless to fight back?"

"Actually, I have come to make you an offer. The Anti-Spiral know that you, of all people, will understand why we considering humanity a threat to the infinite realities."

"Try me."

Nia's eyes suddenly flashed, and Simon suddenly felt a sensation of vertigo. He found himself floating out in space, except he had no space suit (and indeed, nothing but soap bubbles to conceal his private regions). He saw Nia disappear before his eyes, leaving him alone in the illusory void.

"Warrior of the Spiral, I come to you to deliver this word of warning;" a voice came out from the void. "It is a warning for you to cease following the path of evolution. If you do not heed my words, you place the infinite realities on the road to self-obliteration."

"Says you."

"Then allow me to explain...the human being is a life form that is unlike any other. Though they are weak, they have the potential to break past all limitations, to do what should be impossible in order to complete their goals. It is thanks to Spiral Power and other energies that they can achieve this."

"Yeah, so what's the big deal?"

"By accumulating more and more power, you humans will gather more and more energy into yourselves."

Suddenly, Simon felt something begin to fill him up, as an unimaginably extreme pressure began to fill him. His body began to pulse, and his veins began to throb as the uncontrollable sensation filled him.

"All of the infinite realities will be drawn into you, creating a dimensional anomaly beyond your control that will consume everything..."

Simon felt an even greater influx of energy enter him - so great and so forceful he felt himself ready to suffocate, if his entire body didn't explode first.

"...The 'Spiral Nemesis'."

Suddenly, Simon was back to normal, having grasped what he had just seen all too well.

"Now, you probably wish to stop this from happening, do you not?" the voice said. Simon nodded.

"Then you have but one option. Betray your kind. Exterminate the human race of this world."

"In exchange, you and I can be together again," Nia said, suddenly reappearing right behind Simon and embracing him. "We shall serve as agents of the Anti-Spiral together, preserving the infinite realities from any who would threaten them, and otherwise live in eternal bliss and peace."

For a moment, Simon's mind was filled with doubt. He felt Nia's body against his - she was real, all right.

And then, that reminded him why he couldn't do this. In an act that was the hardest thing he had ever done, he extracted himself from Nia's hug and pushed her away.

"You've got a lot of nerve, using Nia to play with my emotions like that. That just pisses me off even more!"

"I see your mind has not changed. Very well. The Human Extermination System will be your end. It is only a matter of time now. Farewell, Simon."

Without another word, Nia dissolved into the air.

* * *

"Lord Char, preparations are complete," a Zeon soldier said over the video communication line; "We're ready to initiate the process of moving Axis into position whenever you are ready."

"Excellent," Char replied. "Start the process now. It's a long journey back to Earth, and we'll need every spare moment if we want to get Axis into position on schedule."

"Understood," the soldier answered with a salute. "Hail Neo Zeon!" The video line disconnected, leaving Char and Haman alone.

"I'm glad to see you've resolved to doing this," Haman said. "Making mankind leave the Earth will allow it to heal, and enable every member of our species to become Newtypes. Did something I say resonate with you?"

"Perhaps...anyway, it's odd how we discovered that untapped energy source in the very heart of Axis not too long ago, right after the Federation rejected our offers to purchase fuel for Axis' engines. I'm amazed it never showed up in any of our scans."

"I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, Char Aznable," Haman chuckled. "But maybe...just maybe...the cosmos desires our victory."

Char chuckled as well. It was a funny thought, yet an enticing one as well.

* * *

_And finally, Raideen decides to stop messing around and join up...maybe. Meanwhile, the Anti Spiral and Neo Zeon are preparing to make their moves...but what is this new energy source that appeared on Axis? Stay tuned! Until next time, readers! _


	67. Chapter 46 Nadesico

_Okay, it's time for a little Gundam SEED filler, because there's a few things I wanted to get out of the way plot-wise, and write out a couple of scenes that I've been meaning to do as well.  
_

* * *

**Chapter 46 (Nadesico) – In the Name of Justice! Journey Into Space Begins!**

Eye Primeval wondered just what she had gotten herself into, and started to regret choosing this manner of capturing the one HE wanted. She, one of the 31 Machine Primevals, bringers of mechanization to the universe, was now scrubbing her intended target down in a bathtub, having been hired by Prince Clovis as one of the purple-haired knights' personal attendants. Trying to take her as a host would just anger their prospective ally, and abandoning her now was out of the question as well.

Perhaps infecting her with Zonder Metal temporarily would be a good tactic. After all, if that being was as powerful as he said he was, he could easily remove it.

"Miss Tahra," Eye said; "Does anything bother you at all? Is there anything you wish was better about your life?" She carefully extracted a hunk of Zonder Metal from within her robe.

Tahra thought about this for a moment.

"I can't say there's anything that bothers me. I'm happy where I am."

"Surely there must be something that gives you Minus Thoughts," Eye replied.

"Minus thoughts?" Tahra said, befuddled by the girl's choice of words; "What do you mean by that, Aira?"

Eye realized that she couldn't keep up this charade any longer. Quickly she jammed the Zonder Metal in Tahra's face, and it grabbed her like a face-hugging alien from a horror science fiction movie.

But to her shock, Tahra resisted the takeover. She was able to stand up, yank the Zonder Metal off her face and throw it aside, where it smashed to pieces on the ground, as if it were mere glass. Without a second thought, the Knight grabbed her special dagger and jammed it into her would-be assassin's chest. Eye writhed in pain for several seconds as an energy she had never felt before pulsed into her. Her host body perished and her Zonder Core went dormant, turning into what appeared to be a piece of some gigantic orb, as part of some three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle.

_What on Earth just happened, _Tahra thought, frightened by this sudden occurrence; _that woman...I...turned her into..._

"I think I need to lie down with Clovis for a bit," the Knight of Eleven said. There was no blood, no gore of any kind. The woman might as well have never existed. She could just tell Clovis the truth (for all she knew, anyway) – that the girl had been an assassin and tried to kill her.

Of course, she had no other clue of Aira's true nature, nor to her own...

* * *

The day before the departure for space was already getting interesting - a Britannian Knightmare Frame was spotted flying straight for Giga Float, but apparently had no intention of attacking, but merely wished to speak with Zero. Its pilot was escorted by a pair of armed guards right to Zero's office.

Lelouch was unnerved to see who had arrived at his door while he was discussing plans with Yurika and Murrue - Rolo Lamperouge, his so-called "little brother". Almost immediately he wondered what Britannia was up to. Why would they be so brazen as to send the very boy who had been spying on him at school his way? Did Suzaku suspect he had regained his memories?

"Zero, Captains - we found this boy piloting a Knightmare Frame over our air space," a Black Knight said; "He was flying a white flag, and asked to meet with you. He says he has some important information that our organization would find useful."

"Did you search him?" the masked commander asked.

"We did. He had no weapons on his person," the other guard answered. "His Knightmare Frame's cockpit had none either."

"Step forward, then," Zero commanded. Rolo did so, carrying a small sheaf of papers in one hand.

"Zero, I-I heard about your exploits, and i-it made me realize what's wrong with the world. I'd like to join your group. As you can probably tell, I can pilot a Knightmare."

"What about those papers you have?" Murrue asked. "Let's have a look at them." Rolo nodded and handed one of the guards the papers, who then handed them to the _Archangel_'s captain. After giving them a quick skim, she handed them to Zero to look over as well.

_OSI papers...they look real all right, _Lelouch thought; _But if he's really working for them, this could just be false information. _

"And you're willing to betray the one of the mightiest nations in the Earth Sphere just for a chance to join our little band?" Zero asked. Rolo nodded.

"Fine. But until we can verify your story, we're keeping you locked up. I take it neither of you have a problem with this?"

"He's just a kid, though," Yurika protested. "Can't we put a little more trust in him?"

"Sorry, Captain Misumaru, but I'm inclined to agree with Zero," Murrue answered. "If this young boy was able to get information out of the the highly organized OSI and take a Knightmare Frame from the Britannian armories, there's no telling what he could do to a small group like us. However, if we can determine the truth of his words, we can let him join."

Rolo sighed with relief. It was a small bump in the road, but once they had pulled up the falsified documents, he'd be in the clear.

"Men, take him to the prison...and keep him blindfolded until you arrive there," Zero ordered. "We can't have him seeing more than he has to before we approve him. I'll decide what to do with him in the meantime."

* * *

"Lacus, assisting spies?!" Athrun exclaimed; "That's impossible!" when he heard the news from his father about the Freedom and Harmony Gundams being stolen.

Patrick Zala calmly turned and pressed a button on a remote, revealing a screen on the far wall. Footage from a security camera began to play, showing Lacus and Kira near the Freedom, as well as Nicol. However, the green-haired Coordinator was in front of Lacus and thus couldn't be seen from this angle.

"Believe what you will...but these are the facts," Athrun's father said grimly; "Do you truly think we'd lay such heavy accusations on someone like her without concrete evidence to support them?"

Athrun couldn't deny it. Without a doubt, the person in the footage was Lacus. Kira's back was to the camera, so he didn't recognize him.

"As of this moment, Lacus Clyne is no longer your fiancee," Patrick continued. "And while there's been no official announcement yet, she has is now a fugitive, charged with treason...as for you, your next mission is to retrieve the X10A Freedom and X14A Harmony."

Athrun nodded and let his father continue.

"To that end, you will receive the X09A Justice at the arsenal, and will deploy once preparations are complete. Find the pilots and kill them, and all who are associated with them - in all likelihood, it is DREAM, led by our ally Britannia's greatest foe, Zero."

"The X10A Freedom, X09A Justice and X14A Harmony are all equipped with Neutron Jammer Cancellers."

"Neutron Jammer Cancelers?!" Athrun exclaimed in shock.

"Yes. If the Earth Alliance were to get their hands on such things," Patrick answered; "Another Bloody Valentine would surely occur. If you cannot take back the Freedom and Harmony...destroy them!"

* * *

Rolo sat quietly in the prison hold of the _Ikaruga, _which was being prepared to take off into space for the first time as its maiden voyage. To his surprise, though, he had a guest, in spite of no one else being told of his appearance.

"Well, well, if it isn't little Rolo," a voice Rolo couldn't believe he was hearing said from nearby. He looked up and saw, of all people, Nemo. Furthermore, he noticed that she was inhabiting the body of Lelouch's younger sister Nunnally...or at least someone who resembled her, based on images he had seen.

"N-Nemo?! What are you doing working with Zero?! And...that body..."

"What I'd like to know is why those idiots at the OSI sent you," Nemo said, mocking Rolo. The young man winced a bit, remembering the sting of the C.C. clone's sharp tongue all too well.

"Oh, it doesn't matter. I suspect that even if Zero sees you for who you truly are, he'll make use of you. That's just the way he is. Of course, you're going to have to compete with me. After all, I AM Lelouch's one and only younger sibling, while you're a fake...an imposter!"

Rolo froze up. Why was Nemo telling him all this? How did she know about the fact that he was pretending to be Lelouch's sibling? And why did being reminded it was a fake relationship hurt him so much?

Seeing that she had gotten her point across, Nemo blew Rolo a kiss, and then walked away. As she exited the jail, Zero stood before her.

"How did it go?" he asked.

"I told him everything you wanted me to tell him, and from what I could tell, he ate it all up."

"Good. I suggest you start making preparations for our trip to space. We're launching at 1000 hours tomorrow."

Nemo smiled and started back down the hallway. As he walked away, Lelouch couldn't help but shudder a bit. Talking with Nemo was incredibly unnerving, especially since she was using his little sister's body and voice to communicate.

He needed to talk to C.C. about this - she always had words of reassurance for him at times like these.

* * *

Everyone in DREAM felt bad about Tara's devastating loss. The orphans among the group knew all too well the pain she going through, and those who still had their families could only imagine the suffering. As she went about her day, people passed by, giving her their condolences and telling her it was okay to cry. But even so, she continued to hide her grief, refusing to display any sign of sadness, but as time went by it became harder and harder to do it.

Tara passed an open window on the way back to her room, and heard piano music coming from within. It was a sweet, gentle tune that somehow put her mind at ease, played by a very skilled pianist, no doubt. She approached the door of the apartment, and knocked on it. After a minute or two, the music stopped and the door opened up.

It was Nicol Amalfi, the pilot of the Harmony Gundam.

"Oh, hello," Nicol said pleasantly. "I take it you're a fellow DREAMer, are you?"

Tara nodded with an awkward smile.

"I'm Nicol Amalfi," the green-haired Coordinator said in introduction. "I used to be with ZAFT, but now I'm with you guys. Come on in, I'm making some hot drinks for me and a few guests, but I'm always in the mood for more company. I don't know most of the people in this group, to be honest."

"Tea...sure..." Tara said nervously. She followed Nicol inside, and saw Kira, Sai and Mirallia in there as well. The apartment was modest. Near the back wall was a small, but fully-functional piano, while the three _Archangel _crew members sat around a low, Japanese-style table.

"Hi, Tara," Kira said. "Glad you could join us. Nicol's doing a little private concert for us."

"Want some coffee? Or tea?" Sai asked. "You gotta try this Genmaicha tea, it's amazing!"

_That was...Mom's favorite kind_, Tara thought. A tear ran down one of her cheeks, which she quickly wiped away.

"I'm sorry," she said; "I got something in my eye." She sat down at the low table. "I'll have some of that Genmaicha, I guess." Sai handed her a small teapot, and she poured herself a cup.

"So, I guess I'll take some requests, if you have any," Nicol then said. Immediately, a song popped into Tara's mind...one her father always liked to listen to and play...or at least try to. He never had the endurance to play it all the way through.

"Piano Concerto No. 3 Rondo by Jahn Feld," she said.

"Wow, and I was expecting a Fire Bomber piece," Mirallia said, surprised. "I didn't know you were into classical music, too."

"Oh, I'm a fan of Feld's work, too!" Nicol said with some surprise. "I was actually planning on playing that particular number at a piano concert. I think I've got it down perfectly...listen."

Nicol turned back to the piano and began to play, relying entirely on memory rather than sheet music. Tara imagined her father sitting there, doing everything the green-haired Coordinator was doing. But as the song wore on, her memory assumed that the song would slow down, a sign of her father getting tired. Yet Nicol kept right on going as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

_Yes, papa...yes, _Tara thought as tears started to run down her cheeks again; _I'm finally hearing it as you always heard it...as you wanted to play it! Papa...Mama...I..._

Right as Nicol finished the piece, Tara buried her face in her hands and began to cry and sob, all of her grief pouring out at once, unable to be contained any longer. After several minutes of this, Tara finally began to compose herself as she stood up.

"I'm sorry...I must look like such a..."

"No, no, it's alright!" Sai said. Mirallia nodded, got up and gave a friendly hug.

"Yeah...go ahead. Just let it all out."

Tara sobbed more - but not merely in grief, but also in gratitude for all the people that were supporting her.

* * *

The day of the launch had arrived. The_ Ikaruga, Nadesico_, and _Archangel, _each loaded with the mechs of the various members of DREAM that were going along for the trip, sat at the end of the three-lane mass driver.

"Attention all crew and pilots," Ruri called out over the ship-wide communicator; "We will be launching in T-minus two minutes - assume launch positions and stand by."

Tara, Jiro and Akito hurried over to the area where the crews of the ship would sit during launch.

"Tara, I see your passion has returned!" Jiro said happily as they reached the launch room. "Has the burden that kept you down been cast aside?"

"Yeah," Tara replied contentedly. "I remembered that episode of _Gekiganger 3_ where Joe died. Ken had trouble piloting because he was trying too hard to keep himself from breaking down emotionally. Only when he accepted his grief did he have the strength to fight again. The same thing happened to me...but I won't forget them; I'll fight for the future they wanted for me."

"Spoken like a true _Gekiganger _fan!" Jiro said as they went inside.

The three sat down near several other crew members and hooked themselves into seat belts, with little time to spare.

"Attention," Ruri said again. "We will be launching in 8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1..."

Everyone was pushed hard back in their seats as the _Nadesico _lurched forward, the mass driver pulling them along at incredible speeds. The ship's engines started up and continued to accelerate the vessel into the upper atmosphere and into orbit. The _Ikaruga _and _Archangel _followed close behind.

It was only a few minutes before the three ships reached orbit, and with no Big Barrier to stop them. The ships came to a stop just as a massive golden-colored space station came into view.

"Attention, everyone!" Yurika announced. "We'll be docking at GGG Orbital Base before we begin the next leg of our journey!"

* * *

Athrun arrived at an abandoned concert hall. As soon as he entered, he heard a heavenly voice, barely audible, coming from further inside. No mistake - it was Lacus, and she was singing a song that he had never heard before. He followed the voice to the theater proper.

Sure enough, his ex-fiancee was standing on the stage, singing. All three spotlights were on her, and she sat on a chunk of rubble in the center. As Athrun approached the stage, Lacus stopped singing.

"Athrun...I knew you'd come. It's because you heard what happened, right?"

Athrun leaped onto the stage, gun trained on Lacus' heart. The singer's pink Haro rolled out into the open and started hopping up and down.

"I WON'T ACCEPT IT! I WON'T ACCEPT IT!"

"Is it true? You assisted a spy?" Athrun said angrily. WHY?!"

"I assisted no spy," Lacus replied calmly. "All I did was give your friends Kira and Nicol new swords."

Athrun gasped in shock at this statement, but shook it off and pointed his gun more aggressively at her.

"No! I can't believe it!" he cried; "You're telling me they're alive?! No...there's no way either of them could be!"

"A Junker named Lowe Gear brought them to Reverend Malchio and I," Lacus explained; "After they recovered, Kira told me that you two fought, and came very close to killing each other - because he had supposedly killed Nicol, and because you killed his friend Tolle. Am I wrong?"

Athrun was sure of it. He had watched Kira kill Nicol, while he had finished off the Strike by self-destructing the Aegis.

"Tell me, Athrun...what is your true reason for fighting?" Do you do it for glory? For prestige? Or simply because your father orders you to?"

Lacus got to her feet and approached Athrun.

"If you fight because of your father's will, then that makes Kira your enemy.

She lifted the barrel of the gun and pressed it against her forehead.

"And it makes us enemies. So, will you shoot me?"

"Lacus..." Athrun gasped, terrified at the prospect of killing Lacus, who he still cared for deeply. The singer, on the other hand, didn't care if Athrun shot her or not, as long as he truly believed it was the right decision. She couldn't hold THAT against him.

"Shoot me, if I'm your enemy...Athrun Zala of ZAFT."

Suddenly, the doors opened, and numerous men in black suits and sunglasses, each armed with the same time of gun Athrun was, rushed in and surrounded the stage.

"Good job, Athrun Zala. You saved us a lot of trouble tracking her down," one of the agents said.

"What? That's...that's not right!" Athrun cried.

"Please, step away from her," the agent warned. "She's a fugitive charged with treason. We will shoot to kill if necessary."

Athrun aimed his gun at the agent addressing him. Even if she was the enemy, he wouldn't let them kill her.

Suddenly, a red, gold and pink blur dashed about the room, knocking out each of the men in black as it passed. Even Athrun's improved senses had difficulty keeping up with this strange newcomer.

Finally, the blur skidded to a stop. It was a woman with pinkish red, flared up hair with two locks hovering in mid-air; cybernetic locks hanging down the sides of her head; a pink coat with some sort of unusual device underneath; a maroon and pink leotard, gold-colored metal boots and a gold-colored cybernetic arm with a green stone attached to it - a G-Stone.

"Are you all right, Miss Clyne?" the cyborg woman asked.

"Thank you, Miss Shishioh," Lacus said, bowing respectfully. "And thank you for not killing these men."

"Please, call me Renais. We should go before these men come around."

"What about Reverend Malchio?" Lacus asked, a worried look on her face.

"He is safe, thanks to DaCosta," Renais replied with a smile. Lacus smiled again, and then turned to Athrun. Renais put her hand up to her ear, as if she had received a call from someone.

"Kira and Nicol are on Earth," the singer suggested. "Why don't you go..."

"Actually," Renais interrupted, "I just received word from my cousin that the _Archangel, Nadesico _and a new vessel have just docked at GGG's Orbit Base."

"That makes it even easier!" Lacus said, clapping her hands. "If you wish to speak with Kira, go there. I'm sure you two have much to discuss."

* * *

Flay couldn't believe her predicament. All because of a moment of hesitation, she was now a prisoner of ZAFT. Oddly, she was never thrown into a prison cell once. Instead, she was sitting around in a comfortable room on a ZAFT submarine, used by the masked man who had kidnapped her.

Suddenly, the door opened, and the masked man in question, Rau le Creuset, stepped inside. Flay drew the gun on him, but he didn't flinch at all.

"A battle is about to start. Would you like to observe?"

He sat down at his desk without even so much as glancing at her.

"I'm sorry that I have to drag you around all over the place. It's just my orders...it can't be helped."

"Why did you kidnap me?" Flay demanded, her arms quaking.

"For all the world knows, you're dead, Flay Allster. Whether I had shot you or left you there, you would have been cooked alive by the Cyclops System."

Flay held the gun out still, trying in vain to will herself into pulling the trigger.

"If you shoot me here, you'll be dead before long. Soldiers will come in, find my bleeding corpse here and then kill you as well."

"If that doesn't suit you, your only other option would be to put the barrel in your mouth and blow your brains out," Rau said bluntly. "It won't make a bit of difference in the grand scheme of things."

"W-what do you mean?!" Flay stammered, lowering the weapon a little.

"Let me tell you something," Rau began, getting up again and began to slowly walk toward a bookshelf. "Life is cheap on the battlefield - it can be lost in an instant. But all the same, people fight for their country...for so-called 'justice'..."

He paused mid-stride and chuckled.

"When it really comes down to it," he said, "They'll fight for any reason they can think of."

Flay raised the gun again, eyes tearing up with anger and terror.

"Of course, that doesn't suit you, does it?" Rau said, walking towards the door, again not even looking at her. "You wear the uniform of a soldier, but you're no warrior. You just want to sit home and pretend that everything that's going on is far away."

Rau opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.

"But as a front line soldier, I have to see everything that goes on...think on that."

As he said those last three words, the door closed behind him, leaving Flay alone with her thoughts again...

* * *

_Don't worry, the next Nadesico route chapter will be very heavy on the action! I hope you still liked some of these scenes! I will also try to have Zero and Nemo interact more. Anyway, until next time!_


	68. Chapter 47 Ra Calium

_Time for some more Shin Mazinger/G Gundam plot. Don't worry - the other stories will get their chance to shine soon enough. But first, it's finally time for the first of several plot dumps, as well some UC Gundam-based filler!_

* * *

**Chapter 47 (Ra Calium) – Truth Behind Mycenae! Kedora and the Other Zeus! **

Domon's first match was going to be a doozy – he would be going up against Zeus Gundam, whose Fighter was representing Neo Greece. He was the most favored to win first place in the preliminaries, and with the exception of Master Asia himself, considered to be the most dangerous foe in the entire tournament.

But other than that, most of DREAM's attention was on their new ally – Akira Hibiki, the pilot of Raideen. Juzo, in particular, was very interested in the newcomer for one significant reason -

"Tell me, my boy; Is that truly the ancient guardian of Mu, Raideen?" Juzo asked eagerly as he, Tsubasa, Kouji, Janus and Akira were looking over the machine.

"What makes you ask that?" Akira replied, not sure at all at why Juzo was so excited.

"Is it not the machine that stood alongside Zeus to seal away the Mycenae," Juzo asked again as he shoved the tablet he had found on Bardos Island in Akira's face; "Is it not the iron god of Mu that is depicted on this tablet?!"

The dark slate had an intricately engraved image of Raideen on it. Raideen's pilot recognized both the image and the script.

"It is...and the script is definitely the Mu tongue."

Dr. Kabuto's eyes gleamed with the excitement of discovery.

"Wait, grandpa, what do the Mu have to do with Bardos Island?" Kouji asked. "What does Raideen have to do with Mycenae? And what does Akira have to do with all this?"

Akira sighed. It was clear that if he wanted to learn anything about these people and their intentions, he had to reveal things about himself and about Raideen. The machine itself, displaying a surprising degree of sentience, suddenly began projecting an image on the far wall - a carving in the same style as the tablet. Juzo hit a nearby switch to turn off the lights.

Just then, Shinji and Asuka happened by, and decided to take a quick peek inside to see what was going on.

"Aw, looks like a boring history lesson..." Shinji sighed.

"Looks interesting to me!" Asuka said excitedly. "I'm going in, and you should, too!" The red-headed girl quietly opened the door and crept inside. Shinji, not wanting to be left alone again, followed Asuka inside as Akira's speech begun.

The first image depicted two shapes that were islands...or rather, one was an island and another was an entire continent.

"In ancient days, the Earth was dominated by two great powers - the Mycenae, and the Mu civilization. The Mycenae and Mu were almost completely identical to humans, though they possessed gifts that regular men did not."

The image changed to something new - a depiction of two groups of people; one was creating what appeared to be buildings, fighter planes and even great battleships, while the other was crafting monuments and giant robots.

"Both the Mu and Mycenae civilizations were highly advanced. Utilizing both science and magic, the two peoples created great cities, temples, and weapons. They were capable of traveling in space and even between dimensions."

The image changed again - this time it depicted what appeared to be a man on a tiger and a giant knight with a horned helmet and another face on its chest. Flames rose in the background while people ran in terror.

"However, the Mycenae believed themselves to be the rightful inhabitants of the Earth, and sought to wipe any civilization besides their own, using the Kedora and the Mechabeasts, as well as mechanical gods, to accomplish that goal."

The image changed a third time - now it depicted several Mechabeasts facing off against some of the fighter planes and battleships.

"The people of Mu, on the other hand, were not so arrogant. They believed that all life had its place in the cosmos, and defended their fellow humans to the death. For many years, the war went on with neither side gaining a significant advantage."

The next image was a depiction of various Mu men in cloaks and robes building parts of a giant robot. On the far right, a completed Raideen could be seen.

"Eventually, the best scientists and sorcerers of Mu pooled their efforts together to create a weapon that was capable of defeating the Mechabeasts on its own - Raideen. It was powered by Mutron, a powerful energy that they were studying at the time."

Next came a depiction of a giant with a helmet resembling Mazinger Z's, which Janus recognized from his dream.

"However, defeating the mechanical gods was achieved in a very different way - a Mycenae commander named Zeus fell in love with a woman of Mu named Juno. Zeus came to understand the values of the Mu, and decided it was better if the Mycenae were defeated."

The image changed yet again to an image of Raideen and the giant with the Mazinger helmet fighting an assortment of other giants. Nearby, a landmass seemed to be sinking into the water.

"Zeus and Raideen fought side by side against the other Mycenaean commanders, who piloted other mechanical gods of their own. They defeated them all, and together, the two sealed Bardos Island, the Mechabeasts and the Kedora away."

"So...when Baron Ashura attacked Mazinger, he must have mistook it for Zeus!" Kouji exclaimed with a whisper to his mother. "Does that mean that Baron Ashura is Mycenaean?"

"Who can say?" Tsubasa replied. "Keep listening."

The image changed again - this time to a force of winged beings attacking the Mu forces, including the fighter planes, Raideen and Zeus.

"But it wasn't long before the Mu would also fall into ruin - a force of winged beings known as the Arubboth appeared and wiped out the vast majority of the Mu in a single day."

Next came another image Janus recognized from his dream - a six-winged figure was going up against Zeus and Raideen.

"Their leader battled Raideen and Zeus, and looked to be victorious. His power was absolutely overwhelming. He could move great distances instantly, shoot flames of judgment from his eyes, and his body was almost impossible to wound."

The next image was a picture of Raideen holding up a lump of something that was shining brilliantly.

"However, the surviving Mu had one last trick up their sleeves - a powerful relic known only as the Star of La Mu."

The image faded this time, as there was no more to show. Juzo flipped the lights back on.

"That's it? What happened to Zeus?" Kouji exclaimed. "And the winged being? Who won?"

"I'm sorry, but that's all Raideen could reveal," Akira said. "I presume that the relic gave them the power to obtain victory, since the human race still exists. What I can say was that the survivors of Mu sealed Raideen and the Star of La Mu away until the day it was needed again, and then went to live among other humans."

"How do you know?" Janus asked.

"Because I am, as far as I know," Akira answered; "The last living descendant of the Mu civilization."

Janus got a little closer to Akira to ask him something else - but this somehow caused Raideen to awaken and snatch up Granlif's pilot in its hand, as if it was protecting its pilot from a threat.

Akira cried out something in a language no one else had heard before, but that the ancient robot seemed to understand. It put Janus back down on the floor, then returned to its normal stance. Akira looked back at the young man, as if he was trying to deduce why Raideen acted the way he did. An answer did come to mind, but he couldn't very well vocalize it until there was concrete evidence to back it up.

"I guess it just didn't like you, Janus," Shinji quipped.

* * *

Brocken's head bounced up and down a bit after hitting the ground as the Ghoul went up in smoke. He had the unfortunate luck of running into the _Ra Calium _as he led an army of Talos, Groizer clones, and a Mechabeast known as Garuda C3 on an attack against Neo Hong Kong. After a pitched battle with the ship, out of which Gurren Lagann, three of the four Londo Bell Gundams (Zeta, Nu, and Alex B-Type), Venus A, Yoko M Tank and King Kittan.

"Well, this is most inconvenient," Brocken sighed. "At least I can wait for my body to come and retrieve me. How lovely of Dr. Hell to make it able to survive an explosion like that."

Suddenly, a trio of shadows loomed over him. He turned himself around, and looked up to see Yoko, Christina and Sayaka there. He grinned.

"Why hello there, ladies," Brocken said with a wide grin. "You're looking fine today! I apologize for my behavior today and..."

Sayaka and Christina fumed, but Yoko nonchalantly grabbed Brocken by the hair and lifted him to face level. Unsurprisingly, his gaze was aimed somewhat lower for a second before he looked back at Yoko.

"What are you doing?!" he asked fearfully.

Yoko smiled pleasantly.

"Oh, just this."

-WHAM!-

She punted Brocken high into the air, sending it sailing, much to Sayaka's astonishment. He landed near Argo and Kamille after a few bounces.

"Oh...hello, gentlemen...nice weather we're having..."

The two looked at each other, and grinned smugly in a way that was very uncharacteristic for them both. This was an opportunity they couldn't resist taking. Kamille picked up the Count's head and began bouncing him on his foot, then on his own head, with the unlucky soccer ball grunting and whining with each hit. Suddenly, he was snatched out of the air by Argo.

"You've had your fun, Kamille. It's my turn now."

Argo started doing the same thing, but after a few hits, he headbutted Brocken extra high, then did a massive backflip kick as he came down, sending the hapless head whizzing off like a rocket.

Count Brocken's head landed near Viral and Simon. The Beastman picked up the head and held it up, pondering what to do with it. He then turned and noticed what appeared to be the rest of his body running towards them.

"Eh, here you go," Viral said, tossing it in the direction of the frantically wandering body.

"Thank you! You are a most admirable gentleman!" Brocken said joyously. But suddenly Viral rushed after him, and kicked him higher into the air before his body could catch him.

"I take it baaaaack!" he cried as he flew; "You're a horrible beast, just as your name suggeeeeests!"

Amuro walked up next to Simon, flustered at all that was going on.

"Is this all really necessary?" the Londo Bell commander asked Simon as they watched the crew kick and throw Brocken's head around. "I mean, I could understand Kamille doing this, since Brocken was a member of the Titans in life, and Argo was thrown in prison because of him..."

"C'mon," Simon said, "Isn't there someone whose severed head YOU'D want to kick around like this? I mean, the guy's technically dead anyway."

"Time to go for the goal!" Kittan said excitedly as he charged after the bouncing head of Brocken. But the pilot of the Zeta Gundam wasn't quick enough to get there before Argo did. The Neo Russian Gundam Fighter gave the body-less count the hardest kick he could, his Shuffle Crest shining brightly.

As Brocken sailed out into the distance, they could hear him crying out one last time.

"I AM A TRAGIC CHARACTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!"

But the torture had been worth it for Brocken, as he had achieved his true mission - unbeknownst to the group, something monstrous crept away quickly from the wreckage of Garuda C3 and made its way toward the city...

* * *

"Loran, you do realize that you're not Laura anymore, right?" Judau grumbled as the Turn A's pilot perused a rack of colorful dresses at one of Neo Hong Kong's upscale malls that evening.

"That was quite uncalled for," Megumi scolded him; "He's only looking for a gift for Queen Dianna! Is it so wrong for a man to get a woman clothing as a gift?"

"I think it's very knightly of you, Loran," George De Sand said. "I've done this plenty of times for Miss Marie Louise, even though Raymond insists he do it."

"Yeah," Chizuru said. "I wish Hyoma would do this for me."

"I don't know," Loran sighed as he held up two dresses and looked back and forth at each one. "Commander Ord always had a better sense of what went well with Queen Dianna liked."

"Why don't you buy dresses for me, big brother Judau?" Puru whined to Judau. "Get me one for my birthday! Pleeeeease?!" In response, Judau merely grumbled and started to walk away when he spotted a pair of familiar faces perusing the racks.

The first one he saw was a girl with brick-red eyes and purple hair tied up in a ponytail on the side of her head. She wore a green shirt with a comet on it, and extremely short shorts that exposed the majority of her legs. She looked to be about two years older than Judau and several inches taller.

The other was a blonde girl with bluish-purple eyes; she wore slacks, a thick jacket, and leather boots that were all some shade of pink.

The purple-haired girl spotted him as well, and jumped a bit with surprise when she saw him.

"Judau?! Holy cow, it's really you!" the girl said excitedly. Her accent indicated she was of Neo France.

"Oh...hi, Roux," Judau said awkwardly, blushing a bit. "It's...um...been a long time."

"Hey, what about me?!" the blonde said, annoyed. Her accent was more subtle, but she came from Neo Italy.

"Nice to see you too, Elle," Judau sighed. The others, noticing that their friend was talking with people they haven't met. Almost immediately, Roux's eyes lit up when she spotted George, with the same sparkle that Tara and Hikaru got when they were going gaga over something.

"Friends of yours, Judau?" Loran asked, watching Roux stare at George dreamily.

"Oh, wow I can't believe you're friends with George De Sand!" Roux squealed before finally composing herself.

_Cripes, no wonder I thought Tara was so similar to her_, Judau thought after seeing that display. "Guys, meet Roux Louka and Elle Vianno," he then said. "I used to be in the AEUG with them during the first Neo Zeon uprising - it was where I first got the ZZ Gundam."

Roux squeezed and hugged Judau from behind suddenly, shocking Puru and surprising the others.

"He's still my little cabbage!" Roux said proudly before letting him go, while Judau blushed with embarrassment. "But boy, did we kick some Neo Zeon tail together!"

"Okay, Judau, how about your other friends?" Elle asked.

"Loran Cehack, knight of the Lunar Kingdom," Loran said with a nod.

"Chizuru Nanbara's the name!" the sole female member of the Combattler team said.

"Megumi Oka," the female member of the Voltes team said in greeting.

"Elpeo Puru!" Puru said furiously as she got in their faces. "Stay away from big brother Judau or I'll mess you up!"

"And these guys are just the tip of the Londo Bell iceberg," Judau said awkwardly as he pulled Puru away from them.

"If you want to meet the rest of our rather extensive group," George suggested; "You should come to Kurogane House. It's a lovely little spa resort just on the edge of..."

All at once, the Newtypes in the room got the sensation of something hostile nearby, and the conversation ceased.

"Did anyone else sense that?" Judau said after a few moments.

"Kind of odd that we'd get that feeling in this situation," Elle added, looking around. Suddenly, the group heard something skittering above them in the rafters high above the floor. They looked at each other nervously, and then looked up simultaneously.

Right out in the open (though somehow being completely ignored by the other shoppers) was a monstrosity that looked like a spider with a single purple eye and a mouth full of sharp teeth. Its body was practically all head, and about the size of the Pilder's fuselage. It looked down at them for a moment, and then continued on its way, skittering back onto the roof.

"Guys...what the hell was that?" Elle said, her entire body still paralyzed from the fear of just looking at it.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, I'm sure it has no good intentions. Judau, take our fair ladies back to Kurogane House and warn our allies of this occurrence. Loran, let's see if we can track it down."

* * *

Domon stood outside the headquarters for Neo Greece for this Gundam Fight. The main building resembled the Parthenon, an ancient Greek building that was built long after the fall of Mycenae and Mu. The roof was open, and Zeus Gundam, a gold, white and red armored Gundam with golden wings stood out of it, an imposing figure in the evening sky.

"So that's Zeus Gundam, huh?" Domon said to himself. "It's impressive...though I bet God Gundam could easily beat it, though." He decided to take a closer look and approached the building. Suddenly, he spotted something large and spiderlike skittering toward the machine before diving into a nearby hole.

Domon rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was hallucinating. Suddenly, he saw Loran and George running toward him.

"George...Loran...what are you doing here?" he asked, seeing the looks of dread and worry on their faces. "What's the hurry?"

"Domon, you didn't happen to see a really, really big spider-like thing come this way, did you?" George asked.

"You saw it too?" the Neo Japanese Gundam Fighter said; "I guess I wasn't hallucinating."

"Come on, we have to stop it before it causes trouble!" Loran said, panting a bit from the long run. Domon nodded, and the three hurried towards the building. George and Domon were able to leap over the chain link fence in a single bound, but Loran had to climb over.

As they entered the massive doorway, a strong, powerful voice stopped them.

"Hold it. What do you think you're doing here? This area is for me and my staff alone."

The trio turned around and saw the one speaking to them – a colossal man that stood head and shoulders over even Argo, and even over the spider-like creature that they were pursuing. He had a thick red mustache and beard, wild red hair, and a musculature that belonged on a Greek god. He even had gold bracers and a green toga.

"Well, well, if it isn't Neo Japan's Gundam Fighter, Domon Kasshu...and Neo France's George De Sand too. Coming to get a sneak peek at what you'll be up against?"

"Listen, you have to help us," Loran said. "There's some sort of creature that got in here, and it may be..."

"Hah! Don't try to fool me! I am Marcelot Cronos of Neo Greece, and I don't like big-headed fools who think they can outsmart me."

"Why you..." Domon growled, clenching a fist, his usual hot-headedness coming back in full force.

"Domon, I don't think we should be arguing with this guy," Loran said, nervously backing away. But Neo Japan's Gundam Fighter would not be deterred, and launched at Marcelot in a flurry of fists.

To his surprise, the massive man easily dodged the flurry of attacks with as much grace and speed as someone far smaller than he. He countered with a devastating haymaker, knocking Domon out instantly and sending him spiraling away. The martial artist tumbled away a bit when he landed, before coming to a stop near the gate.

"Now, get out," the gigantic man warned, leering at them, "Unless you two also want broken jaws." Loran and George needed no further warning. They backed away and took, both of them picking up the unconscious Domon and hustled away.

* * *

"You did well, Brocken," Dr. Hell said in praise to the battered head of Count Brocken, which was once again being carried by one of his many spare bodies. Baron Ashura was next to him as they both kneeled before their master. Dr. Hell was at a computer station he had installed beneath Bardos Island that was able to link to the numerous Mechabeasts and other Mycenaean weapons that he had discovered in the island's bowels.

"Thank you, Dr. Hell. I am unsure how, though...I was waylaid by the _Ra Calium _on my way to the new Photon Power Labs..."

"Fret not, my servant. I have just confirmed that Kedora has found its new body."

"But did it capture Mazinger Z?" Baron Ashura asked.

"Let me see if the numbers it returned match those of Mazinger Z."

Dr. Hell turned back to the computer and scanned the incoming data. His smile turned into a frown.

"This is not Mazinger Z's data. This is the data for...Neo Greece's Gundam?!"

"Please forgive me Dr. Hell," Brocken said humbly, putting his head on his neck and bowing repeatedly, "This is all my..."

"No," Dr. Hell said. "But I think I know why. Ashura, what did you command the Kedora controlling Garuda C3 to do if its body was destroyed?"

"I ordered it to find the avatar of Zeus, my lord," the two-faced golem said respectfully.

"YOU FOOL!" the scientist bellowed as he raised his rod; "IT MISTOOK NEO GREECE'S ZEUS GUNDAM FOR MAZINGER Z BECAUSE OF THAT! IT WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE CONTROL OF MAZINGER Z!"

"We are sorry, Dr. Hell," Ashura's female half cried.

"We had not dreamed of the possibility of there being two avatars of Zeus!" Ashura's male half said.

"Please forgive us!" the two halves finally cried in unison. Dr. Hell lowered his staff and took a deep breath.

"No - you do have a point, my servant. But be more specific when wording your orders to the Kedora and Mechabeasts from here on. Zeus Gundam, while it is no Mazinger Z, is still a mighty robot. With Kedora at the helm, it may yet be able to succeed in its mission...

* * *

The next morning, God Gundam stood at the edge of the platform a few hundred yards out in the water, where Domon stared down his opponent. He felt a little uneasy facing down the giant who had knocked him out with one punch.

Zeus Gundam looked only more imposing than the night before – it was riding in a Gundam-scale chariot, complete with a robotic horse. In its free hand was a large hammer.

"Let's begin!" Wong said as he stood up from his rooftop seat; "GUNDAM FIGHT!"

"Ready..."

"GOOOO!"

God Gundam and Zeus Gundam rushed at each other, colliding with near explosive force.

"Go get 'em, Domon!" Kouji cheered as he watched from the platform where Rain was monitoring the condition of God Gundam. He was joined by Juzo, Shiro, and Tsubasa.

"Yes! Destroy the pretender!" Juzo yelled. "Show that fake Zeus how a REAL god fights!"

"You'd think Neo Greece would be more privy to what Zeus really looked like," Tsubasa quipped to Rain. "But I must say it's strong. It could even give Mazinger Z a run for its money, when you consider the pilot."

Suddenly, Domon whipped out a beam saber and sliced the head off the robot horse, destroying the chariot in one blow.

"Yeah! Awesome!" Shiro cheered.

But Zeus Gundam was still around. It struck at Domon with its hammer, which he dodged. Neo Greece's Gundam then took the air and raised its hammer.

"THUNDER OF JUDGMENT!"

Lightning formed from within its body and blasted out of the hammer. Domon was able to dodge it by rolling away.

However, just as Zeus Gundam raised its hammer again, it stopped. The crowd looked on, puzzled as to what was going on.

Suddenly, everyone heard Marcelot scream in agony - the monstrosity from the night before had been lurking inside the machine. It lashed out at Marcelot Cronos, instantly slicing his jugular vein open. For a moment, the Gundam went limp, but then sprung back to life as it quickly assumed control of the Mobile Trace System.

"I am Kedora," a low, droning voice suddenly came from Zeus Gundam a moment later. "I am Kedora...a soldier of Mycenae."

"Kedora?!" Tsubasa and Juzo exclaimed, recognizing the name.

"Kedora? What's Kedora?" Kouji asked uneasily. "It said it was a soldier of Mycenae."

"It must be how the Mycenaeans controlled the Mechabeasts!" Juzo exclaimed.

"Wait," Rain said. "As long as that barrier is up, it shouldn't be able to escape. If Domon can finish it off, then everything should be fine."

Zeus Gundam then began to change wildly. Its body became covered in thick dark carapace and grew taller, wider, and bulkier, its hands replaced by wicked claws, and a long tail grew out of its rear end.

"I am Kedora...a soldier of Mycenae. I will destroy all foreign civilizations," the monster that hijacked Neo-Greece's Gundam uttered. Its attention was entirely elsewhere, as it turned toward the barrier that surrounded the ring and stuck its hands inside the barrier, and started to absorb the energy.

"Domon Kasshu, the pilot of that Gundam is dead!" Tsubasa yelled as she shoved Rain aside. "It's been taken over by something else! It must be destroyed before it can escape the ring and attack the city!"

"You don't need to tell me twice!" Domon yelled, drawing a second beam saber. "GOD SLASH...TYPHOOOOOOOOOOOON!"

God Gundam began spinning like a tornado and flew upwards to attack the Kedora-possessed Zeus Gundam. The blades struck home and slashed off some of the carapace. While it regenerated the damage easily, the blow did get its attention.

"Do not interfere," Kedora said as it turned to God Gundam. "I must destroy all. Destroy. Destroy." It flew up high and readied its hammer again. It swooped down with blinding speed, but God Gundam was able to catch the hammer with its hand.

"Domon! Use the Erupting God Finger!" Rain cried. "You need to take it out in one shot!"

"Should I aim for the cockpit?" Domon asked uneasily.

"Yes, you moron!" Tsubasa screamed; "That's where the Kedora is! Destroy the Kedora!"

Domon turned back to his opponent and awakened the power of _meikyo shisui_, readying his other hand to perform the mighty attack, with the blades on its back fanning out as they did before.

"This hand of mine is burning red! Its loud roar tells me to grasp victory!"

"Destroy...destroy..." the Kedora kept chanting.

"ERUPTIIIIING! GOD! FINGEEEEEEERRRRR!"

God Gundam buried its hand in its opponent's belly, in the cockpit area. The Kedora couldn't escape from the attack, and was incinerated on contact with the God Finger, letting out a screech of agony as it died. Inside it was an overlarge brain in a sealed container of liquid with mechanical legs attached - but this too was annihilated on contact.

"And now...HEAT END!"

Zeus Gundam exploded spectacularly, and the carapace produced by the Kedora dissipated into black dust.

Wong grinned and started clapping.

"Well done!" the Prime Minister of Neo Hong Kong said. "I must say you have a keen eye for winners, Master. He even had the guts to kill his opponent - truly magnificent!"

_No...I'm sure that whatever took control of Zeus Gundam near the end was what he intended to kill, _Master Asia thought._ Marcelot Cronos was already dead by then. You still pulled it off, Domon. Maybe you'll truly be the best candidate to become the Devil Gundam's new core..._

* * *

_I kinda had fun with this one. Next time is going to be one of the biggest and most awesome Shin Mazinger events in the series! In fact, we'll be hitting a lot of major plot events in both worlds. What will they be? Stay tuned!_


	69. Chapter 47 Nadesico

_As promised, here's a big wad of action, featuring Macross 7 and GaoGaiGar plot! This one's also gonna be a two part beast! Hope you like it!_

* * *

**Chapter 47 (Nadesico) – Space Stations Under Siege! Unholy Alien Alliance! (Part 1)**

"Everyone, you're back!" Mamoru cheered as the other members of DREAM all filed out of the ships to allow the staff of Orbit Base to begin loading up supplies. He and several other members of GGG's crew, including Guy Shishioh came out to greet their old friends.

"It's good to see you all again," Guy said pleasantly. He was immediately approached by Jiro Yamada, who immediately began shaking his hand wildly and excitedly.

"Hello to you too, my fine fellow warrior of passion!" Jiro said. "My dear friend Akito told me so much about you!"

"Oh, um...hello," Guy replied with a smidgen of embarrassment. "I don't believe we've met."

"Hey, Guy!" Akito said. "Remember that friend of mine I mentioned? The one that I kinda thought was...you know...gone? This is him."

Jiro laughed heartily. "Oh, the stories I could tell you! But let me introduce myself...I am Gai Daigoji!"

"Wow..." Mamoru chimed in. "So there's you...Gai Daidou from the other world...Gai Murakumo of Serpent Tail...and now there's Gai Daigoji. That's four different people named Gai, big brother! How am I going to know which one I'll get if I call out for you?"

"Well, technically my friend's real name is Jiro Yam..." Akito said before Jiro got right in his face.

"Akito, I told you never to use that name!" Yamada said angrily. "I will not answer to any name but the name of my soul!"

Akito, Mamoru, and Guy Shishioh sighed.

* * *

Arm Primeval watched as a feminine-looking man with a slim figure, long blonde hair and lips that seemed to be covered in dark lipstick entered the throne chamber. He and the five remaining Primevals who had taken up human form were on a massive battleship that was stationed on Mars' southern pole. The effeminate man was actually the leader of the Protodevlin, who in turn led the Varauta Army.

"We are Gepelnitch," the man began. "We understand that you have come to seek our aid."

"Indeed. I have come to you because we have a similar goal," Arm replied; "The prevention of the destruction of the universe."

"We do not understand. You must clarify for us."

"Surely you know of THAT event...the event we were both born to prevent from happening again."

Gepelnitch was silent, but knew all too well what Arm was talking about.

"You need not say any more. We will use our forces to aid your efforts. After all, the Anima Spiritia is there. Sivil! Gilgil!"

Gigil and another Protodevlin appeared. The other one was a pointy-eared, vampire-like woman with pale skin, dark purple hair, a purple and green jumpsuit, and two white horn-like ornaments stuck to the sides of her head.

"Gigil, you and your forces are to assist the Machine Primevals. They will laying siege to the space station GGG Orbit Base, where the Anima Spiritia has temporarily taken up residence. Take Gavil and Glavil with you as well."

"Yes, Lord Gepelnitch," Gigil said, bowing respectfully. Gepelnitch then turned to the pointy-eared woman.

"Sivil, your task is capture the Anima Spiritia and bring him to me. If you cannot, then drain him of his Spiritia and bring that to me instead."

"Yes, Gepelnitch," Sivil answered. She levitated into the air, creating an energy barrier around herself, and took off into the Martian sky. As Gigil was walking away, he saw Sivil flying away and got a quick view of her posterior.

_Man, what I'd give to get a piece of that_, he thought.

* * *

Kaidou already knew he was playing a very dangerous game when he found himself at Prince Clovis' mansion. Being that he was technically an Eleven, getting caught here would be nothing but trouble for him. But if he could secure the Zonder Crystal that had unexpectedly appeared here, he, Soldato J and Tomoro would be one step closer to stopping the threat of the 31 Machine Primevals forever.

He flew over the wall and landed safely on the balcony. He knew that inside this room, the inactive crystal form of Eye Primeval was resting. Oddly, the way leading inside was unlocked. Taking care not to make a sound, Kaidou slowly opened the sliding door and crept inside.

Sure enough, there was the Zonder Crystal, but it had somehow become active again, since it had reverted to the shape of a large purple spiky ball during the night.

But as he approached the object, a knife flew straight at him. He sensed it at the last moment, just long enough to switch forms and deflect it with his barrier. He turned and saw Tahra there, dressed in a sleeping gown, with another knife drawn.

"I don't know where you learned how to do that, kid, but don't think it'll save you twice."

As Tahra lunged at him again, Kaidou again raised the barrier, blowing the Knight of Eleven back. He turned to the core and began to chant...

"Temperum mundus infinitum...ledile!"

Unlike Mamoru, he spread his arms out wide. Eye Primeval's core changed back to the shape it had been before thanks to the full Purification ritual.

But just as Mamoru's Purification ritual unsealed part of Tara's sleeping memories, so did it weaken the Geass that Charles had placed on Tahra...

She clutched her head in pain as she saw flashes of that horrible night - the night her family was murdered, and her house was burned down. She saw V.V. - that boy with the ludicrously long hair, and she remembered his voice.

Tahra realized that she was living a lie. The reawakening of this memory filled her with unparalleled sadness and rage. For all she knew, it was this V.V. person that had sealed her other memories, although the truth was quite different.

Kaidou watched all this with bewilderment. Why did his Purification affect this young woman? But it didn't matter. Remembering his task, he snatched up the Zonder Crystal, shifted to his winged form and flew out the door.

Tahra remained alone with this newly revived memory. There was one thing she had to do - she had to find V.V. and force the truth out of him...then get her revenge. She had hoped that maybe Prince Clovis would help her - after all, he cared for her more deeply than anyone...

* * *

Rolo was baffled at how quickly the people of DREAM had accepted him, and how kindly everyone was treating him. The only ones who had been as nice to him as these people were being were the children in the Geass Order who called him "big brother Rolo".

This seemed to have even affected the Knight of Eleven, who must have been sent to infiltrate the organization. Hoping to get some sort of information from her, he approached his supposed ally while she was wandering around the base.

"Excuse me..." he said.

"Oh, hey, you're the new guy," Tara said pleasantly. "What's up?"

Rolo immediately noticed something different about her - her eyes were a darker blue than the one he knew, and her demeanor was much friendlier. Then he remembered - V.V. had told him Tahra was only half of her original self.

Though he couldn't believe it himself, the boy-assassin realized that this girl was probably Tahra's other half. The resemblance between this girl and her twin was too close, and she never had any siblings - at least to his knowledge, based on the intelligence OSI had provided him. He couldn't go ahead with his original plan now.

"I'm just...you know...making the introductory rounds," the boy replied. Tara, however, didn't sense Rolo's attempt to backpedal, and assumed he was just being shy.

"Well, don't worry. Once you find your niche, you'll fit right in! Oh, and before you're officially a member, we gotta do a little initiation; come on!"

She grabbed Rolo by the hand and took him back to one of the nearby rooms. Inside, Akito, Koji, Jiro, Geki Hyuuma, Mamoru and Hikaru Amano were all gathered around. They looked up and saw Tara enter with the now confused boy.

"Everyone, this is..." Tara began before realizing that she had never asked him his name. "Um...what's your name?"

"R-Rolo. Rolo Haliburton."

"Nice to meetcha, Rolo!" Mamoru said. Everyone else greeted him and introduced themselves as well.

"But...I'm Britannian," the boy said, even more baffled by the way they were treating him, "And you're Ele...I mean, Japanese. Aren't you Britannia's enemy?"

"We're only Britannia's enemy because the Empire oppresses people," Koji said; "We'd be more than happy to get off their backs if they'd cut that crap out. But c'mon, we're about to watch our favorite show..._Gekiganger 3!_"

Rolo's eyes lit up a bit when he heard the name of that show. During his time with Lelouch, he had gotten to watching it on a pirated disc. At first he had regarded it as silly and childish, but over time, he grew to enjoy it.

"R-really? I know that show! I watched it all the time with my older brother!"

"Then you're practically a member already, then!" Jiro said happily. "Everyone who joins DREAM has to watch at least one episode of _Gekiganger_!"

"You may not have to like the show itself," Hikaru Amano added; "But as long as you take to heart the values of friendship, teamwork and passion that it upholds, you're definitely a DREAMer!"

"But just for the sake of formality," Tara said, suddenly grabbing the boy and plopping him down on the center seat of the widest sofa, where Hikaru sat, before plopping down next to him; "You're gonna watch an episode with us...okay?"

Rolo, never being used to being in such incredibly close proximity to girls (even compared to the girls at Ashford's school council), blushed a little as the opening credits began and everyone else in the room began singing the theme song...

* * *

Lowe was an obsessive tinkerer. He loved nothing more than to build, rebuild, and remodel anything. However, mobile suits were of particular interest to him, especially the Astray Red Frame and its sister the Blue Frame.

Unsurprisingly, the mechanic couldn't contain his delight when Gai Murakumo approached him with an offer while they were still aboard the _Archangel_.

"Revamp the Astray Blue Frame?!" Lowe said in a high-pitched, almost squealing voice, with a sparkle in his eye; "You really mean it, bro?!"

"I do," the Coordinator said. "I'm getting a hunch that it needs a little more firepower for our upcoming battles...and..."

"Say no more, pal! I've already got something in mind!"

He raced to his own room, grabbed a set of blueprints and rushed back. Proudly, he unfurled the blueprints, revealing his design. Gai, however, wasn't sure what to make of this. Piloting mobile suits was his forte, not designing them.

"Okay, so I realized that beam weapons are gonna eat up too much power, so I went and got rid of them. Instead, I decided to fit about, oh, six or so Armor Schneider knives on it. But that's not the best part - take a look at this!"

Lowe showed another blueprint.

"This here is the Tactical Arms backpack. It's got two modes - the first is a 90 mm gatling cannon that you just pull off ol' Blue's back, and it automatically unfolds into your own personal turret, complete with armor!"

"Simple, but effective, I suppose."

"And now, here's MY favorite part - the Tactical Arms also transforms into a giant sword! Isn't that AWESOME?!"

"I suppose its more practical than your idea for a 150 meter long katana." Gai said with a small smirk.

"Of course it is," Lowe said proudly, initially not recognizing Gai's backhanded complement. "Who do you think I...hey! Bash the Gerbera Straight again and see what that gets you!"

* * *

Unfortunately, the Brave Corps robots were undergoing heavy maintenance as a result of their previous battle, forcing DREAM to remain within the base. Meanwhile, DREAM's commanders convened to decide on their next course of action.

"I see," Koutaro Taiga said as he spoke with Milia Jenius, the mayor of Macross over a video connection. "So then you have also been declared an enemy of the Earth Alliance, Britannia and PLANT." Zero, Yurika, Akatsuki and Murrue were also in on this conversation.

"Yes. However, ever since Muruta Azrael became the head of the Atlantic Federation, we were preparing for this eventuality," Milia replied. "That's why I've decided to let the _Battle 7 _and our Variable Fighters fight alongside DREAM, not just Diamond Force."

"Your aid is much appreciated," Zero said. "But what about Macross? Who will be left to defend it should it come under attack?"

"Oh, you don't know, Zero?" Taiga exclaimed, surprised that Zero didn't know something; "The Macross is the same starship the Zentradi came to Earth fifteen years ago."

"Yes. This city is fully capable of flight through deep space," Milia added. "Traveling beyond the Earth Sphere to other planets in the solar system will be fairly simple as well."

A light bulb went off in Yurika's head. "Even Jupiter?!"

Milia nodded. "Yes. This ship was built by the Zentradi to travel at near-light speed. Getting to Jupiter shouldn't be a problem."

"Then...let's go there!" the _Nadesico_'s captain declared excitedly. "We need to rescue Minato and Megumi and try to make peace with the Jovians!"

"But aren't the Jovian Lizards the ones sending all those unmanned mechs?" the mayor of Macross said, puzzled a bit; "And didn't they nearly wreck Moscow?"

"The Jovian Lizards, as it turns out, are humans like us," Murrue said, having been filled in on all those details. "Nergal, in cooperation with the now-defunct UEFA, kept the truth hidden...isn't that right, President Akatsuki?"

Akatsuki grudgingly nodded in confirmation.

"Very well," Milia said. "The citizenry has already confirmed that they will be prepared for Macross to relocate due to recent..."

Suddenly, alarms started going off inside Orbit Base, and then Taiga got a message from the main command room on the radio.

"Commander! We've got Primevals incoming! Confirming as six of the Magnificent Seven!" Kosuke said from the upper deck.

"We're also detecting numerous unknown Variable Fighter models!" Swan White added. "Hurry!"

"...Variable Fighters?!" Milia exclaimed. "The Protodevlin have gotten this close to Earth already?! Then I'll send you reinforcements immediately, including the _Battle 7_!"

"You have our thanks!" Taiga replied. With that, Milia cut the radio contact.

"Scramble any available units!" GGG's leader commanded. "We must not let the Protodevlin take over this base!"

* * *

Koji, Tetsuya, the Getter Team, Diamond Force, Fire Bomber, Kira, Ryoma, Kallen, Rolo, Lowe, Gai Murakumo, Tohdoh, Tara and Boss Borot (back in its space getup) all flew outside of GGG's Orbital Base. They didn't have to look hard to see the incoming army of Varauta troops closing in.

Close behind them were what appeared to be numerous Varauta battleships, except they appeared to have rocky or metallic growths on them - signs of possession by Primevals. Another Primeval, which had taken possession of some sort of large satellite, also was among them. It looked like a massive human brain with metallic parts coming out of it.

"ZX numbers 07, 08, 09, 11, 12 and 13 confirmed to be in control of unknown battleships!" Mikoto called out from the main command center. "ZX-06 is back as well!"

"Wait...what about ZX-10?" Liger said, surprised to hear that only six of the Magnificent Seven, whom they had fought before, were present.

"ZX-10's signal appeared in Area 11 momentarily, then winked out," Kosuke replied. "It's possible that the mysterious white robot that's been appearing during our battles got to it first."

"Members of DREAM, be careful," Taiga warned those still outside. "Each of the 31 Machine Primevals are far more powerful than any Zonder Robo you may have fought - only EI-01 itself was more powerful!"

"Don't worry, though...we have a secret weapon that will blow them away!" Liger added. "Just hold them off until we can get it ready!"

"We'll also be sending out GaoGaiGar and Goldymarg shortly," Mikoto added.

Basara, however, had other ideas. He spurred his Valkyrie into a full-on charge and whipped out his guitar and began to play Planet Dance.

"Hey! Quit fighting and LISTEN TO MY SONG!"

"Basara, wait!" Mylene cried as her own Variable Fighter, a custom VF-11 Thunderbolt, took off after the red Valkyrie.

"Gotta admire his spirit, though," Ray sighed as his two-seated custom VF-17 Nightmare flew after the other two Fire Bomber members. Veffidas, who sat in the rear, sighed as well.

"I know his music can affect Protodevlin," Koji groaned; "But he's seriously gonna try and sing them AND the Primevals away?!"

"All units, protect Fire Bomber and Orbit Base!" Zero commanded from inside the Ikaruga. The various members of DREAM took off after the rock band...

* * *

A squad of Panzerzorenes swooped in and opened fire. One of them was struck by a Getter Beam, courtesy of Ryoma's Black Getter.

"Man, these guys are chumps." Ryoma chuckled as he drew his robot's tomahawk. He then spotted Gigil's Elgerzorene and decided to go after it. But unlike the other pilots, Gigil was quick enough to avoid Black Getter's attack.

"You're gonna have to try harder than that, human!" the Protodevlin laughed.

As Gigil's Elgerzorene locked on Ryoma, he grinned.

"Lunch time for me..."

But suddenly, a voice that DREAM knew quite well called out.

"Phantom Ring! Plus! BROKEN...PHANTOOOOOOOOOMMMM!"

A familiar pink rocket punch nearly struck the Varauta fighter. However, the fist was now surrounded by a glowing white ring, which was spinning as well. Mylene looked and saw GaoGaiGar flying forward as the punch returned to his arm.

However, the robot was slightly different now - the old StealthGao that he had used on Earth was replaced with the StealthGao II. Equipped with two large engines with gold rings on the wide end of each, allowing it to fight in space as well as it did in the Earth's atmosphere and gravity. The gold rings, called Phantom Rings, increased the power of GaoGaiGar's old Broken Magnum tenfold.

"Sorry for the delay, everyone!" Guy called out.

"Good timing, Guy!"

_So that's the infamous GaoGaiGar, _Gigil said to himself. _Let's see how the pilot likes having his Spiritia drained!_

But before he could do anything else, his Elgerzorene's arm and leg were severed by Lifthrasir's beam tonfas - a little payback from the fight on Mars.

"What the?! Damn it...the Spiritia draining system is broken - I guess I'll have to retreat. Then again, I was probably a decoy anyway."

He wheeled his Variable Fighter around and sped back toward his designated battleship, just in time to see Sivil whiz by.

_Ohhhhh, what I'd give to be with her..._

Unfortunately for him, his lapse of attention allowed Ryoma to sneak it and chop off one of the Variable Fighter's arms and legs. Gigil bolted just as Black Getter fired one more Getter Beam, which struck another unlucky Panzerzorene.

Sivil, meanwhile, quickly spotted her target - a red Valkyrie, whose pilots had gobs upon gobs of Spiritia for her to take for her lord's plan. With incredible speed, she flew towards Basara and managed to get right up to the cockpit hatch, which startled him.

_What? I don't recall my fangirls being able to breathe in space, _he thought.

"...Spiritia." the space vampire said.

"Can I...help you?" he asked.

"Basara, what are you doing?!" Kyoshiro yelled. "Either shake it off, or hold still and let me do it!"

"...Spiritia." Sivil said again. She then hissed and opened her mouth, as if to suck his Spiritia out directly.

"No way! My music affects these guys too!" Basara yelled. He started playing and singing Totsugeki Love Heart, sending a torrent of pure concentrated Spiritia into her - and at point blank range no less. This influx of energy was not something the Protodevlin had expected at all. However, it had a somewhat different effect on her - it didn't cause her pain.

Instead, Sivil was immediately overcome by unbearably immense pleasure.

_This feeling..._

Unable to take anymore, she turned right around and bolted back towards the Varauta fleet.

"Hey, come back!" Basara exclaimed, taking off after her and continuing to sing. But he didn't get far before something got in his way - Glavil.

It was a hulking beast that stood head and shoulders over even the largest Super Robot in DREAM's numbers, at nearly a thousand feet high. Its body was green, though its torso was covered in black and gray chitinous natural armor. Two long curved spikes grew out of its body like bony wings, while its body had numerous mustard-yellow-colored and black-colored spikes in different places on its body. Its face was almost all mouth, filled with crooked but sharp teeth, and topped off with a pair of beady yellow eyes.

The beastly Protodevlin opened its maw wide, and Basara quickly saw that it was about to fire something. He quickly dove between the monster's legs to avoid the attack - he couldn't very well sing to it if he was incinerated, after all.

"The enemy Protodevlin is charging up something!" Kosuke yelled.

"Raise all Protect Shades and brace for impact!" Taiga bellowed in response. The three battleships also raised their defensive barriers in anticipation of the attack as well.

Glavil unleashed a gargantuan energy blast more powerful than any ever witnessed before. It was also incredibly wide - no one except Basara had been able to get away from it in time.

The rock star was stunned, and terrified beyond measure at this immense display of power. He tried singing to keep himself calm, something he always did in moments of stress and despair like this. Basara tried to sing "Angel Voice" to himself...

But no sound came out. The all-too-real fear of losing not just his band-mates, but all the people he had befriended in DREAM...that fear had silenced him completely. Even when the light faded and showed that his friends had survived, still the scarring image of watching everyone he knew perish before his eyes would not leave his brain.

And what was worse, Glavil was charging up for another shot. But before it could go off, a much needed attack came from another direction.

"MASER CANNONS! ANTI-MASER CANNONS! SIMULTANEOUS BARRAGE!"

Numerous beams of energy struck Glavil dead on, disrupting its attack, while others struck some of the remaining Panzerzorenes, forcing the fleet to retreat. Glavil also decided to back off, unwilling to take on anyone that could disrupt its ultimate attack like that. The Machine Primeval ships, also surprised by this, decided not to press their luck and make a run for it.

Guy looked in the direction the attack came from to see a very familiar face.

"The white mech?!" he exclaimed.

"Cyborg Guy...it seems I have saved you again."

Everyone couldn't believe their ears. Even the usually unflappable C.C. was surprised.

"Machine King Pizza?!" Koji exclaimed. "What's he doing in that thing?!"

"No," J replied; "That man is dead! I am...Soldato-J!"

* * *

Pagliacco watched the battle from a distance stoically. As it hovered out in space, it began running calculations in its mind.

"King J-Der presence confirmed. G and J have joined forces."

It cocked its head to one side.

"Threat level: Infinity."

* * *

_I thought I'd end it here. I wanted it to go on for a little longer, but I figure I'd finish this part up next time. Maybe I'm suffering a bit from writer's block..._


	70. Chapter 48 Ra Calium

_Yep. Still more Shin Mazinger. Don't worry, Gurren Lagann's plot will be coming up before long! Oh, and have some Zeorymer plot while you're at it too! This section will probably take up two or three parts._

* * *

**Chapter 48 (Ra Calium) –Dark Truths Revealed! Climax Looms Ahead! (Pt. 1)**

Janus stumbled out of bed in the early hours of the morning after the incident with Kedora. Ever since seeing the slideshow about the Mu and Mycenae civilizations, he had been thinking about so many different things.

The Mycenae ruins on Mars came to mind. Akira had explained that the Mycenae had the ability to travel in space and even move between dimensions, as did the Mu. Therefore, it explained the existence of the Mycenae ruins on Mars in Tara's world, and why the Dr. Hell of that world was seeking to revive Mycenae as well. But if Ashura was a Mycenae, then how could there be two of them?

Thankfully, that Dr. Hell had long ago been brought to justice. After being convicted of numerous crimes against humanity to which he had admitted (thanks to Lelouch's Geass, which he knew nothing of), he was sentenced to dozens of life sentences in solitary confinement without the possibility of parole, deep within the most secure prison in the Earth Sphere. There he would live out his days in silent darkness, five hundred feet beneath the surface of the Moon.

But the Dr. Hell of his own world was still roaming free, and Janus wondered if he could answer any of his questions.

His thoughts, however, were quickly brought back to the current state of things. He saw a sickly-looking Tsubasa Nishikori standing at the back of the room, staring at something on the far wall in abject terror.

He looked over in that direction, and did see something there – a barely visible cloud of vaguely human-shaped purple mist.

It stood up from its kneeling position started walking towards him. But before Janus could move, the apparition suddenly walked right into him...but it was as if he was nothing but air.

Tsubasa, however, suddenly started scowling, a look of sheer insanity in his eyes. To Janus' shock, she drew a knife made of Super Alloy Z and lunged at him. He barely managed to dodge in time.

"Whoa! Mistress, what the hell's gotten into you?!"

"Go away, go away, go awaaaaaay!" she cried, charging again. Janus was barely able to avoid each slice and stab as he backed through the hall.

"Tsubasa, it's me, Janus! From DREAM! Kouji's friend! Your guest!"

"Shut up!" the mistress screamed. "Why are you even here?! SHUT...UUUUUUP!"

Sai Saici was the first to wake up as a result of this noise She saw Tsubasa attacking Janus and quickly decided to act. With great speed and agility, he dashed up behind the crazed mistress and tackled her, causing her to drop the knife. But Tsubasa's fury was so great that she wasn't held there for long. She managed to throw Sai off of her, grab the sharp blade and continue her attack.

Finally, she backed Janus against the wall. She held him by the throat and raised the knife to stab him, grinning and chuckling.

She looked down suddenly and saw several other members of DREAM, including Juzo and Kouji gathered below her.

"Stay back! I'm going to send him back to the other side where he belongs!" she cried threateningly, her eyes wild like a rabid beast's.

"Take it easy, lady!" Chibodee yelled.

"Mistress, what's going on?!" Kouji cried. He still wasn't ready to acknowledge Tsubasa as his mother.

"He's come to take IT back!" the mistress said with a sneer; "I won't let him...I can't!"

"Take what back?!" Kouji asked. He heard the light steps of someone coming up behind Tsubasa.

"You saw it in the images Raideen showed us! You must have as well, Professor Kabuto! Now stay back or I'll..."

But Sai soon reappeared, smacking the mistress in the head with a flying kick before pushing back off the wall, grabbing the knife in midair and sliding to a stop on the smooth wooden floors. He looked up and grinned at how awesome he must have looked.

"Why...why now..." Tsubasa groaned as she collapsed. Kouji rushed up and caught her as she fell. Juzo followed close behind, looking at his pupil with concern.

Both of them looked up and saw someone gazing at them coldly.

Tetsuya Tsurugi's ghost.

* * *

Later that morning, a cloaked and hooded figure entered the resort just as Viral was walking by. Cross, in the meantime, was manning the front desk.

"You. Take me to the mistress." the figure said in a voice that sounded like two people were talking in unison. Viral recognized it almost immediately. He was about to strike at the figure when Cross held out his hand.

"Wait," the ex-criminal said; "I doubt this person would have come marching straight up to our doors in broad daylight if they had malicious intentions. Isn't that right, Baron Ashura?"

The figure removed its hood to reveal that very two-faced servant of Dr. Hell.

* * *

Rain was completely baffled. Even with the limited medical supplies available, she felt that she should be able to determine what was ailing the now ill Tsubasa - and yet she couldn't. Dr. Kabuto and Akira were watching over her, while Judau, Puru, and Simon had come in to check up on her, though they seemed nervous, as if they sensed something hostile.

Her face was ghostly pale, and heavy bags formed under her eyes, as if she hadn't slept in months. But there were no signs of any sort of infection, internal damage or the like. It was if something was sucking the very life out of her at a slow but deliberate rate.

Cross soon appeared at the door with Baron Ashura right behind him. Judau and Simon stood up, but neither Juzo nor Tsubasa looked at all alarmed to see the two-faced being. In fact, Juzo stood up to cordially greet him.

"Baron Ashura."

"Juzo Kabuto."

Ashura took one glance at Tsubasa, and immediately seemed to know what was wrong with her. But she addressed him first.

"Ashura...do you see it? Surely the old man and I aren't the only ones who can see it."

"I see nothing," Ashura's female half said.

Tsubasa smirked. "Then it must be a trick of Pygman's."

"Pygman?" Puru asked; "Is he like a manbearpig or something?"

"No...He must be one of Dr. Hell's flunkies," Judau replied. No one in DREAM had ever encountered Pygman before.

"Even if I can't see it, I can sense it," Ashura's male half said. "There's no mistaking it."

"I sense it too," Judau said. He concentrated as he stared at the spot where Ashura and Tsubasa had been looking. The young Newtype managed to see a human-shaped mass of purple haze, albeit more clearly than Janus had, in the place where Tetsuya's ghost was sitting.

"If Pygman's involved, the cause is obvious," Juzo concluded; "That shaman must have summoned up HIS ghost to drain her life force."

"You're serious, Dr. Kabuto?" Rain said skeptically; "A ghost?"

"Thank you for your diagnosis," Tsubasa said; "I appreciate it."

"It benefits us as well," both halves of Ashura said. "If you don't mind, we'd like to keep our head down here for a while. We must also have a word with Juzo and the pilot of Raideen."

"Sure," the mistress replied; "Besides, I doubt he's going to leave either...right, Tetsuya?"

* * *

Miku quietly sat in the meditation garden, trying hard not to let Tsubasa's condition bother her. Masato was elsewhere, doing some system checks on Zeorymer.

Though she knew that it was the boy's reason for being, she was starting to regret forcing Masato to pilot the powerful robot. 'Other Masato' was starting to take over more and more frequently, and for longer periods of time - and as timid as normal Masato was, she liked him so much better.

Miku wondered if anyone knew what was truly going on with him. Suddenly, she felt someone grab her from behind, and yank her into the ground - or more specifically, a Threshold.

The next thing she knew, the girl was in a throne room of some sort. She looked up and saw Yuratei sitting on the throne. She turned around and saw the faceless visage of Kushiel.

"Most impressive, Kushiel," Yuratei said to the angel. "I had not anticipated that you would be quite so literal when you said that she would be in our hands in the blink of an eye."

"You're..." Miku gasped.

"Yes. I am Yuratei, leader of Hau Dragon," the empress replied. "I am the one who commands the Hakkeshu. Kushiel, I will fulfill my part of our deal as promised. For now, leave us."

Kushiel nodded and disappeared into a Threshold. Yuratei looked down at Miku as she pondered what to do with her...

* * *

"So, how is your new body holding up, Lorelei?" Xengar asked the girl when they met in the hallway not far from the meditation garden. "I know its not the one your father made, but..."

"No, Xengar - Shiro's grandpa did a great job!" the android girl answered happily. "He followed my father's blueprints exactly, so it's just like my old one!"

She twirled around once to show it off, and as she did, she caught sight of Masato, who had completed his maintenance on Zeorymer hours ago. An expression of worry was on his face, as if he was having trouble finding something precious to him.

"Masato? What's wrong?" Lorelei asked, seeing the teen's discomfort.

"Have you guys seen Miku? I've looked just about everywhere in Kurogane House for her, but I can't seem to find her. It's like she just up and vanished."

"Last I checked, she was in the meditation garden," Xengar replied. "Maybe she's still there?"

"Maybe," Masato said; "That IS the one place I haven't looked yet."

"C'mon, let's go!" Lorelei said. The three walked over to the meditation garden.

To their surprise, they saw Akira there, examining the ground. Masato approached the pilot of Raideen.

"Akira, you didn't happen to see Miku in here, did you?" Zeorymer's pilot asked.

Akira shook his head, but seemed to know what the cause of the girl's disappearance was.

"No. But I believe she was kidnapped," he said grimly. "Possibly by an agent of Arubboth."

"Kidnapped?!" Masato exclaimed, shocked at the idea. "But how can you tell?"

Akira pointed to a large, shallow and circular indentation in the ground.

"Look at the ground. Doesn't it look exactly like a Threshold does?"

"Threshold?" Lorelei said quizzically. "You mean those portals that let you guys travel between universes? Shiro told me about those, but I've never seen one!"

"Yes," Akira said. "But the Threshold is primarily used to travel between two points in space instantaneously."

"But now the question is, who was Arubboth doing the dirty work for?" Xengar said, rubbing his chin.

"Hau Dragon would be my guess," a voice came from behind them. They turned around to see a face they hadn't expected to see in quite some time, if ever again.

"Oki?!" Masato exclaimed. "W-what are you doing here?"

"I've been sent to...keep an eye on things," Oki replied. "I must say I'm disappointed in you for letting the fire and water Hakkeshu mechs escape when you fought the Guyana Highlands. In all likelihood they will come here, where there is a much greater chance of civilian casualties."

"I-I'm sorry..." the boy said meekly.

"On the other hand," the man in sunglassed continued; "I must commend you for dealing with the Devil Gundam so handily. Then again, it is due to the power of the Dimensional Coupler System."

"Dimensional Coupler System?" Xengar asked.

"Yes. It was invented by the same man who built Zeorymer and the other Hakkeshu robots. We're not sure how it exactly works, but we do know what it can do - it can generate explosions anywhere, even in a vacuum. It also allows Zeorymer to bend spacetime to travel relatively short distances instantly, and to protect itself with an incredibly strong barrier."

_That sounds very similar to Threshold technology_, Xengar thought; _Could there be a deeper connection between the Hakkeshu, the Arubboth and the Zohar?_

* * *

"Hey! Fa! Kamille! Four!" Judau called out as he entered one of the tea rooms in Kurogane House. "Roux and Elle are here!"

"Oh, hello," Fa said pleasantly when she saw her two old friends in the doorway. She, Kamille and Four were all dressed in fine robes and sat on low mats. "It's been some time since we've seen each other, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, it's nice to see you again!" Kamille said emphatically, much to the girls' surprise.

"Kamille...you're..." Roux said, shocked to hear Kamille speak normally for the first time.

"Yep. It took a long time, but Fa finally got the old Kamille back!" Judau said proudly. "Now he's piloting the Zeta Gundam again!"

"No, it was because of..." Fa said humbly before Four elbowed her.

"Fa's just being modest," Four said, having heard the full story about the sacred fountain in the other world. "She and Kamille spent every day together, working together to fit the pieces of his mind back in their place."

"And what about you, Four?" Elle asked. "Judau told us that you...y'know..."

"Four, you don't have to..." Fa said, placing a gentle hand on Four's shoulder. But the Cyber-Newtype was strong enough now to face the memory of that time.

"I survived that battle, but was recaptured by some remnants of the Titans called the New Desides. They brainwashed me again, and made me test a new model for the Psyco Gundam."

Elle and Roux gasped, understandably horrified by that idea.

"But then, a man named Ryoma Nagare came," the Cyber-Newtype continued. "I fought with him and his black Getter Robo - and when I exposed its core, I got a dose of Getter Rays, which somehow undid all the brainwashing without affecting my abilities. Thus, I kept the model I was testing so that it didn't fall into the wrong hands."

"Getter Rays?" Elle exclaimed. "The same radiation that caused three quarters of the Earth's surface to essentially die? Wow, that's..."

"C'mon, let's not get hung up on the past," Judau interrupted. "Let's concentrate a little more on the now!"

"Yes, that tea smells divine!" Elle said, taking a few sniffs of the air and smiling.

* * *

"Another one? Seriously, Amuro?" Chan exclaimed when she saw the Londo Bell commander working on yet another new mobile suit in the privacy of their shared room. "You just got finished with the Alex B-TYPE. Give it a rest, will you?"

"I can't...I had a dream last night that got me thinking."

Chan lay down on the bed next to him and smooched him on the cheek.

"Tell me about it. Maybe it will make you feel better."

Amuro sighed.

"Last night, I dreamed that I was fighting Char...he was trying to drop yet another colony on our heads, and I was fighting him in the Nu Gundam...but he was piloting something new - a bulky machine that resembles his Sazabi, but was bulkier, and almost...alien in appearance. In spite of its size, it was too fast for Nu to keep up with."

"But then, another Gundam came to my rescue - it looked similar to the Nu, but had these wings...it looked like they had funnels as well. And then I heard the voice of that Coordinator boy, Kira. He told me to combine with his Gundam. We did, and the Nu became something more powerful."

He showed Chan the blueprint - it was a Gundam that indeed resembled the Nu, but had wings somewhat similar to the Freedom Gundam's.

"It became this. I call it...Hi-Nu Gundam."

* * *

"You're truly a good sport, Char Aznable," Wong Yunfat said humorously over the phone. "I'll make preparations to transport the package right away. You can just keep Axis chugging right along, and we'll meet somewhere in the middle, okay?"

Master Asia listened to all this in silence. He knew that his words must have somehow reached Char Aznable. Perhaps it was Haman Khan, his pink-haired cohort, that had been able to convince him. She was quite receptive to his words. Regardless, the preparations were in motion. The Devil Gundam, which had managed to survive even Zeorymer's ultimate attack, was going to have a new body and a new home.

"Don't worry, I'll find something to keep the top brass busy," the governor said. "I am the top official of the Earth Federation, after all. Anyway, we'll chat again some other time, I've gotta prepare for the next match. Later!"

With that, he hung up the phone and turned to what appeared to be a massive chessboard with numerous oversized pieces, each one representing a Gundam.

"So, looks like everything's moving forward as planned," Wong said excitedly. "You did splendidly, Tohou Fuhai. Now...on to the matter at hand. It seems little Allenby Beardsley is tearing the competition to shreds! But I wonder...just what is the full extent of her abilities? How can we truly test them?"

Master Asia could already tell what Wong's choice was going to be. He watched as the piece that represented God Gundam moved towards its next foe...

* * *

One would never think that Neo Sweden would be the kind of country that desired to create the ultimate soldier. And yet they did, and were willing to even use an orphan girl to get it.

This was Allenby's life in a nutshell.

Of course, it wasn't all bad - she was beloved by her fellow Neo-Swedes, and would have lived in abject poverty otherwise. But recently she had been able to add another blessing to her list.

That she had met the people in DREAM. Even though she had only stayed with them until the start of the finals, Allenby found them to be among the nicest and most enjoyable people to be around. In particular, she found herself drawn to Domon Kasshu, Neo-Japan's Gundam Fighter. She admired a lot of the things about him - but what she truly like about him was how much of a fight he could put up against her.

That's why she was excited, rather than afraid, to have Domon as her next opponent. She stood in the cockpit of Nobel Gundam, Neo-Sweden's Gundam. Unlike virtually every other Gundam in the tournament, it had a distinctly female shape. What was more, it had an outfit that was more akin to a cross between a sailor outfit and the uniform of a Japanese schoolgirl. It even had long yellow "hair" coming out of its head.

"Kinda reminds me of those solar system...sailor...girls from that one show..." Misato said. She watched from the stands with Asuka, Shinji, Kittan and Yoko.

"I swear," Asuka grumbled, "If Allenby pulls any Moon Tiara Magic crap, I'm gonna blow a gasket."

"I bet Tara would be going gaga over that Gundam!" Yoko quipped.

"I thought she was into manly giant robots like in that _Gekiganger 3 _show," Kittan replied.

"C'mon guys, let's watch," Shinji interrupted.

Not far from Allenby's position, two Neo-Swedish pit crew members watched from a control platform.

"We're going to go with Plan C as always," one of her crew said.

"No - not this time," she replied; "I'm going to fight Domon using only my own abilities. If you don't let me, I'll refuse to fight any more matches!"

"Forget that she said that," said the other staff member, a man in his early fifties that wore glasses and had neatly combed grey hair. who appeared to be the head of Allenby's support team. "Prepare the Hypno Wave System."

"No...we mustn't disrupt her mental balance right before a match," the first staff member answered. "Let's watch and see how she does. It's not like she's completely untrained."

"Hey, Domon!" Allenby called out.

"Allenby, you ready to do this?" Domon said eagerly. He was quite excited to fight her as well. Unlike Rain, the girl was always willing to speak her mind, and shared many of the same interests he did. But the way she was able to express her soul in her fists made sparring with her incredibly fun.

"Alrighty, here I come!" the

"Let's show this crowd what an ultimate battle is!"

"GUNDAM FIGHT!" Wong called out from his distant perch.

"Ready..."

"GOOOO!"

The two Gundams rushed at each other and collided in a flurry of fists. Allenby backed off and created a hoop made of beam energy.

"Nobel...Beam...Hoop!"

She tossed the hoop at Domon, who slashed it away with God Gundam's beam saber. He closed in again and unleashed a flurry of blows too quick for most people to track. But Allenby could, and avoided each strike so gracefully that it seemed the very air the punches displaced was pushing her away. Allenby countered with a flurry of her own, but Domon dodged them just as easily.

The crowd clearly enjoyed it, as they started cheering wildly. Rain meanwhile, could only watch with mixed feelings.

"They're...having fun. They're treating their match like a game..."

Of course, this sort of behavior did not go over her support crew, who really acted more like her handlers.

"This is taking too long," the head of the support crew said angrily. "Activate the system."

"But sir, look!" the other support member said, gesturing out toward where Nobel Gundam and God Gundam were going at it. "She's shining...Allenby Beardsley, who hates the Gundam Fight..."

"Activate it. That's an order."

The other support crew member looked down at the console. With a heavy heart, he activated the device. Behind them, what appeared to be a sort of complex radar dish began to glow red.

Suddenly, Allenby stopped as her brain was suddenly shocked by a painful red energy, and she began to scream in pain, clutching her head as the Hypno Wave System went to work. By driving her berserk, the system would supposedly bring out her full strength, then amp it up to 120 percent. But it also had an additional effect - it allowed a computer, developed by Neo Sweden, to exert control over her actions.

The girl's body and Gundam were engulfed in a red aura as her entire eye began to glow blood red, and her hair stood up almost on end. Nobel Gundam's hair also started to flare out.

The crowd, unsure of what to make of this, could only gape on in horrified bewilderment. This particularly struck a terrifying chord with Misato.

_This is...this is just like how the Dummy Plug System controls Evangelions..._

Allenby, now completely consumed with a heartless battle fury, launched herself at Domon at breakneck speed, striking him with horrific force with each pass.

_These fists,_ Domon thought, saddened by Allenby's sudden wild change of style; _They're so cold...there's no soul in them. It's just like when I was fighting that DG Cell copy of Master..._

Finally, God Gundam was sent flying into a massive rock, which shattered when it was struck by the fighting machine. But the sadness he felt over Allenby's state only strengthened his resolve - this in turn awakened Domon's _meikyo shisui_, activating God Gundam's Hyper Mode.

God Gundam got back to its feet and approached Allenby. Unlike Neo-Sweden's fighter, Domon's power came from his serene state of mind.

"Allenby...try to remember. This wasn't the kind of battle we wanted to show people! People like us - we only know how to express our feelings through our fists. But now that there's no soul in yours, I have no interest in finishing our match. It's not fun anymore."

The crowd gasped when they heard those words.

"Grrr...Neo Japan is treating us like a toy!" the man in glasses scowled. "Turn the system up all the way! I will not stand for this!"

His subordinate hesitated, which prompted the enraged scientist to push him aside.

"Yes...Berserker Mode...Full Power!"

Allenby screamed as the Hypno Wave System went into overdrive, driving her deeper into insanity while at the same time augmenting her abilities even further.

Shinji looked away, terrified at seeing this, when he spotted something else offshore.

A small army of Talos and Groizer X10 copies were flying right toward the arena from a ruined part of the city. But what was all the morejarring was what appeared to be leading them...

* * *

Tsubasa could only stare in further horror at the approaching leader of Dr. Hell's forces - a robot that looked very much like Mazinger Z, However, the top of its head was shorter and slightly more jagged - its Pilder was a motorcycle as opposed to a plane.

All the same, the appearance of this Mazinger lookalike chilled the already ill Tsubasa to the very bone. It unleashed a Photon Beam that swept across one part of the city, explosively leveling several city blocks, turning it into a blazing inferno in a matter of moments before continuing on its way.

And then!

And then the mistress cried out!

The name of that gigantic shadow!

**ENERGEEEEEEER! ZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETTO!**

* * *

_I really hope I handled that last bit well. If this seems too filler-ish, rest assured that Part 2 is going to be action-packed and plot-heavy! Until next time, mecha fans!_


	71. Chapter 48 Nadesico

_Time for Part 2, and definitely one of my longer chapters! Hope you enjoy it, it took a long time to write!_

* * *

**Chapter 48 (Nadesico) – Space Stations Under Siege! Unholy Alien Alliance! (Part 2)**

"What do you MEAN, Basara lost his voice?!" Tara cried when she heard the news from Ray and Mylene. "You mean to tell me that the greatest musician of all time can no longer sing?!"

"That's the long and short of it," Ray replied sadly. "We're not completely sure how it exactly happened."

Mylene, however, seemed to have a pretty good idea of the cause.

"This fighting...it must be all this fighting we've dragged him in to," she said, her face full of sadness and regret. "More than anything else, Basara hates hurting people, even if it's to protect someone he cares about. The only reason he's stayed for so long is that feels like there's no one else who can deal with the Protodevlin. I wish there was something we could do."

As it happened, Liger Shishioh and another scientist, a portly and homely Japanese man with glasses walked by and overheard the conversation.

"Don't worry, my pretty little lady!" Liger said. "I've been working with Dr. Chiba here on a project of his that just so happens to be relevant to our current dilemma."

"In fact, I'd need you, Ray and Veffidas to come with us down to Testing Chamber R-4 later," Dr. Chiba replied. "We'll call for you when the time comes."

* * *

"Hello, Mister Koutaro," Lacus said to Taiga pleasantly as Renais led her off the transport vessel they had used to bring her to GGG Orbit Base. "Thank you again for your hospitality." Zero, Yurika and Murrue were also present as well.

"As fellow allies of peace and justice, we felt it was our duty to protect someone as influential as you," Taiga replied. "As it stands, the moderate faction holds little to no sway over the PLANT Supreme Council now that Patrick Zala is running things."

"However, Miss Clyne," Taiga continued; "You still have the power to sway the citizens of PLANT toward the path of peace."

Lacus sighed. She knew all too well just how much rested on her shoulders - but it was a burden that she felt obligated to carry.

"Renais, please let me stay here," the singer then said. "I...would rather remain here with GGG than go to Orb as we had originally planned." Taiga might have protested, but they could clearly see that Lacus had made up her mind.

"HARO! HARO! I'M FINE AND SO ARE YOU!" Lacus' pink Haro chimed in.

Renais nodded and returned to the ship to depart for Earth while Lacus and the heads of DREAM moved to another room to continue their own discussion.

* * *

"I don't see why we should cooperate with them," J whispered to Kaidou as they waited to speak with Taiga aboard the Orbit Base. "They have no grasp of just how dangerous the Primevals are!"

"They defeated Pasder," Kaidou replied. "Isn't that enough?"

"But then they lost to the Empire that even now controls your adopted homeland of Japan!"

"That was because..." Kaidou said.

"...Because of what?" a familiar female voice said.

J looked up ahead to see C.C. head in their direction. He recognized her from back during that school festival before the Black Rebellion.

"C.C, what a surprise," J said.

"Hello, Pizza," the green-haired young woman said.

"I told you...I am NOT Pizza!" J said with an annoyed and brash tone. "I am Soldato-J!"

"Sure, if you say so, Pizza," C.C. said, smirking a little, knowing that she was getting on his nerves.

"Silence, woman!" J bellowed.

"Whatever you say, Sir Pepperoni with Mushrooms."

"I said silence!"

Without thinking, J swatted C.C. hard.

So hard, in fact that her neck snapped.

Kaidou gasped in horror, and J took a few steps back when he realized what he had done.

"J...you...you..."

But he was further shocked when she got up after several seconds of lying on the floor seemingly dead. She carefully adjusted her neck and neatly set it back into place.

"You should be glad I can't die, Pizza. Everyone in this outfit would be gunning for your heads on a spit if you actually did kill me. "

"I think you should just let her call you 'Pizza', J."

The long-nosed warrior sighed.

"Very well...Pizza it is," J sighed.

* * *

Athrun, spotted it - GGG's golden Orbit Base, which shone brilliantly in the reflected sunlight. It was there, Lacus told him, where Kira was supposed to be. There he would find out the truth of his ex-fiance's statements.

The Justice Gundam resembled the Aegis somewhat, but it had a flight pack that was similar to the Float Systems now being used on some Britannian Knightmare Frames, had a greater amount of close combat weaponry than its predecessor.

He opened up a comm channel to try and speak with the people running the base.

"Come in, Orbit Base. My name is Athrun Zala, officer of ZAFT. I do not wish to fight, only to talk. More specifically, I'd like to speak with Kira Yamato and Nicol Amalfi. Permission to come aboard."

A hatch opened up in the upper part of the space station after a few moments. Athrun swallowed anxiously and entered. Would he find dear friends there, or hated enemies?

He landed inside the hangar, where he saw the three ships - the _Nadesico_, the _Archangel _and the _Ikaruga_. He also spotted many of DREAM's own machines - including the Freedom Gundam and Harmony Gundam. Numerous GGG workers helped guide his Gundam into a decent parking place, and allowed him to get out.

As he entered the room beyond, Athrun came face to face with something else he recognized - Birdy.

"BIRDY!" the robotic bird chirped as it hovered in place before landing on his shoulder. He looked further into the room, and sure enough, saw Kira and Nicol waiting for him, along with Mu La Flaga. There was no mistaking it - these two were the friends he remembered.

"Kira...Nicol...you're alive."

"It's good to see you too, Athrun," Nicol said, reflexively performing a quick ZAFT salute.

"Nicol...did you really...join them? You really joined the Earth Alliance forces?"

"Not exactly," Kira said. "I heard from our captain that the Earth Alliance has designated DREAM as a rogue force."

"I take it ZAFT did the same thing?" Nicol asked. Athrun nodded in response.

"Yep. Just about every power in the Earth Sphere wants us dead," Mu said bluntly. "I think the only entities left for us to trust are Orb and GGG."

"When the world is run by men like Muruta Azrael, Charles zi Britannia and Patrick Zala," Zero said as he suddenly entered the room, having overheard the conversation from outside. Athrun turned around to face the masked leader of the Black Knights, still offended that anyone would slander his father.

"You...you're Zero, the guy who led the Black Rebellion!" the blue-haired Coordinator exclaimed.

"And you must be Athrun, Patrick Zala's son", Zero replied. "I've heard about you from Yamato and Amalfi. Coming here on your own was a daring move, and such courage is commendable."

"I only came to confirm that my friends were alive," Athrun replied suspiciously; "And to determine why they had chosen to fight alongside you, a wanted terrorist."

"The only people I intend to strike fear into the hearts of," the masked man replied, "are those who oppress the weak and the powerless, and cause pointless strife to satisfy their own greed and desire."

Athrun looked back at Kira and Nicol. This sounded like something they would get behind. But before he could truly decide whether to confront Kira and Nicol in battle, he had to confirm his father's intentions.

"Well, I think I've heard enough. Now if you'll excuse me..."

But as he started to leave, he ran into Gai Murakumo and Kyoshiro Tohdoh, who immediately grabbed him, much to Kira's and Nicol's shock.

"Zero!" Kira cried. "Let him go - he's our friend!"

"I cannot assume that he came all this way just to check up on you," the masked man replied. "In all likelihood, he came to take back your two Gundams. After all, the Freedom and Harmony were both designed and manufactured by ZAFT."

Athrun sighed, realizing that struggling wasn't going to do much good. "Yes...I was assigned that mission by my fath...I mean, the Chairman of the Supreme Council," he admitted; "But please, you have to believe me - I had no intention of doing so until I knew what Kira and Nicol were fighting for!"

"You expect Zero to believe that?" Tohdoh said coldly.

"So, what shall we do with him?" Gai asked Zero.

"Take him to the _Archangel_'s hold and lock him in there. I'll be assigning someone else to guard him this time...I can't exactly trust you completely after that Jovian escaped with two members of the Nadesico's bridge crew, Murakumo."

_Don't tell me we're going to do THIS again! _Kira thought, angry at the possibility of Zero using his friend as a bargaining chip.

"You..." Kira growled. "You...you hypocrite!"

"Kira, we'll treat him just as well as we treated Lacus..." Mu said, reassuringly.

"That's not the point!" Kira yelled angrily. "You're just like the people we're fighting against - holding someone hostage to gain an advantage over them tactically is the worst kind of...!"

"Athrun admitted that he was ordered to capture the Freedom and Harmony," Zero said in a strong, commanding tone; "Therefore we cannot allow him to leave. He can either fight alongside us or remain imprisoned for as long as we see fit."

"But I was from ZAFT, and you let me join without any questions!" Nicol protested.

"That is because you fought to protect the _Archangel _in its hour of need. If Athrun is willing to put his life on the line for our cause, then he can be trusted. Until then, there is no other rational option."

Kira and Nicol sighed, realizing that Zero wasn't going to change his mind, and that there was some truth to his words. They watched silently as Gai and Tohdoh led him away...

* * *

Mylene, Ray, Veffidas, Liger and Dr. Chiba arrived at one of GGG Orbit Base's test facilities. Not far from the door was a large computer console with numerous screens for receiving, processing and displaying data. Near the console was a towering device that seemed almost alien in design, and on the ground was a bulky metal object that somewhat resembled a vest that was unzipped. One of the parts of the vest appeared to have a microphone attached. An electric guitar, a bass guitar, a keyboard and a drum set completed the picture. Also in the room was Mic Sounders the 13th, in his Boom Robo form.

"Hey, Fire Bomber!" Mic said in his usual rock-star-like manner.

"What is that thing?" Mylene said, gazing wondrously at the towering device.

"Perhaps it would be best if we had some context," Liger said. "Dr. Chiba, why don't you do the honors?"

The portly scientist cleared his throat and began.

"I'm sure you all know about the day fifteen years ago? The day when the Zentradi came to our planet and contained the damage caused by Second Impact?"

The three Fire Bomber members nodded.

"They used a mysterious energy that is closely linked to Spiritia. Ever since I heard that they had not only contained Second Impact, but caused all warfare to cease on the entire planet, my future was decided. Over the course of my university education and beyond, I sought to understand how and why it worked using scientific principles...and within the past year, with the help of GGG and Liger Shishioh, I have arrived at an answer - Song Energy!"

At that moment, Taiga, Lacus and Guy happened by, and decided to listen and watch..

"Song Energy, as Basara has shown in the past, has enormous potential," Dr Chiba continued; "It has the power to hamper or even harm the Protodevlin and their minions the Varauta...but in sufficient quantities, it may be able to affect time and space itself!"

Lacus gasped. The power of a song to move people was one thing, but to reshape reality?

"But to do that, it must first be harnessed - this is the purpose of the Song Energy System, you must first put this on." Mylene approached Dr. Chiba, who slipped the bulky-looking metal vest on to her. It closed around Mylene's body enough to ensure a snug but comfortable fit, and she immediately noticed that the vest was far lighter than it looked.

"Now, Mylene, please begin singing and playing. Ray, you and Veffidas can accompany her. Mic, you do so as well."

Mylene took a deep breath, then launched into Planet Dance, while everyone, particularly Lacus, watched with great interest, though they all quickly started bobbing their heads to the beat and melody.

Dr. Chiba and one of his assistants, meanwhile, watched as a number onscreen that represented the amount of song energy being generated.

"300 Chiba Song Units..." the assistant said, watching the numbers rise over the course of several minutes. "350...400...500...650...800...950...the 1,000 unit threshold has been reached!"

"Activate the energy converter now!" Dr. Chiba said. The machine behind Mylene started up. But nothing appeared to happen.

"Taiga, nothing's happening," Lacus said, puzzled as to what was going on.

"Guy, get the lights, would you?" Liger asked.

Guy nodded and flipped off the light switch near the door. Everyone gasped to see a small sphere of sparkling white light had formed near the microphone, and began to surround Mylene, then emanate out into the room. The sphere then flashed and disappeared, only to be replaced by a large white aura that wavered and swayed like a candle's flame in a gentle breeze. Everyone was in complete awe.

"Yeah! It works, Doctor Liger!" Mic said excitedly.

Just as Mylene finished the song, the aura slowly shrunk back into her body. Guy flipped the lights back on afterward.

"Excellent work, Mylene!" Dr. Chiba said proudly. "And I thought Basara was the only one with that kind of potential!" Mylene grinned widely and hopped up and down, giddy with excitement.

"May...I try?" Lacus asked. Dr. Chiba and Liger nodded. Mylene removed the vest and slipped it onto the Coordinator pop star. It fit just as snugly and comfortably. The process started up again, and Lacus began to sing.

"350...400...550...555...560..."

Lacus was excited. She was going to do it!

"..555...560...555...sir, it doesn't seem like she can go any higher."

Dr. Chiba sighed. It was a good try, but only Fire Bomber's music and Mic Sounders' Discs seemed to be able to break the 1,000 unit threshold.

Lacus, however, was baffled. It was practically known across PLANT that her voice had the power to move hearts and win over the people who listened to her...so why couldn't she break the threshold?

"Mylene just rocks more!" Mic chimed in.

Somehow, that struck a nerve with her. For the first time since she began her singing career, she began to doubt herself. Was she really winning people over because she was a great singer and lyricist, or was it because she was Siegel Clyne's daughter? Was she nothing more than the face of her father's agenda, as benevolent as it was?

Lacus' face, usually the very picture of calmness and serenity, turned to one of absolute distress and fear while her chest started to throb with pain, as if someone was trying to rip her heart out of it. She pulled off the vest and rushed out of the room, trying to hold back tears.

Everyone in the room saw Lacus' distress and looked up at Mic with expressions of disappointment and anger. It was only then that he realized why his words hurt her so.

But before they could do much, alarms started going off. The Primevals and Protodevlin were back.

"Oh dear...and the Sound Boosters are still on Macross," Dr. Chiba said despondently.

"Diamond Force can deliver 'em, can't they?" Ray asked.

"Good idea!" Mylene said. "I'll go warn Papa and Gamlin right away!"

* * *

The enemy numbers were slightly reduced from the last battle, but now the Primevalswere front and center. On DREAM's side was the J-Ark, the white battleship. They agreed to a temporary alliance in order to deal with the mighty Primevals.

"Heh, to think I'd be fighting alongside them," J said as it stood at the helm of the J-Ark.

"IT WAS THE BEST OPTION," said Tomoro, the ship's computer. Tomoro was the true form of the Machine King Pinchernone, just as J was the true form of Pizza.

"I'm glad you weren't so stubborn, either," Kaidou added. "I was expecting that you'd resist working with them to the very end."

"No more words!" J declared. "The enemy approaches!"

One of the Varauta battleships extended a massive, stony arm from its bottom, and rushed at J-Ark. However, the Primevals were once again hampered - without Eye Primeval to anticipate the enemy's movements, they couldn't fight as well.

And it didn't help that Mylene was on the field either.

"Everyone, listen to my song!" she declared, before launching into her own personal theme, My Friends. While it wasn't the hot-blooded rock tune that Basara played, it did keep DREAM's spirits high, especially with the addition of the Sound Energy System.

But all the same, Arm managed to catch J-Ark in the bend of its arm.

"Hah! Your fate was sealed on that day on the Red Planet! Now, perish!"

But before Arm could crush J-Ark, the shadowy blur that was Ryoma's Black Getter rushed and slashed at the possessed battleship with a Tomahawk, causing the Primeval to lose his grip on the white ship.

"I've got this one...GETTER! BEAAAAAM!"

Ryoma fired his Getter Beam at point blank range, shattering Arm Primeval's body to pieces in one hit, and allows J-Ark to escape.

However, the Primevals had an ace up their sleeve. Liver Primeval, who was hanging back, opened up the hatch on its body, and Arm began to regenerate before their very eyes.

"Fools! Have you forgotten my power?" Liver laughed.

Kira, hearing this, realized that if they were going to defeat the Primevals, Liver had to be taken out. He sped the Freedom Gundam towards Liver, but the others spotted him.

"He's targeting Liver! Stop him!" Intestine cried out. Nail, Ear and Rib all launched projectiles at Freedom, but the skilled Coordinator was able to dodge or slash them away.

This also gave other members of DREAM a chance to handle things.

"KAISER BLAAAAADE!"

Mazinkaiser was able to slash Nail in half with one good swing.

"PHANTOM RING! PLUS! BROKEN...PHANTOOOOOOM!"

Star GaoGaiGar (the new name for GaoGaiGar's space-flight-enabled version) launched a Broken Phantom at Ear, piercing its body in one shot as well. This was quickly followed up by a combination attack of the Red Frame's Gerbera Straight and Harmony Gundam's beam sabers.

Rib, meanwhile was struck right in its eye by the Guren mk II.

"I want to see you burst, Primeval!"

The Radiant Wave Surger in the Guren's claw poured energy into the Primeval, who couldn't handle the painful surge. Immediately following her was Tohdoh's Zangetsu, who used his rocket-propelled sword to slice the wounded alien in two.

Finally, Kira managed to reach Liver. He slowed Freedom down and readied all available weapons systems. Numerous dots denoting weak points on Liver's body structure appeared, which Kira quickly locked on to.

Kira let out a hot-blooded cry as he fired all of the Freedom's beams at once, creating a dazzling and destructive light show that struck Liver in all of its weak points. However, the Primeval quickly began to regenerate.

"Leave this to me!" J declared. "J-DER, PLUG OUT!"

The head of the ship transformed into a robot about the size of the Freedom Gundam. Tomoro assumed control of J-Ark itself.

"PLASMA WING!"

Eight purple wings of light extended from its body, and it used them to propel J-Der forward.

"PLASMA SWOOOOORD!"

J-Der extended two purple energy blades from its hands, but then put his hands together, creating a single larger one. It blasted through Liver, and appeared out the other end with a Zonder Core in hand.

However, Tara wasn't quite so lucky. She had decided to pick on Intestine, whose specialty was the creation of micro black holes.

"BLACK HOLE!"

Immediately, Lifthrasir was drawn into the gravity well and yanked inside. Kaidou immediately noticed this and suddenly rushed out of J-Ark, assuming his own winged form to fly safely through the vacuum of space.

"Kaidou! Where are you going?!" J called out.

_If they get a hold of HER, _Kaidou thought,_ then all is lost..._

"Wait!" Mamoru cried, and did the same to follow his classmate.

But before DREAM could follow, another massive energy blast ripped through the area. However, they were able to escape in time, and saw who had fired it - Glavil.

* * *

Tara found herself floating in a distorted, black and purple void outside of her mech. In desperation, she shifted to her rainbow-winged form, just as Kaidou and Mamoru appeared. While the green winged boy was relieved to see her all right, the red winged boy was not.

"...You!" he said with a scowl.

"Kaidou, she's our friend, Tara," Mamoru said, hoping to reassure him.

"No! This person is the true mastermind behind the 31 Machine Primevals..." Kaidou said angrily.

"What?!"

"Iophiel, the leader of Zohar, the ones who caused the Zonder Metal go out of control in the first place!"

Tara was baffled by Kaidou's revelation. SHE was the leader of Zohar, the angels that had been tormenting her from the beginning of her adventures? She had heard from Raziel that she was important to their plans...but being their leader was really a stretch.

"Hm-hm-hm-hm...I'm amazed you remember, Disaster Left by Abel," a woman's voice called out. A small, cloaked figure appeared before them. "I had expected that you would remember by now, Destruction Machine of Cain."

"Destruction Machine...of Cain?" Mamoru said. He knew he wasn't of this world, but a machine? That was news to Mamoru.

"Yes. The Destruction Machines of two of the Trinary Solar System's planets - the Red and Green Planets. Even though they were Mechanized long ago, still you oppose us?"

"What do you mean?" Mamoru said, interested in what Intestine Primeval had to say.

"It seems you truly don't remember. Very well. Your world was subsumed by the Zonder...every life form Mechanized, as Iophiel so commanded us. But Latio, son of Cain, was born with special powers that prevented him from becoming Zonderized."

"Latio..."

"To complement Latio," Kaidou said, "A device used to counteract both we Zonder and Zohar was developed...the G-Stone."

"Abel, leader of the Red Planet, studied the G-Stone and from it developed the J-Jewel. With the power of the J-Jewel, a copy of Latio was developed with improved psychokinetic powers - Arma."

Mamoru gasped. Kaidou was a clone of him? He flew backwards a bit in shock.

"Furthermore," Intestine continued. "He developed the cyborg warrior Soldato-J forces, along with a fleet of Space Battleship J-Arks to serve as weapons against us."

"Wait...so Pizza...I mean J...is just one of many?!" Tara exclaimed, trying to process all this. Kaidou, meanwhile, was starting to wonder just how much Tara remembered.

"It matters not. They could not stop the Mechanization of the Red Planet. And once I eliminate you two, the victory of we 31 Machine Primevals is assured!"

However, Mamoru, who had already known of his alien nature, shook off Intestine's attempt to demoralize him. Even as memories of the destruction of his old world began to return, he still faced forward with courage.

"No! I'm still Mamoru Amami of Earth! My mother is Ai Amami, and my father is Isamu Amami!"

Tara, also shaken by these revelations, heard Mamoru's words, and remembered.

"And I...I'm Tara Zifell! My mother is Haruhi Zifell, and my father is Gilbert Zifell...and the Earth is my home world too! I would never allow anyone to destroy a planet!"

"Destroy him, Black Hole!" Intestine cried out as a tentacle with a hole in it extended and began to draw everything into its gravity well. Before Tara and Mamoru could act, Kaidou got in the way, spread his arms out and fired a pink beam at her, which was sucked up by the black hole.

"Mamoru, Tara Zifell! You have to get out of here! I'll hold her off!"

"Kaidou...okay, I'm on it!"

Mamoru flew away, with Tara following close behind. But they didn't get far before she started feeling ill...she had no way of knowing what it was, but she too was succumbing to Spiral Poisoning. She returned to human form, and Mamoru quickly surrounded her in a telekinetic bubble before guiding her back into Lifthrasir's cockpit.

Meanwhile, Kaidou continued to match powers with Intestine Primeval.

"Arma, you've truly become like the denizens of that blue planet," Intestine said. "Perhaps it's because you've been living there for so long."

"No...I am a Destruction Machine," the red winged being declared; "Built to destroy you Machine Primevals!"

"Oh, are you sure you can do it?" Intestine chuckled. She allowed her hood to fly off, revealing the face of an aging woman.

"M-mother..." Kaidou gasped.

"Oh, my child, I've missed you so," Intestine said, using the voice of Kaidou's adoptive mother. "Please help me..."

The black hole disappeared, allowing the beam to strike the old woman's body.

"Mother!" Kaidou cried out, fearing the worst and dropping his guard. She grinned, and extended another tentacle at him, catching the boy unawares as she wrapped it around him tightly.

"Foolish boy...such is the weakness of humans!" Intestine laughed; "Now, this cell-destroying plasma will annihilate you! This is the end, Arma!"

But the boy would not be defeated so easily. The pendant he wore around his neck was one of the J-Jewels Abel had developed, and it began to shine brilliantly, filling him with a loud cry, he broke his bonds as his body emitted pure J-Jewel energy. Intestine Primeval generated another black hole to suck up the energy.

Seeing the stalemate, Tara turned Lifthrasir around and opened a pair of Thresholds - one in front of her, and one behind Intestine Primeval.

"So...this must be the J-Jewel's absolute defense wall..." Intestine grunted, unaware of what was about to happen; "Even so, you won't be able to move while keeping that up."

"And if you can't maintain your balance, you'll be sucked in by your own black hole," Kaidou replied with a small smirk.

Suddenly, a pair of beams shot out from the Threshold behind Intestine, with just enough force to knock her off balance. She was quickly sucked into the black hole, allowing Kaidou to back off. They took off after Mamoru, who had nearly escaped.

They couldn't see a white Threshold opened up where the black hole had been...and out came Intestine Primeval, unharmed but very, very annoyed.

_Iophiel...have you truly forgotten? Or has life on that blue planet blinded you to reality?_

* * *

Things weren't going terribly well against Glavil. Even as DREAM unloaded all its weaponry on it, it seemed to shrug off everything but their strongest attacks, and even those did relatively little damage. Even the song energy being generated by Mylene, aimed at point blank range, wasn't having any major effects. And it didn't help that they had to deal with Brain Primeval, who was hovering out of range, opening portals and yanking asteroids to use as projectiles. Indeed, half the force was focused on fighting Glavil, while the other half was busy destroying the incoming asteroids.

"Man this guy is strong...and fast, too!" Kallen grunted. "How are we supposed to kill it if even Mylene can't do anything?!" She saw it open its mouth, and quickly rushed away. However, it instead grabbed Mylene and prepared to consume her.

"Mylene!" Tetsuya cried out.

But suddenly, a red blur whizzed by and stopped just as Glavil's mouth started to close, and struggled to hold it open. Mylene was shocked to see who was: Basara.

He had been watching the battle from the sidelines the whole time, frustrated with being unable to do anything, and concerned for Mylene's safety. When he saw Glavil doing a number on his friends, he couldn't stand it anymore. He leaped into his Variable Fighter, which just had the Sound Boosters installed, and launched - just in time to stop Glavil's attempt to make Fire Bomber's bassist into a light snack.

As Mylene looked into the cockpit, she saw that Basara was trying his absolute hardest to sing. But still, no sounds came out of his mouth.

_Basara, please...let me help you for once..._

Mylene started to sing "My Friends" once more. The Sound Energy began to fill Basara, restoring his Spiritia...as well as his voice.

He had been singing Totsugeki Love Heart, but now his voice could heard, the Song Energy filling the void. Mylene, elated to hear Basara's voice again, began to sing along with him. Now working together, the power of the song lashed out at Glavil, causing him to cry out with pain.

Meanwhile, ChoRyuJin and Grendizer managed to slip away and go head to head with Brain Primeval.

"DOUBLE GUN!"

The combined robot opened fire with both guns, striking Brain with ease.

"DOUBLE HAKEN!"

Grendizer slashed Brain Primeval with its hakens, then smacked it into the portal, sending it far away.

Seeing that things had turned against them, the Primevals whipped out their trump card.

"PRIMEVAL...FUUUUUSION!"

The five remaining Primevals transformed into bits of purple energy, and they all rushed into the wounded Glavil, and began to change it. Even Tara, Mamoru and Kaidou were able to watch this.

It grew to twice its original size and incorporated the component Primevals into its form - its right arm became even bulkier; its left hand grew long, wicked claws; several ribs jutted out of its torso; its horns grew even longer; and its tail grew to several times the length of its body, coiling around its legs while its shape became that of intestines.

When that was done, the fused Primeval let out a great cry. The numerous asteroids that Brain Primeval had thrown, but had been destroyed by the various members of DREAM, began to gather and merge below the abomination, where it landed safely.

Everyone gaped in horror at this new monstrosity.

"That thing," Zero gasped. "Its energy is incredible!"

"It's as great..." Taiga gasped; "...No...it's an even greater monster than EI-01!"

"Send out the Mic Force!" Liger called out.

One by one, Mic Sounders the 13th and twelve other copies of him launched out of Orbit Base, and transformed.

"LET'S GO, MY BROTHERS!" Mic the 13th called out. "CIRCLE FORMATION!"

"Quickly, load Disk X!" Taiga ordered.

"DISC X! SET ON! DAZZLING DOUBLE V!"

The thirteen mechs loaded a new version of Disc X into their disc players.

"Everyone, back off!" Mikoto warned everyone. "The Mic Force is going to try a combined Solitary Wave attack!"

The Mic Force arranged themselves in a circular formation, and began to charge up as DREAM backed off.

"SOLITARY WAVE RISER...FIRE!" Taiga bellowed.

The thirteen musician robots fired at once, creating a massive blast of microwave energy that sped right for the combined Primeval. But it didn't seem to worry. It extended a barrier which seemed to entire absorb the beam, where it in fact disassembled it atom by atom.

"No way!" Kira exclaimed.

"It's undamaged!" Guy cried out.

"It didn't even scratch it," Ryoma growled; "This thing must be as powerful as Shin Dragon..."

"It can block a solitary wave?" Taiga gasped. "But...Liger and Leo's simulations..."

"Fools! Did you not think I anticipated this?" the combined Primeval boomed. "Your solitary wave cannot affect us, now that we have combined with this mighty Protodevlin. Now, suffer!"

The combined Primeval raised its right arm, and the forearm began to shine.

"Oh crap, not again!" Koji yelled.

But before it could fire, another massive blast struck it dead on. It couldn't disassemble the beam, since it had been busy charging.

Suddenly, a familiar, massive robot came into view - one that Fire Bomber and a few other members of the group recognized.

"Come in, Orbit Base and DREAM...this is Captain Maximilian Jenius of the _Battle 7_ at your service!"

"Papa!" Mylene cheered. "He made it!"

"Damage to enemy is approximately 35 percent," said a green, wrinkled head aboard a ship, which actually was the head of a Zentradi. "Target also appears to be dazed. I suggest we launch Diamond Force to deliver the Sound Boosters."

"Good idea. Bridge to Diamond Force, you are clear to launch! Deliver the Sound Boosters to Fire Bomber immediately, then provide cover fire!"

Several Variable Fighters, including Gamlin, Docker and Kinryu, launched out. The three lead planes each carried a device that looked like a cross between a jet back and a sound system.

"Basara! Mylene! Ray! Get ready!" Gamlin called out.

The three lead planes launched the new systems forward. Fire Bomber broke away to dock with the upgrades.

Just as the combined Primeval shook off its daze, it was struck by several missiles from the Variable Fighters.

"No way you're stopping the rock, ya big lug!" Kinryu bellowed.

"Hey, Mic Force!" Guy called out. "Can you manage another Solitary Wave?"

"Sorry, but our bodies aren't gonna be able to hold out..." said Mic the 3rd.

"C'mon, brothers, we're Braves! Man up and let's do it!"

"Wait for us, guys!" Basara yelled. "Let's do this together, and show this freak the true power of our song!"

The Mic Force arranged themselves in a circle once more, but now Fire Bomber was in the center.

"HEY, PRIMEVAL! LISTEN TO OUR SONG!"

The Mics' began to charge up.

"LET'S DO IT!" Basara yelled in the hot-blooded manner he could. "TRY AGAIN...VERSION X!"

The Mic Force's mass-produced Disc X, combined with Fire Bomber's most awesome song, unleashed a super-charged Solitary Wave. The Song Energy gave it the additional wallop it needed to fly right through the Primeval Fusion's defenses, instantly overloading its Atomic Disassembly barrier and piercing its body through its head. Its black hole powers didn't even have a chance to start sucking the energy in. The Song Energy, having also powered up the other members of DREAM, allowed them to launch their own attacks.

The Primevals broke apart in the face of these attacks, leaving a horribly damaged Glavil, as well as a lot of tiny asteroids, in their place. Quickly realizing it was outmatched, it pushed off the massive structure it had been standing on and took off.

Unfortunately, DREAM saw another ES Window open where Brain Primeval had been, revealing a massive asteroid.

"...That asteroid!" Leo Shishioh cried out; "It's at least ten kilometers in size! That's as large as the one that killed off the dinosaurs!"

"Basara! A little help?!" Kei called out.

"S-sorry guys, I'm bushed," the rock star panted. The Mic Force also looked rather bushed.

"Fine, we'll just push it away like we always do!" Koji declared. He flew Mazinkaiser into the asteroid's path, and readied its attack.

"FIRE BLASTER!"

The energy beam struck the asteroid, but did little to slow it down. Shin Getter and Black Getter rushed up next to him.

"Ryoma!" Go called out.

"Gotcha! GETTER...BEAAAAAAAAAMMM!"

Both Getters fired their Getter Beams at the asteroid, but still it barely slowed down.

"Everyone! Don't give up!" Tetsuya called out. "BREASTO BURRRRRN!"

"No matter how many times they might try, we must protect the Earth! GRAVITY STORM!"

The Super Robots, working together, began to slow the meteor down more significantly, though it was still coming out of the ES Window.

"Damn it...guess I'll have to push it back in too," Guy said. But ChoRyuJin, who had been helping fight off the Primevals as well put his hand in front of GaoGaiGar.

"Captain. You must survive. Technically, I am not a living thing, but a machine. I am sure you have backups of my personality and memories. I will live on in my..."

"No! Don't say that, ChoRyuJin!" Guy replied angrily; "You can't be replaced! There's only one you, and once you're gone, that's it!"

"That's all the more reason that it has to be me!" the robot retorted. To Guy's shock, the robot kicked GaoGaiGar away before he sped off towards the meteor.

"SYMMETRICAL OUT!"

ChoRyuJin split into HyoRyu and EnRyu once more as they reached the falling asteroid. They turned around, pressed their backs into the rock, and opened up their chests, revealing the GS-Rides contained within.

"Let's do it, brother!" EnRyu bellowed.

"Yes," HyoRyu said.

"HyoRyu! EnRyuu!" Mamoru cried out.

"GGG...DREAM...it's been an honor fighting by your side." HyoRyu said.

"Farewell, heroes," EnRyu spoke.

Even Zero, who knew what they were going to try doing, wasn't eager to see them sacrifice themselves like this. The Super Robots who had been holding off the meteor also realized what the two GGG mechs were going to do, and rushed away, even as their hearts ached to be unable to do anything to stop them.

"LEVEL!"

"NINE THOUSAND PLUS!"

"SUPERNOVAAAAAAAAAA!"

The GS-Rides in their systems deliberately went critical, creating two blasts of G-Stone energy forceful enough to nudge the ten-kilometer-wide meteor right back into the ES Window, and taking them with it.

"We...can get him back...right?" Mamoru whimpered.

"I'm sorry," Liger said, bowing his head in sadness. "There's no way he can return in his condition. He will drift in the space between Mars and Jupiter for eons, if not forever."

DREAM could only watch as the ES Window closed. However, they were still able to maintain radio contact.

"Everyone..."

"HyoRyu! EnRyu!" Guy Shishioh declared; "One day...we will come back for you and bring you home! I promise!"

"And I'll be coming too!" Mamoru cried out. "For sure!"

"Roger that..."

"Until that day comes...please...watch over our younger brothers..."

"We will wait...for as long as we need to..."

"Trusting you...without fail..."

"We are certain...that we'll meet again..."

Finally, the signal cut out.

* * *

Back in the Chinese Federation, FuRyu and RaiRyu, who were still charged with guarding the Empress, suddenly sensed something amiss and stared straight up at the heavens as they stood out at the palace gates. Li Xingke and Tianzi, who were with them, noticed this odd change in behavior.

"FuRyu, Rairyu...is something wrong?" Xingke asked.

"Yes," RaiRyu said. "I feel like someone very important to us has just..."

"Your brothers?" Tianzi said, worried as well.

"I-I'm sorry," Xingke said regretfully. "If I hadn't kept you here..."

"Don't trouble yourself, Li Xingke," FuRyu reassured him. "Their sacrifice has surely saved countless lives. For their sake, we must continue our own mission of protecting Your Highness."

"No. I'll be fine with just Xingke around," Tianzi said after a few moments of thought. "Go to GGG and DREAM and help them."

"But..." the two brothers said together in protest.

"I am your Empress, and you will do as I say!" Tianzi said in a commanding tone that sounded adorable coming out of her mouth. "I order you to go to GGG and DREAM to help them!"

The two Chinese mechs sighed.

"Very well. May the gods protect you, Empress," the green robot said, bowing respectfully.

"And likewise to you, Li Xingke," the yellow robot said, bowing as well. Without another word, the two robots marched out of the palace, hopping over the palace walls and heading off into the mountains to GGG's Chinese headquarters...

* * *

The ruins of Mars continued to turn up numerous discoveries as the Martian Successors, a faction of Jovians who remained bitter about the war long ago, dug around. Led by Haruki Kusakabe, they sought to take Mars back and then punish their old enemies from Earth for the injustices caused so long ago.

Watching from the atmosphere was Kusakabe himself, aboard the Jovian flagship Kagurazuki. He was a tall thin man with a look of sober, sinister conviction on his face.

Suddenly, the door opened behind him, and Tsukumo, the Jovian that escaped from DREAM, entered and saluted.

"Sir...our men have just found something in the northeastern quadrant of the ruins...and you're not going to believe what it is!"

"Put it up on the monitor," Kusakabe said. He looked into the monitor, which showed the discovery...

Two fossilized robots.

* * *

_Woo! What a ride! Next time, we'll have ourselves some Nadesico plot!_


	72. Chapter 49 Ra Calium

_Now for some more Shin Mazinger and Zeorymer plot! I hope this one still came out good, because I kinda jumped between parts when I wrote. Maybe I'll go back and fix this one at a later date, depending on your input._

* * *

**Chapter 49 (Ra Calium) – ****Dark Truths Revealed! Climax Looms Ahead! (Pt. 2)**

"Energer Z?!" Janus exclaimed when he heard Tsubasa call out that name. "Hey doc, what the hell's going on? Who's the dude with the mustache?"

Kouji, however recognized the man as Kenzo Kabuto.

His father.

Angrier with his grandpa than he had ever been, Kouji looked at the old scientist fiercely.

"Grandpa...this can't go on!" he yelled. "Stop hiding the truth...Shiro and I deserve to know! Why is my father piloting that thing?! What does he want? What happened in that accident on Bardos Island?! Why is the ghost of Tetsuya Tsurugi haunting the mistress?!"

Juzo sighed.

"Considering the danger we are in, I will make my answers as concise as I can..."

"I do not know how your father survived that incident, but I am sure he has come to claim the source of Photon Power - the arm of Zeus. I find it rather fitting that he is using Mazinger Z's predecessor to do so...the prototype we built to make amends for the crime of creating the Devil Gundam. Tetsuya was its pilot."

"As for the accident on Bardos Island...well, it wasn't exactly an accident. Kenzo was intentionally killed...as was Tetsuya."

"By who?!"

"They were both killed by Tsubasa Nishikori...your mother."

At those words, Tsubasa collapsed into a heap of robes and sobbing despair, bemoaning that awful truth with all her heart.

"I...I...didn't want to...I loved him...he was the dearest person in the world to me..."

"Do you remember Kedora?" Juzo said calmly. Kouji nodded, still trying to wrap his head around this shocking revelation.

"Your father's body was taken over by a Kedora and attempted to kill me and your mother... but Tetsuya subdued him and held him down. He pleaded to your mother to shoot both him and Kenzo."

"I lost two valuable colleagues, a son, and a son-in-law that day," Juzo concluded.

"Wait...so Tetsuya..."

"...was Tsubasa's brother, and a friend of both Kenzo and I. Have I answered all of your questions?"

"Yeah."

"Perhaps it's best if we give up Zeus' arm to Kenzo," Ashura suggested. "He will not stop until he has found it."

"Or until we smash him up!" Janus declared.

"Wait...that's my dad out there!" Kouji said in protest; "I just can't..."

"If you don't get out there," Tsubasa said, leering at her son. "The one person you would never want caught in it will suffer along with all of us..."

Kouji looked at his fearful brother.

"Yes, go Kouji. Shiro and I will protect your mother...right, my boy?"

"Yeah...I will!"

* * *

Xengar sighed with relief as he finished configuring the newest update to Granlif's systems. After Janus' bout with Spiral Poisoning, the android took it upon himself to look for a system that would monitor the energy flows inside Janus' body while he was piloting Granlif. Eventually, he found one, but the data was corrupted and needed to be repaired.

He finished not a moment too soon, either - Janus entered through the mini-Threshold that he always used to enter Granlif's cockpit, in a hurry to sortie.

"Xengar, what are you doing? We gotta deploy! Dr. Hell's at it again!"

"I was just making the final adjustments on the new system I found," the android replied. He quickly melded into the machine, and his floating head appeared just off to the side of the front screen as the machine started up. Janus quickly got into the harness, which still automatically adjusted itself as needed to maximize both comfort and responsiveness. He watched as the various systems and widgets activated, displaying on the bottom edge of the screen.

However, something new appeared in front of him - a gauge of sorts that somewhat resembled Gurren Lagann's Spiral gauge, but instead appeared to be a six-pointed star instead of a spiral.

"Hey, Xengar...is that the new system?" he asked his AI co-pilot, pointing to the gauge.

"Yes. It monitors and regulates the energy flow inside your body when you assume your winged form...a power limiter, if you will. With it, you won't have to worry about Spiral Poisoning anymore, and you can stay in that form as long as you need to while the limiter is active."

"Awesome!" Janus cheered, watching as Nu Gundam launched. "But...what if I run into an enemy that I can't beat at the limiter's current setting?"

"There is a manual override that can be activated," Xengar replied as Janus watched Gurren Lagann launch. "If the system senses that your body capable of handling the increased amount of energy, it will automatically adjust the default setting. Right now, it is at Level 4."

"Right."

"Oh, and I have finally discovered the name of Granlif's engine and operating system."

"Huh, I didn't even think to name it. What is it called?"

"TZIM...I assume it means 'Transitional Zone Interpolation and Manipulation'."

"Works for me. Let's go, Xengar!"

* * *

The arena had quickly cleared out once the Hypno Wave System had its output increased to maximum and Energer Z made its appearance. Domon, even while being closest to the action, was the least able to do anything, considering that the out-of-control Allenby was dogging his every step. Her attacks were so ferocious and fast that he could only remain on the defensive.

"Allenby, what's the matter with you?!" Domon cried. "This is no time to us to be fighting against each other - the city's under attack again!"

Watching this from a nearby hill were the members of DREAM who were watching the fight.

"That system...it's out of control!" Rain said with great dismay. "If we don't do something, Domon might be killed!"

"Either that or cute little Allenby bites from overtaxing herself!" Kittan added. Yoko, however, had an idea. She reached into one of her pockets, and somehow managed to extract a large rifle - designed for taking out heavily armored foes.

"It would take too long to explain," Kittan said as the other watched as Yoko loaded the heavy gun with a single armor-piercing round, and took the usual sniper's position.

"If I'm not mistaken," Yoko said, "the receiver for a mental control system should be right...there!"

She took aim at what appeared to be the cockpit of the Nobel Gundam. Everyone else except Kittan closed their eyes, afraid that the red-headed sniper was going to hurt or kill Allenby.

"C'mon, Yoko! I know you can do it!" he cheered. "I believe in you!"

This little bit of encouragement was all Yoko needed to believe in herself as she pulled the trigger.

The rifle let out a loud boom as the heavy armor-piercing round zoomed towards its target. It struck just beside the cockpit, and came out the other side before hitting the rock beyond with explosive force. Everyone held their breath, hoping for the best.

Nobel Gundam slowly began to resume its normal form again as the Hypno Wave System shorted out. The now-unmanned control system also began to break down as well. God Gundam turned in their direction, and saw Yoko there. He turned back to Allenby and caught Nobel Gundam as it fell.

"Allenby..." Domon said as he cradled her in God Gundam's arms.

"Heh, now that I think about it," Allenby said weakly, her body completely exhausted, "that was a pretty...lame fight, wasn't it? Sorry..." With that, the Neo-Swedish girl slipped into unconsciousness. But before Domon could put her, a Groizer X10 copy flew overhead and dropped several bombs, forcing him to leap out of the way.

It wheeled around to make another pass, but it never got the chance to do so, as a barrage of gunfire from an even larger firearm rang out. The Mechabeast tumbled into the ocean. Everyone turned and saw Evangelion Unit 00 standing there, with the _Wunder _flying overhead. Unit 00 was attached to the ship by an umbilical cord. Rei smiled silently, proud of protecting Shinji for once without having to take a hit for him.

"Hey, Misato!" Mari's voice rang out. "Need a ride? I've got Unit 01 and Unit 02 inside and ready to go!"

"Domon, we'll hang on to your little sailor scout friend!" Misato called out.

"Yeah!" Asuka added. "Get out there and kick some ass!"

* * *

But it wasn't enough that Energer Z and Dr. Hell's forces were attacking the city - even now, one of Hau Dragon's transport aircraft was flying not one, not two, but three Hakkeshu robots toward Neo Hong Kong - Bryst of the Fire, Gallowin of the Water, and the counterpart to Zeorymer - Rose C'est La Vie of the Moon.

"Sister, look!" Si-Aen said. "It looks like our foes are already engaged with another enemy. They appear to be Dr. Hell's forces."

Indeed, numerous members of DREAM were already duking it out with the waves of Talos and Groizer X10 copies. All four EVA Units, Gurren Lagann, Nu Gundam, Mazinger Z, Venus A, Voltes V, God Gundam, Raideen, the Gundam MK II (piloted by Roux), the Quebley mk II and Granlif were all doing their level best to hold off the waves of enemies. Farther out to sea, several submarines surfaced, and were deploying an entire battalion of Iron Mask soldiers.

"Zeorymer isn't among them. Let's keep looking," Si-Tau said.

"No, let's join in the fray," the masked pilot of Rose C'est La Vie suggested. "If Zeorymer truly is here, then it will surely appear...besides, Zeorymer's allies are just as much of a threat as it is. Pilot, drop us here."

"Yes, Lord Ritsu."

The three Tekkoryu braced themselves as their machines dropped out of the massive plane. As they fell, they saw Mazinger Z fly out toward Energer, who was wading ever closer to shore...

* * *

The sudden appearance of the Hakkeshu mechs startled those who were out fighting Dr. Hell's forces.

"Crap...just when we thought things couldn't get any bothersome..." Viral grumbled. "THEY had to show up. Well, at least they're more of a challenge than these old Mycenaean relics."

"Amuro," Simon said; "Viral and I are gonna give our Hakkeshu buddies a big hello."

"Understood...Janus, Akira, go with Gurren Lagann," Amuro commanded. "The rest of you, finish off the remaining forces and help Kouji! Misato, can you get in touch with Masato or Miku?"

"I already took care of that," Misato replied confidently. "Zeorymer is on its way."

Meanwhile, Raideen, Granlif and Gurren Lagann rushed at the three Hakkeshu machines.

"Guys, keep the blue and red one away from each other!" Simon warned them. "If I remember correctly, those two have some kind of team-up attack."

"Roger...Leave the big guy to me!" Janus said eagerly as he readied the Gran Claymore. "You two keep Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum busy!"

"Hey, who gave YOU the right to order us around?!" Viral yelled.

"It wasn't an order...it was a suggestion!" Janus replied as he prepared to engage Rose C'est la Vie.

"Hmph. Fine, whatever," the beastman grumbled.

"There it is..." Simon said as Gurren Lagann neared Bryst of the Fire; "...SKULL BREAKER!"

Janus turned back to Rose C'est La Vie and attacked with an overhead slash. But to his shock, the bulky mech moved out of the blade's path with as much ease as someone like Kallen or Amuro would dodge an attack.

"Begone, white machine," Ritsu said disdainfully. "I exist only to destroy Zeorymer of the Heavens!"

"Sorry, but that's not happening!" Janus yelled as he rushed in for another. "Time to show you what Granlif and the TZIM are really capable of!"

_...The TZIM System... _Ritsu thought when he overheard this. _This machine has the system Her Majesty desires? _

"I just remembered - Her Majesty has taken quite an interest in your Granlif in addition to Zeorymer." Ritsu said as he turned the Hakkeshu mech around and extended a pair of beam blades. "Let's see how your machine does against Rose C'est La Vie of the Moon!"

As the two clashed blades, Ritsu soon heard Si-Aen cry out suddenly.

"TAAAAAAUUU-AUUUUGHH!"

Ritsu turned and saw Gallowin of the Water in pieces, thanks to being impaled by a God Gorgon from Raideen, and then saw Bryst of the Fire suffer a Skull Breaker to the face from Gurren Lagann.

_Impossible...two Hakkeshu machines taken out, just like that? _

Janus took advantage of the opening, but the Gran Claymore was too heavy to slice quickly, so Ritsu was able to parry the slice.

"You who would associate with Masaki Kihara, your time has come!" the masked pilot declared. "I will avenge the fallen sisters here and now...LUNAR FLASH!"

He counterattacked with his beam sabers, slashing off the shoulder fins that generated the Gran Bits.

"Damn it...so much for the Gran Bits...alright, time for a..."

But Ritsu, again, was too quick. He slashed Granlif's hands off, where they crashed into the water with a great splash. Janus tried to charge up a Visor Beam, but Rose C'est La Vie headbutted Granlif, smashing the sunglasses-like eye-cover.

"This is the machine that Kushiel spoke so highly of?" Ritsu said with a laugh. "The sacred armor of Metatron, the leader of Arubboth who is one with the great god? What a joke!"

_Sacred armor of Metatron? Angel who is one with the great god? Leader of Arubboth?!_

"Janus, do not listen to him!" Xengar cried out. "He only wishes to confuse you!"

But Janus couldn't help but listen. Granlif refused to let anyone else but him enter, due to him possessing the proper DNA. But this Metatron person...the leader of Arubboth...if this was originally his...then...

As Janus contemplated his nature, Rose C'est La Vie readied his blades for another attack...

* * *

This wasn't good at all. Zeorymer, without Miku around, was under-performing drastically. Of course, Oki had expected there to be some problems without Masato's co-pilot, but to be barely able to move?

"Damn it, how can this be?" Oki growled. "Is there something Hau Dragon knows about Miku that we don't?"

"Kihara always was a tricky one," a voice Oki recognized said. He turned to see a tall, fit-looking man with long brown hair, a strong, focused gaze and a metallic mask covering half of his face. The man was sporting a military uniform with several medals pinned onto it.

"Ulube Ishikawa," Oki said, not very happy to see the half-masked man.

"So, it looks like your little pet project has just gone belly-up," Ulube said with a smirk. "If you can't get that girl back, Zeorymer's little better than scrap metal."

Suddenly, Oki realized something.

"...You know something, don't you, Ishikawa?" the government agent replied. "You were recruited as a security guard during the Ultimate Project! You knew Kihara better than anyone else, even Dr. Kasshu!"

"It's your project," the military commander laughed. "You figure it out."

* * *

Masato suddenly felt it as he was trying to get Zeorymer to move - Other Masato or rather, Masaki, was about to take over. He winced as he waited for the switch.

As Masaki's personality surfaced, the solution to the current predicament came to mind.

"Well...that's certainly inconvenient...Miku's gone missing. No matter, I'll just get her back."

He raised one of Zerorymer's arms upward.

"Zeorymer!" Masaki commanded. "Retrieve your missing part...the Dimensional Coupler System!"

* * *

"Amazing...he actually managed to duplicate THAT system!" exclaimed a short, stocky and wrinkled old man in robes. Being a scientist working for Hau Dragon, the man worked sat at a computer, which was monitoring a naked Miku, who floated unconsciously in a tank of ionized water with all sorts of electrodes and other systems attached to her body.

"Lurahn," the voice of Yuratei spoke from the open doors. "I see she's still unconscious. How goes the treatment?"

"Oh, Your Highness. I am still working on it," Lurahn replied. "If you would please wait in the next room..."

"I will watch from here," the empress replied. With a sigh, the man turned back to the computer, only to see alarms going off. Bubbles began to appear in the tank, as if something was reacting inside. Miku's eyes shot open as her body emanated a red aura. Suddenly, her skin and flesh seemed to disappear, revealing an entirely robotic body beneath.

Just like Xengar and Lorelei - Miku was an android.

Its arms were raised parallel to its shoulders first; then its ribs splayed outward; its torso and head retracted a bit, then its legs folded up and split into two halves, while its lower arms did the same. When everything was done, Miku appeared more like a robotic spider than a person.

And then she teleported out of the vat.

* * *

"Breast Fire, huh..." Kouji grunted as Mazinger was struck by a blast of heat and energy from Energer Z; "Then I'll use RUSTO HURRICAAAAAAAAAAAANE!"

Mazinger Z and Energer Z were engaged in a grueling battle, pitting their weapons against each other, completely equal in every respect. Even as the furiously spinning whirlwind snuffed out the raging fire, his own rage was only being fanned. Meanwhile, his father stood on Energer's motorcycle Pilder, arms crossed and a steely gaze focused entirely on him.

But suddenly, it started to charge up its Photon Beam...

* * *

From Kurogane House's window, Tsubasa, Juzo, Baron Ashura, Lorelei and Shiro watched as Kouji fought his hardest against his father. Tsubasa stood at the window with Baron Ashura holding her steady. Her condition was rapidly deteriorating, and the dark circles under her eyes were now extremely pronounced.

"It's a pity," Tsubasa said weakly. "I was hoping today...would be a nicer day...even so..."

"Please! For your sake and for everyone in this city," Ashura cried to both her and Juzo; "Tell me where Zeus' arm is!"

However, Juzo saw that Energer was charging up its beams...and had changed its target. Without a second thought, he pushed Tsubasa out of the way just in time for Energer to fire.

A brilliant flash of light filled the room as the blast tore straight through it...and incinerated the scientist where he stood. No cry of pain, no blood...he was simply there, and then, he was gone, his ashes scattered by the air the powerful beam displaced.

Shiro's already fragile psyche shattered once he saw his grandfather, who had been alive and well mere moments ago, was completely obliterated. He began to wail and bawl as he clung to Lorelei, who also began to weep as well.

_That...that should have been me..._

"You've lost your mentor, you crazed woman!" Ashura cried out again, now holding her right up to his face; "Do you want to lose more loved ones?! Tell me...where is Zeus' arm?!"

Suddenly, she smelled Ashura's breath.

It wasn't Ashura's, that was for sure. But that meant it could be only one person.

"Heh...I guess Juzo picked a good day to die," she said, "But..."

Suddenly, and with unbelievable speed and force for a woman who was apparently at death's door, Tsubasa unsheathed her Z Alloy knife and plunged it into Ashura's chest.

"You'll be joining him!"

Ashura fell to the ground and began twisting and writhing in extremely unnatural ways. Tsubasa, strength somewhat renewed, held her foot to Ashura's face.

"Come on, Pygman! Show your true face!"

Ashura's body popped like a balloon stuck with a needle, revealing the shaman Pygman.

"But...how did you guess?" Pygman exclaimed.

"You know, you pretending to be Ashura was a pretty good trick, so I'll give you a little prize...I'll show you ZEUS' ARM!"

"Mistress...w-what's..." Lorelei gasped.

"Lorelei, Juzo once said that if you're going to hide a tree, put it in a forest!"

"He hid it among the Japanium ore deposits?!" Pygman exclaimed. "...Of course!"

Tsubasa took a small hop back, and raised her knife skyward.

"COME! GOD SCRANDEEEEEER!"

All at once, the ground began to shake as green light peered out from a growing fault in the ground. Then, just a few hundred yards offshore, a gigantic crystalline hand, attached to the forearm, burst out of the ocean and pushed Rose C'est La Vie back.

Moments later, Zeorymer appeared in front of Zeus' arm. However, Masaki didn't seem extremely awed by it, though he was very interested.

"So this is it...the source of all Photon Power - the arm of the great god Zeus."

The rest of DREAM, on the other hand, could only gaze in amazement at this magnificent crystal hand.

"You!" Ritsu exclaimed when he saw Zeorymer. "You've come at last! Today, I unleash all of my hatred of that man upon this machine! Today I erase the blood of Masaki Kihara, the man who made us, the Tekkoryu, into his puppets...and the man who did THIS to me!"

He ripped off his mask - revealing the face of a very beautiful woman. Masaki laughed loudly when he saw it.

"Still aching about that, Ritsu?" Zeorymer's pilot replied with cruel amusement.

"What?! It can't be..."

"Oh, come now...who the hell do you think I am, Ritsu? Do you think I'd let YOU defeat me?"

Ritsu scowled.

"You'll suffer in the depths of Hades for that!" Rose C'est La Vie's pilot roared. "Child of the Moon, go!"

A small device shot out of Rose C'est La Vie's body and headed up toward the clouds. But Zeus' arm emitted a wave of Photon Power, destroying the unit before it could get far. Masaki smirked, seeing that he seemed to have the favor of Zeus.

"Oh, I'm going to have a lot of fun killing YOU, Ritsu!" Masaki chuckled. "Miku, let's go!"

"Roger," Miku replied robotically. Zeorymer raised its arm again, and an explosion occured on Rose C'est La Vie.

Then another...and another...and another! Before long, Zeorymer's counterpart fell over on its back, unable to move, just as Energer Z came charging towards the crystalline arm.

Meanwhile, Janus was still trying to come to terms to the implications of Ritsu's words, and was not immediately aware that Zeus' arm was reacting to his presence, just like Raideen did. It reached out and grabbed Granlif, then hoisted it high.

As the hand slowly began to squeeze, it finally dawned upon him. That six-winged being in his dream, and in Raideen's records...

He was that being. He was Metatron.

Akira saw Janus in distress, and it seemed that Raideen did too; it began emitting a psychic aura that Akira could feel.

_Raideen...you're trying to speak to Zeus' arm, aren't you? Please, tell it not to harm Janus! Tell it that he is not our enemy!_

The crystalline limb seemed to get the message after a few moments - it released its grip on Granlif, only to whirl around and snag Rose C'est La Vie. It leaned back a bit, then flung the Hakkeshu robot far out to sea.

"It can't be...Zeorymer's pilot...he is...my father..." Ritsu said weakly as the true nature of Masato Akitsu dawned upon him, even as his machine filled with water. Meanwhile, Zeorymer raises its hands, and struck its fists together next to its chest.

**MEI...OHHHHHH...**

The massive explosion blasted mech parts and water sky-high, as well as forming a tsunami with waves as high as thirty feet in every direction. But

"My name is Masaki Kihara, and I am NOT your goddamn father."

But he was thrown off balance by a Photon Beam hit courtesy of Kenzo Kabuto while Zeus's arm sent out another Photon Power wave to break the incoming tsunami.

"Kenzoooo!" Masaki roared, angry that an old colleague was interfering. A series of explosions rocked Energer as Zeorymer activated its Dimensional Coupler Cannon..and then blew off Kenzo's face.

Only it WASN'T Kouji and Shiro's father...

* * *

"How anti-climactic...and here I thought I was actually going to have to kill my beloved a second time," Tsubasa sighed, her condition seemingly improved.

Pygman, on the other hand, wasn't looking so hot, thanks to the knife in his chest. She bent down with a wry smirk. The dark-skinned shaman got up to attack her, only to be suddenly wrapped in thin, razor-sharp threads made of Z Alloy – wielded by the head waitress. Then, three more blades, courtesy of Sensei, the cook, were jammed into his back. Then in came Cross, Yasu and Django, who all surrounded the prone and wounded Pygman.

"Curse you...what is the meaning of all this?!"

"For one thing," Tsubasa said smugly. "I knew that Dr. Hell would come looking for Zeus' arm. When Tetsuya's ghost appeared, I realized it was you. Still, I had to get close enough to be sure. And as soon as I smelled your breath, I knew right away it was you."

"Damn it all..." Pygman grumbled. _Brocken...I leave this to you..._

* * *

"Well, look who it is!" Viral said with cruel surprise as he saw Brocken yank off his costume of Kenzo Kabuto,"It's our old buddy the soccer ball!"

"You're out of flunkies, bucko!" Asuka mocked.

"Yeah," Mari added, "and you're way outnumbered!"

"Idiots!" the beheaded count replied; "Do you think I'd be so foolish as to depend on ONE Energer Z?"

As if on cue, another four Energer Z copies, controlled remotely, rose from out of the ocean and started wading toward shore.

"But wait, there's more!" Brocken laughed. "Have some fun with my flying Mechabeasts!"

A number of flying Mechabeasts charged out from the subs, hoping to destroy DREAM, Neo Hong Kong and Photon Power Labs. They were followed closely by another small army of Talos giants.

"Geez, where is Dr. Hell getting all these troops?!" Kouji exclaimed.

"Bardos Island holds many, many secrets, Kouji. You have to give that maniac Dr. Hell credit for being persistent in his digs."

Kouji looked down and saw what appeared to be a holographic image of his grandfather, but with a wire growing out of his rear like a tail.

"Grandpa? What are you doing there? And why are you so tiny?"

"I hate to break it to you, but if I'm here, that means the real me just bit the big one."

Kouji was feeling too awkward right now, and too concerned by the safety of Neo Hong Kong to be sad. Besides, whatever this thing was sounded, acted and looked exactly like his grandfather (save the tail), so it was like he never left.

"I am Ultra Gorgeous Computer Grandpa, an AI program created by Juzo in case the worst happened and he would be unable to guide you. But if you wish, you can just call me Grandpa!"

"Hey, you're just like Xemmey!" Kouji said excitedly, poking his finger through the hologram.

"Dumb ass!" Juzo's hologram yelled. "We have to stop Brocken and his forces from getting Zeus' arm!"

"Oh...right..."

Kouji hurried Mazinger toward Zeus' arm, but was attacked by one of the Energer copies. The Mazinger prototype lunged at him from behind and managed to get a hold of the Jet Scrander.

"Eject Jet Scrander!" Juzo cried out. "If we are to overcome this trial, we must obtain new wings for Mazinger Z!"

Kouji, despite misgivings, believed in his grandfather.

"SCRANDER OFF!"

The wings of Mazinger Z disengaged, and pulled the surprised Energer Z upwards, where it was blasted to bits by Amuro's Fin Funnels.

Soon enough, Kouji reached the hand of Zeus, which the four Evangelions were defending with all of their might from the Talos and Mechabeasts.

"Now, the fun starts!" Juzo said excitedly. All at once, the various screens and monitors in the cockpit of the Pilder began to shine a brilliant gold.

"What's the heck's going on, Grandpa?!" Kouji exclaimed frantically.

"Idiot! Just get ready!" Juzo bellowed.

The glittering arm turned towards the shocked Kouji and moved to grab him. Shinji and Rei moved out of the way to avoid getting grabbed themselves. But instead of crushing him, Zeus' arm began to shine as it changed and integrated into Mazinger's body. Suddenly, they both rocketed upward.

After a few moments, Mazinger burst out - Zeus' arm transformed into a new set of wings for the Super Robot - larger and more bat-like, yet shining brilliantly. The machine now soared through air with incredible grace and speed.

And so, Mazinger Z gained them!

Those mighty wings...they were, beyond any doubt, wings without equal!

And their name was...GOD SCRANDER!

"No way! Energers, use Breast Fire!" Brocken called out. The remaining Energers complied, but Kouji, empowered by the God Scrander, pushed the flames aside as if they were but air.

"Fine, then use Rust Hurricane!"

The Energers launched a massive whirlwind which engulfed Mazinger, but it was also shrugged off without so much as a speck of decay in the robot's armor.

"Kouji, let's do it before Brocken gets any bright ideas!" Juzo said.

"Do what?" Mazinger Z's pilot asked.

As if to answer, Mazinger Z suddenly began to change, its body began to change. Its chest opened up, allowing its head to flip inside.

"What the...Mazinger Z is..." the young man gasped.

"TRANSFOOOOOOOORM...GOD SCRANDEEEEEEER!"

The oversized fingers on its back folded forward while Mazinger's two arms, transformed into fingers as well. The wings folded into the body as well. Once the transformation process was over, it had transformed into a gigantic metal fist, which immediately turned gold.

"What the hell?!" Brocken exclaimed.

"Bwahahaha!" Juzo laughed. "I highly recommending pissing yourselves...followed of course, by a prayer to your impotent god! Kouji, let's do it!"

Kouji grinned as Mazinger prepared its new ultimate attack.

**SHINE, IN THE NAME OF ZEUS...AND SMASH EVERYTHING TO ATOOOOOMS!**

**BIIIIIIG...**

**BAAAAAAANG...**

**PUUUUUUNCHIE!**

Mazinger rocketed forward, smashing all three Energer Zs to pieces in one swoop, while still having more than enough momentum to ascend and smash the Ghoul's wing. Each impact caused a huge (but harmless) wave of golden Photon Power to spread across the landscape.

Everyone in DREAM, even Simon and Viral, watched this spectacular attack with varying degrees of shock and awe. Meanwhile, the computer image of Juzo was laughing like the mad scientist he was.

* * *

At the heavily damaged Kurogane House, a still weak Tsubasa smiled, while everyone else except Pygman and Tetsuya's ghost cheered wildly.

"He did it! Big bro did it, Mom!" Shiro cheered without fully grasping what he had said. Tsubasa turned around and looked at her young son.

"Yes...your brother did do it..." Tsubasa said weakly. But suddenly, Pygman's body began to tremble, then the skin burst open, revealing the true form of Viscount Pygman - an impish, grey-skinned man with a topknot and a loincloth. He leaped away from his body and jumped up to the rafters, carrying a golden spear in hand.

"Don't think you've won, Tsubasa Nishikori," Pygman threatened; "I'm willing to have both of us die for Dr. Hell's sake!"

Shiro put himself in front of his mother, arms outspread.

"No! I won't let you lay a hand on...on Mom!" he yelled back, just coming to terms with the fact that Tsubasa was his mother.

"Fine then..." Pygman said with a wicked laugh "I'll just impale mother and son together!" But as he bounded in for the kill, something whizzed by and shattered the spear point.

"Gotcha!"

With all his might, Shiro punched Pygman in the jaw, sending him tumbling away. He bounded back into the air, and bounded far out to sea. The boy sighed with relief and dropped to his knees, while Yasu approached him.

"Not too shabby at all, Shiro," he said in praise to the boy. "Your Grandpa's probably looking down, and beaming with pride right now!"

* * *

Four out of the seven Hakkeshu robots had been destroyed. It was clear to Yuratei and Lurahn that at this point there was no getting Zeorymer back. Standing before them were the three surviving pilots - Rockfell, Saiga and Gisou.

"The time has come for us to build our new domain upon the Earth!" Yuratei declared. "All who do not join us will be annihilated!"

"How do you plan to do that, Your Majesty?" Saiga asked with a small smirk.

"I will cause every last system in International Electronic Brains network to go haywire and self-destruct! No nation will be spared!"

"And what of the Invaders and Shin Dragon?" Gisou asked.

"They won't matter once the Hades Project is complete!" Yuratei replied commandingly.

"Indeed. We can turn this world into a lifeless wasteland," Lurahn said. "IEB systems control every nuclear weapons depot and atomic power station in the Earth Sphere, even those of Neo Zeon and the Lunar Kingdom. Our empress can, with the push of a button, reduce the entire world to a barren, lifeless wasteland that will last for the next ten thousand years!"

"Yes! If that is what it takes, then I shall cause such destruction!" the empress declared. Yet as she said them, something inside her cried out in pain. Lurahn could see this clearly.

"Our empress has spoken. Leave us, and make your final preparations! You will be sent into battle before long!"

The three Hakkeshu pilots bowed respectfully and departed. Once they had left, the scientist turned to Yuratei.

"Tell me...do those words truly come from you?"

* * *

Ulube suddenly heard people enter his office, not far from Kurogane House, as he gazed out the window at the fight going on just off-shore. He turned around to see six Neo Zeon solders surrounding him, guns drawn.

"What's the me-"

But before Ulube could finish his sentence, the Zeon soldiers opened fire, peppering the surprised general with bullets. His body laid limply on the ground as his lifeblood ebbed out of his body. One of the soldiers picked up a radio while the others began tearing up the office, as if looking for something.

"Round Table to Camelot," the soldier said; "The dragon had been slain."

"Good work," the voice of Wong Yunfat replied. "Make sure to secure his treasure - there's something in it we so dearly need."

"We are looking for the dragon's treasure as we speak. We'll let you know as soon as we find it."

* * *

_Phew! That was another doozy to write! If I have any gaps in the plot of this chapter, please let me know (in PM) and I'll edit them if I see fit. _


	73. Chapter 49 Nadesico

_And now, for something somewhat different - after all those action-heavy parts, I thought I'd sit back and deal with a character I've been meaning to deal with in depth for a while - Tahra. After this chapter, it'll be time for Interlude 5 and the route merge! So today, I'm gonna keep this one kinda short. Hope it's still good!_

* * *

**Chapter 49 (Nadesico) - A Knight's Life! Girl Searches For Her Memories!**

Ever since the day she got her memories back, Tahra felt like she was trapped. For all the power she had as the Knight of Eleven, she still couldn't help but feel like the world was lying to her, and there was nothing she could do about it.

She could only shoulder blame on one individual - V.V.. But other than his name, his appearance, and his crime against her, Tahra knew nothing about him. All she could do was dig around the OSI's files and hope to come up with something. But she had to keep her research into this strange boy on the down-low, lest one of the higher-rank Knights catch wind of it and report it to His Majesty. Plus, there were also Knightly duties, guarding Clovis...

And of course, school.

Her status as Knight of Eleven had allowed her to rocket straight to the top of the social ladder of Ashford, level with Suzaku Kururugi, the Knight of Seven. Meanwhile, everyone, even the old manga club, had forgotten about Tara, her other half...and that too, was thanks to the machinations of V.V.. Of course, she was under as much surveillance as Lelouch was - after all, Charles needed her to have her memories sealed until the time was right.

But there was one individual outside the Britannian government that was keeping a close eye on her. And now that her memory had partially returned, this individual knew there was a chance of winning her over.

"Good morning, Miss Zifell. Lovely day, isn't it?"

Tahra paused in the hallway to see Kaworu Nagisa standing there, smiling pleasantly like he always did. Previously, she had always been unnerved by his presence, and stayed away from him. But today, he no longer seemed to bother her. Perhaps it was because she was learning to not be so contemptuous toward Elevens.

"Oh, um...yes...it is," the Knight replied awkwardly. "Well, I'll be going now."

"You know, I've been saying hello to you every morning I could for the past school year," Kaworu said, still smiling; "And this is the first time you've responded to me. You've made me very happy."

Tahra wanted nothing more than to just keep walking and leave the conversation at that, but something deep within her was compelling her to stay. There was absolutely no malice in the boy's voice whatsoever, no ill intent at all.

"Don't worry...I'm happy that you responded, that's all," the silver-haired boy replied. "You don't have to talk with me if you don't want to."

"N-no. We can chat for a few minutes."

"You'd talk with me?" Kaworu said, slightly surprised; "I'm honored. After all, I'm an Eleven, and you are a Britannian Knight of the Round. I even heard you in particular had contempt for us."

"Suzaku Kururugi is an Eleven, but he's a Knight of the Round as well. I...guess being around him changed my view a little."

"Yes, a willingness to change one's outlook is a rare gift nowadays. Most people much prefer to settle on a single viewpoint and accept it as the absolute truth...tell me, what is 'truth' to you?"

Tahra somehow felt like she had been asked that before.

"I guess truth is simply the intersection of all possible perceptions of reality. Whatever they have in common, that is the absolute truth."

"But that's technically impossible in many cases," Kaworu replied. "What if only a single person is correct, and everyone else has either been lying or misinformed?"

Before Tahra could respond, she saw a familiar face coming down the hall - Shirley Fennette, one of the members of the Student Council.

"Hey, come on, we're gonna be late for the meeting!" Shirley called out.

"We can continue the conversation another time," Kaworu said, getting up as well and starting in the direction Shirley had come from. "Have fun at your meeting!"

As she walked away with Shirley, that last sentence reverberated in her mind...

* * *

If there was one thing that made Tara overjoyed to work with Clovis, it was the physical aspects of their relationship. The touching, the tasting, the smelling, the passion - every moment of putting up with his daily routine was worth it on the nights when they were in the mood. Even if her memories were a lie, she felt that the love she and Clovis had for each other was real.

Of course, it wasn't just the typical sort of fling - both of them had their share of perversions, and each was happy to oblige to their companion. It wasn't wrong in their eyes - they were engaged, and took the proper precautions.

As they laid on the bed side by side, winded after a vigorous round of intercourse, Clovis rolled over to face her.

"You know, I just remembered something that I heard this morning," Clovis said, panting a bit. "Schneizel told me that he's found a bride for Odysseus."

"Really? Someone would actually marry that mediocre brother of yours?" Tahra said with a small giggle. Clovis giggled a bit too, for he was of the same opinion.

"Why, the Empress of the Chinese Federation," the Third Prince of Britannia replied. "Of course, it's purely for political purposes. The girl probably hasn't had her first period yet. I'm not sure of the full details, but I'm sure you can find out if you ask around."

"Are we invited?" Tahra asked.

"Well, sort of," the prince answered. "As far as most of the world knows, I'm dead. But Schneizel, being the man of intrigue he is, took a liking to my idea of letting us show up uninvited. Oh, what a ruckus it will make!"

"Yes, you always did like to make an entrance, love," Tahra said with another giggle.

"Not only that, Schneizel agreed that it would be a TRIPLE wedding...Odysseus to Tianzi, Shapiro Keats to Euphie, and me to you."

Tahra smooched her princely beloved.

"You're so wonderful, Clovis - if only that mediocre Odysseus wasn't in the way, you'd be Emperor upon your father's death, since Schneizel is perfectly happy being Prime Minister."

There was another moment of silence, before Tahra decided to see what Clovis knew about the one who stole her memories.

"Clovis...do you know anyone by the name of V.V.?"

* * *

Being Viceroy was fulfilling for Euphemia, even if she was really Shapiro's puppet. After all, she had a chance to fix the problems that Shapiro's cruelty had caused over the past year. And with every restriction she lifted, the Japanese's adoration for her grew.

But she could never convince Suzaku that it was Shapiro who had caused the massacre, not DREAM. Not only that, Suzaku believed that his former best friend Lelouch, Euphemia's own half-brother, was the mastermind behind it. Even the news of the three simultaneous weddings wasn't enough to get his mind off of them.

"A triple wedding? Sounds like it will be crowded," Suzaku said after hearing the same news from Euphemia. "I'll bet DREAM will try to hurt more innocent people. They...no, I won't let them! I won't hurt you or anyone else ever again! I bet right now, he's working the Japanese he conned into exiling themselves to the bone! And poor Nunnally..."

"...Actually, Suzaku," Euphemia reassured him, "I've received reports that all three of DREAM's leaders have gone into space. They might be gone for a very long time. In fact...this picture was taken from one of our satellites."

She opened up a video file on her computer - it showed footage of the battle between the combined Primeval and DREAM. Suzaku saw the numerous machines fighting their hardest against the monstrosity, and the Guren mk II was one of the frontline fighters. After the footage came to an abrupt stop as a result of the combination of Fire Bomber and the Mic Force scrapping the satellite, Suzaku was shaking his head in disbelief.

"Euphemia, don't tell me you believe this actually happened?!" he exclaimed, shocked at the very idea of them helping the Earth; "This could have been staged to make them look good! This has Zero's fingerprints all over it!"

It was clear now to Euphemia that Suzaku's mind was altered somehow. Even the OSI agents who had been shown the footage, and even Schneizel knew that it was for real.

"You know, Euphie, there have been plenty of times in history where only a single person could see the truth, while everyone else was either lying or being lied..."

Suddenly, a ringing sound came on his cell phone. He picked it up.

"Knight of Seven, Suzaku Kururugi speaking...uh-huh...WHAT?!"

Euphemia looked on with great concern. As he continued to speak with the person on the other end, the Suzaku she knew and cared deeply about returned - the caring and noble man who thought more of his fellows than of himself. After a few tense minutes, he hung up.

"What's wrong?" Euphemia asked.

"I'm sorry, Viceroy, but I'm afraid duty calls. It seems an agent of BioNet is headed in the direction of Kamine Island. He's still somewhere in the settlement, though. If I deploy in the Lancelot ASAP, I might be able to catch him."

_Kamine Island...that's where Lelouch and I were stranded, as well as Kallen and Suzaku...why would Father want to protect that island?_

Then she remembered...

The ruins.

Suzaku had no memory of his experience there whatsoever. In fact, very specific memories had either been changed or erased from his mind. Someone who wanted to keep Suzaku very close.

As she watched her dear Suzaku leave, she could only think of one person who fit the bill - the only person Suzaku technically answered to other than himself.

Her father, Emperor Charles zi Britannia.

* * *

"Eehehehe! You think you can catch ME, you silly Britannians?!"

Hopping across the buildings of the Tokyo Settlement was a strange humanoid figure - it wore a mask with a sad, scarred side and a happy hide with a star painted on it, as well as a strange-looking witch's hat, vampire-esque cape and pointed shoes. It wouldn't be surprising if it had fallen into a Halloween costume store and ran out with whatever had fallen on him.

But underneath it was a dangerous cyborg, a shell of a man stuffed into a machine - a high-ranking member of the criminal syndicate known as BioNet.

BioNet, once a legitimate multinational corporation (albeit one of somewhat questionable ethics), turned criminal after their central headquarters in Japan was taken over by Britannia. They had been opposing their control for a long time; But unlike the Black Knights, BioNet's reasons for defying the will of the Empire were far more selfish - they wanted to rule Japan, and ultimately the world, themselves. Furthemore, Their methods for getting what they wanted were just as ruthless as Britannia's, if not more so. It was for this reason, as well as the rise of the Zonder, that Britannia allowed GGG to operate freely.

On the streets, a cadre of Britannian Sutherlands did their level best to snag the slippery robot with their Slash Harkens, but to no avail. The robot moved with more agility than most people could even keep track of.

Of course, the one person that COULD keep up with him quickly appeared - Suzaku Kururugi.

"Well, well, we meet again, Gimlet," Suzaku said, leering at his target while pointing his sword at him.

"Oh, this won't do, this won't do at all!" Gimlet exclaimed. "Why do you dog me so, Suzaku Kururugi?! It's bad enough I have that traitorous prototype to deal with!"

"Because you're a dangerous criminal who needs to be brought to justice. You've got some nerve infiltrating our high security facilities and stealing top secret information from right under our noses."

"What can I say?" Gimlet replied, "We at BioNet make it a point to always deliver what the customer wants."

He turned around to retreat, but saw Tahra standing there, daggers akimbo. She wasn't quite as agile as Suzaku, but she was the only Knight who wasn't totally left in Suzaku's dust while on foot, thanks to her physical training as a Knight of the Round.

"Oh my! It seems you have a new partner...quite the fetching _madamoiselle_, too!"

"I don't take complements from criminal scumbags like you," Tahra said coldly. She lunged at Gimlet, but missed as he leaped straight up. However, her knife did catch the end of his cape, and yanked it off.

Underneath the disguise was Gimlet's true appearance - almost like a robotic skeleton with cables for hair, big goofy teeth and unnerving yellow eyes. Tahra was startled at seeing this, but Suzaku ran after Gimlet with calm determination, leaping between buildings with as much ease and grace as his target.

Unfortunately, Tahra was not quite so capable. She could only stop at the edge of the building and watch Suzaku pursue their target.

"Having problems, Lady Zifell?" came a familiar voice over her communicator. She looked up and saw an _Avalon-_class battleship flying overhead. It belonged to Lloyd Asplund.

"Took you long enough. Have you got the Bors and the Lancelot ready? Kururugi is pursuing the target now."

"Ready and waiting!" Lloyd replied eagerly. "The Lancelot's been upgraded too!"

"By the way, what DID Gimlet steal?" the Knight of Eleven asked as she started down the emergency stairs as fast as she could go. "Whatever it is, it's gotta be powerful if Suzaku and I are going after it."

"The plans for F.L.E.I.J.A." Lloyd replied. "Granted, it hasn't been had a live tested, but based on the simulations, it will be more powerful than any nuclear weapon..."

A chill ran down Tahra's spine for reasons she couldn't explain. Suddenly, she saw visions of the image of a woman floating in space, clutching a dead baby.

_When did that happen? I was never in space...was I?_

She was already one floor away from ground level, so she leaped over the side, rolled forward as she landed and took off as fast as she could, watching for Lifthrasir Bors to deploy.

To allow whoever BioNet's "customer" was to get their hands on that would only lead to a repeat of the Bloody Valentine...or worse...

* * *

Suzaku found himself surrounded by hijacked, AI-controlled Knightmare Frames - Gloucesters and Sutherlands. Gimlet danced atop one of them gleefully. He had followed Gimlet into one of the ruined ghettos in the Settlement, and into the remains of a fallen building. Unfortunately, the wily robot had set up an ambush there to lure the Knight of Seven in.

"Poor, poor, poor little soldier boy! You've overstepped yourself, my little _dauphin_, and now you're through! The board will be so pleased to know that you're no longer a problem!"

Gimlet laughed, then pointed at Suzaku. The AI-controlled Frames charged forward, weapons on the ready...

But then several Frames were suddenly slashed in half, giving Suzaku a means of avoiding the attack. He saw the Lifthrasir Bors, tonfas akimbo, come around for another pass.

"Oh no! This won't do!" Gimlet moaned. "This won't dooooo!"

Then he spied the _Avalon _overhead, and it was launching out the Lancelot, which was being flown remotely to his position. It looked a little different than before, but there were no obvious differences at first. It landed safely nearby as Tahra started hacking at the enemy Knightmares with her Frame's own weapons, which occupied Gimlet's attention.

Suzaku leaped into the cockpit of the Lancelot.

"Well, Suzaku, how do you like it?" Lloyd said eagerly. "I've dubbed it the Lancelot Conquista! It's pretty much the same as the old one, but this old dog has certainly learned some new tricks! I'll leave you to try them out!"

Suzaku readied the Lancelot Conquista and charged in to help his fellow Knight out, not noticing that the BioNet agent was already making a run for it...

* * *

Muruta Azrael smirked as he skimmed the plans that Gimlet had been so kind as to send him. In fact, the leader of Blue Cosmos had received them moments after the BioNet agent had completed copying them into his systems. The Knights of the Round had failed in their task of stopping him before they even knew he had infiltrated In Vogue systems in the first place.

F.L.E.I.J.A was a truly amazing weapon - it had all the destructive potential of a thermonuclear bomb, but had none of the nasty aftereffects like radioactive fallout, nor would it leave any corpses, at least in the initial explosion. Of course, until they could do something about those N-Jammers, they would still be useless.

If only he could counter those accursed devices...

Suddenly, there was a knock on his office door.

"Come in," he called out. A black-haired woman with lavender eyes and a bleached white captain's uniform stepped into his office, and saluted him before standing to attention.

"Ah, it's about time you got here." Muruta said. "I was starting to wonder where you were. I always told that you were the type to be on time."

"It's my fault, sir...I got caught up in my appearance," the woman replied. "I was, after all, going to be meeting with the head of the Earth Alliance."

"Don't worry about it. I was merely going over some new intel. Anyway, I've called you here because you, I believe, are the only one capable of the mission I am about to give you. You are the only one who knows that traitorous DREAM well enough to combat them."

"Yes. I served on the _Archangel _while DREAM was under your jurisdiction. Captaining the _Dominion _should not be a problem for me."

"I should say not...after all, you ARE Natarle Badguriel..."

* * *

_At long last, it's time for the routes to merge! I have it all planned out, so hopefully it won't take so long for me to put out these chapters. I'm really stoked for these next few events, and I hope you guys are too! Until next time, mecha fans!  
_


	74. Interlude 5

_Finally, the routes rejoin! We're gonna be outside the Earth Sphere for the next several chapters, so don't expect a lot of Gundam SEED or Code Geass plot. It's all about Grendizer, the Choudenji Robos, GaoGaiGar and Nadesico for now!  
_

* * *

**Interlude 5 - Old Friends and New Visitors! New Journeys and Old Destinations!**

Kouji sat with Tsubasa the evening before their departure, who was recovering very well after the incident only a day or two ago. After Pygman and Brocken were driven off, Tetsuya's ghost disappeared as well, as did the evil magic the shaman had used to drain the woman's life force, which allowed modern medicine to start working again.

Mazinger Z's pilot was surprised to see her place a small bottle of sake on the small table.

"This is what you wanted to see me about, Mom?" the young man said somewhat uneasily.

"I've got some juice for you," Tsubasa replied. "It's not like you've come to share a drink with your parents."

"I guess this is about Dad, then."

"Yes...you know, you just called me 'Mom'," the mistress said with a smile, pouring her son some juice. "When did you decide to start doing that?"

"Well...I guess it took losing Grandpa to get to realize how important you were to me...and..."

Tsubasa smiled and took a sip of sake.

"And?"

"And...the way you turned the tables on Pygman...I can only think of one way to show my respect for you after that!

Kouji put his hands on the floor and bowed in deference to his mother.

"But I'm just a weak woman," Tsubasa replied, not quite used to this sort of priase.

"No...you're strong!" You've kept on going, even after you had to kill your long-lost brother AND Dad! If something like that happened to me and Shiro, I don't know if I..."

He felt a tear drip down his cheek, and he wiped it away.

"But that's why I understand your determination! But...what did you want to say about Dad? We kinda got off topic."

"Something tells me that Kenzo Kabuto, your father, is actually still alive."

"What makes you think that?"

"No one else but him could figure out a way to mass-produce Energer Z. He was brilliant like that."

"So, I guess I should stay behind when everyone else goes back to the other world," Mazinger Z's pilot replied. "I...I don't want to lose you or Shiro like I did Grandpa!"

"Don't worry your little head. Dr. Hell is probably making preparations for the fall of the moon," Tsubasa replied reassuringly. "We don't know when it's going to happen, but as long as that threat is there, he won't try anything. Go with them...and..."

"And?" Kouji asked.

"If you return before the moon falls, I'd really like to met the Tetsuya of the other world."

"You can count on me, Mom."

* * *

"You're staying?!" Janus exclaimed when he heard the plans of Amuro and the rest of Londo Bell. They, along with the _Ra Calium,_ chose to remain in their own world to keep an eye on Char's activities, as well as to assist Loran and the Shuffle Alliance in any manner they could.

"We can't afford to keep our eyes off of Char and Gym Ghingnham any longer. I don't know what he's planning, but I've received reports that Axis is starting to move closer to the Earth. But with Federation Command not listening, we may have to take matters into our own hands."

"But why are you coming, Simon?" Misato asked. "Aren't you worried about the moon falling?"

"If it is going to fall soon," Simon said confidently; "Then we'll find a way to get back before it does - I know it!"

"Besides, if it DOES start to fall earlier than expected," Yoko added, "Rossiu can start the evacuation process for Kamina City in no time."

"If Simon believes we'll make it back in time, then I know we will," Kittan said encouragingly. "That's just how Team Dai-Gurren rolls!"

"We'll believe in you then, Simon," Bright said. "Please give my regards to Captains Ramius and Misumaru when you get back, Ms. Katsuragi."

* * *

It was quiet after the long and hard battle with the Primevals and Varauta forces, but at least GGG and the other members of DREAM could relax and catch their breath...or so they thought.

"There's a large Threshold signature appearing from a distance of 6000!" Kosuke Entouji called out. "And something BIG is coming out of it!"

From out of the Threshold came the _Wunder, _with the other members of DREAM aboard.

"What on Earth IS that?!" Mikoto exclaimed. "It looks like a battleship, but..."

"The unknown vessel is attempting to contact us through the encrypted line!" Swan White said. Taiga knew that only those he trusted closely has any knowledge, let alone access, to Orbit Base's encrypted communication line.

"Put it on screen!" Taiga ordered. Misato's face appeared, much to everyone's surprise and relief.

"How's it hanging, GGG?" Misato said. "This is Captain Misato Katsuragi of the _Wunder_! It's been way too long!"

"Misato, where is the _Ra Calium_?" Taiga asked. "Shouldn't they be with you?"

"Londo Bell, as well as Domon and Rain, are staying behind in the other world. I'll explain everything when we dock. Oh, we've also brought along some new friends!"

* * *

If there was one person Shinji was extremely excited to see, it was Nunnally. The only girl who had ever truly been kind to him unconditionally. But everyone he talked to seemed rather nervous. It was if something bad happened to her.

Finally, he spotted her coming down one of the halls of Orbit Base...and much to his shock, it wasn't the Nunnally he remembered. It was Nemo.

However, the girl's red eyes lit up momentarily when she saw Shinji, then she gazed at him with a somewhat seductive expression. The pilot of Evangelion Unit 01, however, wasn't sure to think of what had appeared before him.

"N-n-Nunnally?!" he stammered. "Y-you're okay! A-a-and walking!"

"Nunnally?" Nemo said with a small giggle. "She's asleep inside me now. I suppose I can't blame you for not knowing...you did just get back from the other world."

"Please," Shinji replied, unnerved by Nemo; "I want to talk to Nunnally!"

"She doesn't want to talk to anyone."

"Why?!"

"She's tired of being a burden on everyone - of being too weak to do anything," Nemo answered, getting very close to Shinji, pressing her budding chest against Shinji's. "That's why she gave me control of her body, so I could protect all the people she cared about, including you. Without me, she can't see or walk or..."

"S-shut up!" Shinji yelled, now on the verge of tears. "You thought I cared that she couldn't do those things?!"

As it happened, Zero walked by, and overheard Shinji's rebuke.

"I liked Nunnally because she didn't care that I was a doofus or a loser! I liked her because she liked me for who I was! I didn't do it out of pity or anything, or just because she was Lelouch's sister!

This was news to Nemo.

"All I wanted was someone who accepted me for who I was, and Nunnally did that for me!"

"But..."

"Don't you get it?! I don't know what you're trying to pull, but you can never replace Nunnally in my heart...you're an imposter!"

Lelouch watched this in awe and in anguish. He would never be able to chew out Nemo like this, but each angry word coming out of Shinji's mouth was like the lash of a whip to him.

"Shinji..."

"Go away! I don't want to see your face again! I'd rather be alone and friendless than be with you!"

"But..."

"I SAID GO AWAY!"

But instead of her leaving, Shinji ran off, angry at both Nemo and himself.

Lelouch watched as Nemo stared down the hall, trying to wrap her head around the reasons behind Shinji's tirade. However, the Evangelion pilot had everything he could never bring himself to say to Nemo - he could never scream in Nunnally's face like that. But now that Shinji had said it for him, all he could do was hope that his sister's other self got the picture.

* * *

Tara didn't understand why she wasn't overjoyed to see Janus again. But ever since Intestine Primeval revealed that she was apparently the leader of Zohar, she had been dreading the day Janus would return...or perhaps she was more afraid of what she might do to him. Of course, Tara had no way of knowing beforehand that Janus, having learned that he was the leader of Arubboth, was feeling the same kind of dread.

When they finally met eyes again, neither one was immediately willing to approach the other at first. But when Janus saw that Tara was obviously bothered by something, he summoned up the courage to approach her.

"H-hey, Tara. Been a while. I-I missed you."

"I...missed you too."

"What's the matter, you guys?!" Kouji's voice said suddenly. "You two should be all over each other! Aren't you supposed be...I dunno...reincarnated lovers or something?" They turned around and saw Kouji with his world's Sayaka, with Boss and his gang in tow.

"Yeah, what's the big..." said the Flourishing World's Boss, who stopped and stared dumbfounded the doppelgangers of himself, his gang and Sayaka. Koji came in from behind while Kouji turned to his own companions.

"Sayaka, Boss, Nuke, Mucha..." Kouji said with a grin, having wanted to do this since he met his other self; "Meet Sayaka, Boss, Nuke and Mucha."

"This isn't going to cause some sort of time paradox and kill us all, is it?" Flourishing World Boss asked, scratching his head.

"Relax, Boss...if it did, it would have happened when I met MY alternate self," Koji replied. He then looked at Sayaka's alternate version.

_Wow...he was right...my Sayaka DOES have a better butt!_

Tara and Janus watched the exchange between Tara's friends and their alternate selves, and quickly started having trouble keeping track of who was who as they started to mingle together. As a result, their initial awkwardness about each other faded away.

"Come on, Jan," Tara sighed; "Let's go do something else. I'm getting a headache just trying to keep them all straight."

* * *

Akito never thought he'd ever see so eye-to-eye with a Britannian, yet the interest in _Gekiganger _that he shared with Rolo started to form a bond between them. For Rolo, it was like he had found another brother.

The pair was out on patrol around Orbit Base; Rolo piloted his Vincent, Akito his Aestivalis. Rolo was still getting used to piloting in zero gravity, but the _Nadesico_'s chef was happy to show him the ropes.

"There ya go! You're catching on quick!" Akito said happily as Rolo executed a tricky maneuver. However, the Aestivalis pilot was so busy watching his protege that he didn't see the boson jump signature on his radar.

Something about the size of the Aestivalis suddenly appeared less than a dozen feet from him - what appeared to be some sort of shuttle attached to numerous fuel tanks. The pilot managed to avoid colliding into the shuttle by mere inches.

"Akito, are you all right?" Rolo called out.

"Yeah...barely!" Akito replied. "Hmmm...looks like a Jovian shuttle."

"The Jovian Lizards?" Rolo exclaimed. _In that case...I should eliminate it before it attacks big brother..._

Rolo moved in to attack the shuttle, but the Aestivalis got in his way.

"Wait! The shuttle's unarmed! Let's bring it back to Orbit Base. We'll find out more later."

* * *

The shuttle's pilot, even considering the wide age range of DREAM's forces, came as a surprise - it was a girl, probably no more than thirteen or fourteen years old with a cute face, brown hair and wearing a pink _Gekiganger-_style piloting suit. She was now asleep in the medical bay of Orbit Base, while Inez, Yurika, Leo and Rolo watching over her. Rolo, even though he was told that that the so-called Jovian Lizards were actually human, he was still shocked to see the girl.

"It looks like the boson jump she made was unstable," Inez said, "So it's possible the stress of the transition overwhelmed her."

"My question is, what's a cute little girl like her doing all the way out here all alone?" Yurika said with a sigh of pity.

"We won't know until she wakes up," Leo said. Just as he said that, the girl's eyes began to open, revealing extremely dark brown eyes.

"Well, what do you know, that didn't take long!" Inez said.

"Gooood morning, Sleeping Beauty!" Leo said jocularly. The girl looked around, confused and still woozy.

"Uh...where am I?" the girl said weakly.

"You're on GGG's Orbit Base," Inez replied.

"Wow did I land off target..." The girl mumbled as she looked around. However, she quickly saw the four looking at her, and she suddenly gripped her head as if in pain.

"What am I doing here? Who am I?!" she cried out. However, not even Yurika was fooled by this pathetic display of amnesia, at least not after Inez pulled out what appeared to be various forms of identification.

"Your name is Yukina Shiratori...you have brown hair, brown eyes and were found in that marooned shuttle..."

_Shiratori? _Yurika thought. _Could she be..._

"Hey! Give those back!" Yukina cried when she saw Inez holding her wallet and identification. She desperately lunged for them, only to fall flat on her face as the scientist deftly moved out of her reach.

"Miss Fressange, there's no need to humiliate the poor girl!" Leo scolded Inez before turning back to Yukina. But it was Yurika who got the jump on asking her.

"Yukina, you wouldn't happen to be related to a Tsukumo Shiratori, would you?" she asked.

The Jovian girl looked around nervously. "Oh...uh...um..."

"I'd say the odds of that are pretty high," Inez said. "It can't be coincidence that we would capture a Jovian named Tsukumo Shiratori, have him escape and then find his little sister, who is also a Jovian."

Rolo, realizing that more drastic measures needed to be taken, took a step forward, pulled out a knife and held it to her throat, shocking everyone else present and terrifying Yukina.

"Okay, okay, I'll talk!" she cried; "I was sent here by my big brother to meet with you about starting peace talks between Jupiter and Earth now pleeeeease don't kill me!"

"You're telling the truth?" Inez said, quickly taking advantage of this unexpected occurrence. "If you're lying, our interrogator is authorized to use more painful methods to get the real truth."

"I am! I am! I'll even let you talk with my brother!"

"And how would we do that?" Inez then asked.

"I'll show you how! Really, I mean it! I swear on Joe Umitsubame's grave!"

Satisfied with that answer, Inez nodded to Rolo, who withdrew the knife and put it away.

* * *

On the bridge, Ruri, Zero, Misato, Taiga, Yurika, Murrue and Max (the _Battle 7_'s captain) all watched as Yukina fiddled with a remote control. Akito, Izumi, Ryoko, and Hikaru stood nearby. After a few minutes of this, they all saw a quadrupedal mech about the size of a dog with a strange circular device on top of it, attached to the body with a pole. It stopped and opened up like a blooming flower, revealing a static-y screen. The Jovian girl began to fiddle with the remote more, but with no apparent success.

"So, this lets you communicate between two points in space instantly?" Yurika said, looking at the machine with curiosity.

"Yeah...but it was supposed to be used for the negotiations themselves," Yukina replied. She continued pressing buttons, growing more frustrated with each passing moment. Suddenly, Ruri stepped in front of the machine, gave it a quick once-over, then kicked it hard several times.

Amazingly, the static started to disappear, and an image soon appeared of an empty chair. But soon enough, they saw Tsukumo, dressed in nicely pressed white clothing. Yukina approached the screen.

"Chalk one up for percussive maintenance," Hikaru quipped.

"Oh thank the Professor you're all right!" Tsukumo said frantically. "Are you all right? Is your ship intact?! Where are you?!"

"Don't sweat the small stuff," Yukina whispered. "Are you alone?"

Suddenly, Minato's head poked into view.

"Oh, Yukina! You're okay...oh..."

"Miss Haruka, we'll talk later," Murrue said. "We'd like to speak with Mister Shiratori here." Minato's head moved off-screen.

"So," Zero began. "We've heard from your sister that the Jovians would like to make peace with us Earthlings. Is this true?"

"Yes...at least, that is what I hope," the Jovian soldier replied. "I have spoken with the ruling council, and they seem to be in favor of a truce for the time being, especially having met with your friends Minato and Megumi."

"That's wonderful!" Yurika cheered. "So, let's hammer out the details..."

* * *

FuRyu and RaiRyu hung their heads in sadness and shame when they heard what had happened to HyoRyu and EnRyu from Mamoru and Liger Shishioh. Tara and Daisuke were listening in.

"Forgive us," FuRyu said as a machine worked on one of his parts.

"We should have been there!" RaiRyu wailed.

"Don't worry," Liger reassured them. "We'll track them down and bring them back! We made a promise to them and we plan to keep it!"

"But where did they go?" Mamoru interjected; "Space is huge! They could have reappeared anywhere!"

"Actually, it seems our Jovian friends Yukina and Tsukumo Shiratori has given us a useful tidbit of information in regards to where they ended up!" Liger answered with a grin. "Based on all the surviving data that the _Nadesico _gathered during its trip to Mars, as well as some data I requested from our new friends on Macross, they most likely ended up somewhere near the Martian north pole."

"...The ruins that Nergal was looking at!" Tara exclaimed, the answer dawning upon her. "Daisuke, you remember that weird place underneath those pyramid-shaped labs on Mars? The place where Nergal 'discovered' the _Nadesico_?"

"Yes, I remember," Grendizer's pilot answered. "Perhaps they are other ruins like it."

"So, if we find the ruins, we'll find HyoRyu and EnRyu?" Mamoru said, hope filling his expression.

"Then what are we waiting for?" RaiRyu said excitedly.

"Let's hurry to Mars!" FuRyu said with equal excitement.

* * *

Lelouch spotted Akatsuki moving rather quickly down the hall. Almost immediately, it set off mental alarms in his head - this man was doing something very underhanded. However, he had picked just about the worst time to do it.

He followed Nergal's chairman down the hall, moving as stealthily as possible to avoid being seen. Soon, he saw the long-haired man slip into the hangar. Definitely suspicious behavior. Realizing that he had little time, he quickly rushed into the room as fast as his rather weak legs could carry him.

Akatsuki whirled around when he saw the masked man behind him.

"Oh, Zero...it's you," the executive said, trying his best to hide his true intentions. "I was just going into the _Nadesico _to check on something."

"I apologize for scaring you like that," Zero replied. He paused for a moment. "Listen, I know we've had our problems in the past..."

At this point, Lelouch subtly pulled a dark bit of material inside his helmet, revealing his now -uncontrollable Geass eye.

"But I trust you will cooperate with us from this moment on?"

Akatsuki's mind came under attack, the power of Geass consuming his mind completely, compelling him to cooperate with Lelouch and the rest of DREAM.

"Of course, my friend," Akatsuki replied cordially, now a slave to Lelouch's will. "I'll do whatever I can to assist you."

"Excellent. Now tell me what you were REALLY going to do with the _Nadesico._"

"I was planning to hijack the ship and take it back to Nergal which, after all, is my company. I also intended to call in an Earth Alliance strike force and capture and kill the Jovian girl we have on board."

Lelouch had a hunch he would try something like that. But now Akatsuki would be their staunchest ally thanks to his power. For a moment, he considered other way to take advantage of the resources of a man as wealthy as his new thrall.

_No...it wouldn't be right, _Lelouch thought.

The masked prince suddenly realized it and couldn't help but laugh to himself.

_Wow...have I gotten THAT soft? I guess these people are rubbing off on me more than I thought._

* * *

_And so, the two routes have rejoined! Next up, Combattler V and Voltes V will FINALLY get their day in the spotlight. I've REALLY neglected using their villains, so it's high time I brought the Boazanians and the Campbellians back! Also included will be some Nadesico and GaoGaiGar plot! Until next time, ladies and germs!_


	75. Chapter 50

_Holy cow, this fic is 75 chapters long, and I've still got a lot of ground to cover! Anyway, it's heavy on the GaoGaiGar and Nadesico plot, and with, believe it or not, a smidgen of Combattler V plot!_

* * *

**Chapter 50 – Reborn From Ancient Times! Garuda's Deadliest Weapon!  
**

It was decided. With HyoRyu and EnRyu's location narrowed down, and preparations to take the first step to creating peace between Earthlings and Jovians completed, it was time for DREAM to head for the planet Mars.

And with the entire colony of Macross coming along for the ride, it would take far less time getting there than it did when the _Nadesico _first went there on its own - after all, it was a Zentradi spaceship designed for travel at nearly eighty percent of the speed of light.

Indeed, it felt like a mere instant had passed after the super-colony hit full speed before it reached the red planet.

"We have successfully entered Martian orbit, Captain," said the Zentradi co-captain.

"The city looks no worse for wear, either," Max said, taking a glance at various screens. "Thank you, Exsedol. Without your knowledge we could never have pulled this off as smoothly as we did."

"Do not give me the full credit. I merely provided the proper instructions. It was you and your crew that did all the work. But now that we have arrived, we must prepare for the next step. Will we be joining the _Ikaruga _and _Nadesico_ to the surface?"

"Yes. We can't be sure if the Jovians will be cooperative," the _Battle 7_'s captain answered, "And how large of a force they'll bring to bear if something goes wrong...nor can we discount the fact that the Protodevlin have a foothold here, as Gamlin warned us. The _Archangel _and _Wunder _will be on standby for enemies here in space."

"I don't think that's going to be an issue at the moment," said one of the operators of the _Battle 7_, a young woman with short purple hair. "The Vega Empire's already down there, engaging with the Jovian forces!"

* * *

"TZUM System?" Tara said quizzically as she booted up Lifthrasir's systems once more to prepare for launch. "Xemmey, what the heck is the TZUM System?"

"It is the name of the system that Lifthrasir operates from," the android AI replied. "It stands for 'Transitional Zone Ultra-Manipulation' or something."

"Hmm...Janus said Granlif's system is called TZIM," the girl said thoughtfully. "I wonder if they're connected."

After a few moments, Xemmey spoke again.

"Tara...you're still thinking about what Intestine Primeval said, aren't you?"

"That I was the one who caused the Zonder Metal to go out of control in the first place?" Tara replied with a chuckle. "I don't believe a word of it. I know who I am!"

"Your brain wave patterns and vital signs are telling me otherwise," the android replied calmly. "But don't worry. Even if you are this Iophiel being, I will still fight by your side, as will DREAM, as long as you hold the values you've preached and fought for close to your heart."

Tara sighed and smiled.

"Thanks, Xemmey."

* * *

"Captain Akiyama!" a Jovian soldier called out. "The enemy has brought in more reinforcements, and our losses are already over fifty percent!"

The Jovians stationed on Mars were indeed fighting a swath of Vega Empire forces, at least a hundred units strong. Two generals led the charge - Heinel of Boazan and Garuda of Campbell.

"Curse those Vega Empire scum," Genichiro Akiyama, a long-haired Jovian commander replied. "Fine then...Saburota, order all units to retreat!"

"But sir, we can't!" Saburota protested. "This is our final line of defense! If we leave now, we'll have to retreat all the way to Jupiter...Captain, let's charge the flagship into the enemy numbers and then detonate it!"

"You fool!" Genichiro bellowed; "If we retreat, we can always counterattack tomorrow! But there is no tomorrow for the dead!"

* * *

Meanwhile, a Boazanian soldier suddenly saw three of DREAM's ships dropping out of orbit - the _Battle 7, _the _Ikaruga _and the _Nadesico_.

"Lord Heinel, three Earthling ships are descending into the atmosphere at the rear of our forces! Two of them are the ships that hampered our operation to capture Mazinger Z!"

As soon as they landed, various members of DREAM deployed - Combattler V, Voltes V, Star GaoGaiGar, Dancougar, FuRyu, RaiRyu, Guren mk II, Vincent, Diamond Force, Granlif, Lifthrasir, Mazinger Z (now with the God Scrander), Grendizer and Big Volfogg. Akito, Jiro, and the three female Aestivalis pilots rounded out the group.

"Hey, Hyoma...doesn't that ship with eyes ring any bells?" Chizuru said as she spotted the eyed spaceship of Campbell.

"You bet it does!" Hyoma replied. "Our old friend Garuda is here, no doubt!"

"And Heinel as well," Kenichi added.

"Hey, Shinobu...think you're still up for this?" Ryo asked the Cyber Beast Force's leader. "We've been kinda sitting on the sidelines for a while lately."

"Let me at 'em!" Shinobu declared. "We're not gonna let a bunch of alien freaks from another galaxy ruin our chances at making peace with our fellow man!"

Garuda, unsurprisingly, was quick to spot Combattler V in the front of the group.

"It's them! It's Combattler and Voltes!" the eagle-man screeched; "Slave Monsters, forget the Jovians for now and bring me the heads of Hyoma Aoi and his co-pilots!"

The Slave Monsters turned around and started making their way towards DREAM, fangs and claws bared.

Heinel's contempt for Voltes also got the better of his judgment. "Beast Fighters, the Jovians will fall easily enough! Concentrate on the hornless Earthlings!"

All of the Boazanian Beast Fighters changed direction as well.

"Uh-oh, they're headed our way," Hikaru said a little nervously.

"That's okay!" Yurika chirped. "That just means they're not attacking the Jovians! Zero, I'm going to bring Yukina to the ruins so we can speak with their commander!"

"Very well...all units - defeat the Campbellian and Boazanian monsters while their attention is away from the Jovians!" Zero ordered. "Clear a path for the _Nadesico_!"

"Charge the Macross Cannon!" Max ordered his own crew. "Once we've got their forces weakened, we'll blow them away with one shot!"

DREAM stormed in like it always did. The Jovians, seeing that the enemy had changed its target, took this opportunity to retreat to the ruins.

Meanwhile, Janus and Tara made quick work of several Slave Monsters that were coming their way. With Xengar and Xemmey helping out, the two could afford to chat a bit.

"Hey, Tara!" Granlif's pilot said eagerly as he launched a Karma Knuckle at one of the beasts; "When we get done with this, I need to tell you something."

"Sure," the girl replied. She saw Star GaoGaiGar, the five Aestivalis, Big Volfogg, FuRyu and RaiRyu near the _Nadesico _as it flew by.

"FuRyu, RaiRyu, let's protect the _Nadesico _so we can get to HyoRyu and EnRyu!" Guy called out.

"Yes!" FuRyu bellowed.

"Let's go, Commander Guy!" RaiRyu yelled.

"SYMMETRICAL DOCKING!"

Just as HyoRyu and EnRyu could, FuRyu and RaiRyu combined into one powerful machine.

"GEKI...RYUUUJIIIN!"

Star GaoGaiGar flew alongside the _Nadesico _and the five Aestivalis while GekiRyuJin and Volfogg stood on top of the battleship. Several Boazanian Beast Fighters flew at the group, but the Brave Corps. robots alone were more than a match for them.

"The howling gale! The roaring lightning!" GekiRyuJin bellowed. It then unleashed a pair of dragon heads made of energy from its weapons.

"XIANG TOU LONG!'

The dragons tore through the incoming enemies with ease. This allowed Combattler and Voltes to slip in, Twin Lancer and Heaven Sword drawn, with Diamond Force hot on their heels.

"Kenichi, let's see if we can't take out Garuda and Heinel's ships!" Hyoma called out. "If we do that, the other beasties will probably turn tail and run! Gamlin, Shinobu, give us some support, will ya?"

"Understood!" the Variable Fighter pilot replied. The three Variable Fighters did a quick banking turn as they unleashed a swarm of missiles on the enemy. This softened them up, allowing the two Electromagnetic robots to move in and finish them off.

"Take this, you alien freaks!" Shinobu cried as he slashed a pair of Beast Fighters in half. "DAN KUU KEN!" Another dozen attempted to dogpile the black combining robot. Meanwhile, Mazinger Z hovered nearby as its fist returned from Rocket Punching a Slave Monster.

"Clear a path, huh? That's practically my middle name!" Kouji said excitedly. "Let's do it, Grandpa!"

"Ha-ha! That's the spirit, my boy!" the computer Juzo laughed. The Super Robot changed into its golden fist form.

"SMASH IT ALL TO ATOMS! BIG BANG...PUUUUUNCHEH!"

Mazinger tore through another group of enemies with its Big Bang Punch attack, sending a wave of Photon Power across the Martian landscape. This allowed Combattler and Voltes to directly approach the two subordinates of Vega, this time with Rolo and Kallen going with them.

"Heh, to think that not long ago, you were my enemy, Rolo Haliburton," Kallen chuckled to Rolo over a private Black Knights-only channel as her Guren dodged an attack from a Beast Fighter. "And now we're fighting side by side."

"Zero has a way of uniting people," Rolo replied. He wouldn't be able to use his Geass on these non-living machines, but they were so slow, his Vincent was easily capable of dodging them.

As the _Nadesico _passed, GaoGaiGar and GekiRyuJin took a moment to take a few shots at the enemy vessels. One of GekiRyuJin's shots struck Heinel's Skull Ship in its mouth, after it received a Screw Pressure Punch from Grendizer.

"Grr...cursed machines!" Heinel grunted as his ship rumbled from the shot. "If only I had Boazan's greatest weapon with me..."

* * *

The _Nadesico _and its bodyguards landed in one of the open areas in the ruins, which also happened to be where HyoRyu and EnRyu were. A Gekiganger-type Jovian mech was near by, and Genichiro was just getting out as he saw the Earth ship and the robots land.

Out of the ship came the two Shishioh scientist brothers, Yurika and Ruri. At first, Genichiro eyed them suspiciously, but then Yukina came running out, with no one in the group moving to stop her. Guy and the Aestivalis pilots soon joined them, while Mamoru, Volfogg and the Chinese dragon brothers went to examine the fossilized HyoRyu and EnRyu.

"Genichiro! Genichiro!" Yukina squealed, happy to see her brother's friend. The Jovian's expression softened once he heard that voice.

"Yukina! You're alright!" Genichiro said happily before turning to the _Nade_. "Thank you for bringing her back."

"No problem!" Jiro said proudly. "It's the right thing for true believers in justice and passion to do!" Genichiro nodded. He couldn't help but be surprised at just how closely the Super Aestivalis' pilot resembled Tsukumo. He even spoke in a similar manner.

"I suppose it's only proper that I introduce myself. I am Genichiro Akiyama, Commander of the Space Assault Super Male Forces of the Anti-Earth Cooperative Federation of the Jovian Realm, as well as all associated moons and asteroids."

"Man, what is it with Jovians and long-winded titles?" Izumi mumbled.

Meanwhile, Mamoru, FuRyu, RaiRyu and Volfogg were examining the fossilized robots.

"Interesting...their GS-Rides are intact," Volfogg said thoughtfully as he looked at the portable scanner he had brought; "...And their AI systems, while technically operational, seem to be hibernating."

"Wa-ha!" Mamoru cheered. "They really ARE okay!"

Volfogg looked at the scanner again. "There's something protecting the AI Systems and GS-Rides - an energy of some kind. It's certainly nothing I've ever encountered...it's different from even G-Power."

Mamoru got an idea...perhaps the Jovian could tell them something.

"Hey! Guys! Over here!" Mamoru called out, hopping up and down and waving his arms excitedly. "Volfogg's done checking up on HyoRyu and EnRyu!"

"Ah, those are the names of your two robot friends?" Genichiro said. "Shall we see what your little friend wants?"

They walked over to the two fossilized machines. Volfogg bent down and showed the scanner window to the Jovian once they had arrived.

"Good Jovian, have your culture's scientists ever encountered an energy like this?" the ninja robot asked. Genichiro looked over the patterns, and to everyone's surprise, he nodded.

"Actually, they have. However, the only place we have found it is on Jupiter itself."

"Jupiter?!" they all exclaimed.

"Yes. Our culture tried to study for years after its discovery. Unfortunately, its highly volatile and unpredictable nature made it impossible for us to harness safely. All we could do was name it."

Suddenly, Genichiro's expression turned serious.

"We called it...**THE POWER**!"

"The Power?" Ryoko quipped. "Talk about a vague name."

"No-no-no-no...you have to say it with feeling!" Genichiro said. "Like this...**THE POWER**!" An explosion from above could be heard.

"**THE POWER**!" Liger and Leo said. Another, somewhat larger explosion sounded out.

"**THE POWER**!" Guy said strongly. A third, even larger explosion rang out.

"**THE POWER**!" Jiro bellowed. A fourth, much larger explosion occurred nearby.

"Okay, we get it," Ryoko groaned. "Let's quit saying that before we get nuked!"

"Idiots..." Ruri grumbled. Yurika cocked her head to one side as she began to consider the options available.

"So...I guess we'll have to..."

Suddenly, the ground began to shake, as if something extremely big had landed violently.

* * *

Garuda smirked. He had waited so long for this chance...the chance to unveil his ultimate weapon, the pride of Campbell itself.

A colossus roughly the size of EI-01 or Hell King Gordon now towered over DREAM - a lithe fiend with gold-accented green-blue armor, wicked pointed teeth, great wings and a horned helmet. Even Heinel was shocked to see that his fellow general possessed such a machine, especially considering it was larger than his ship.

"Heinel, leave them to me. With this machine, Great Garuda, I will flatten Voltes AND Combattler, not to mention the rest of their accursed little band!"

"What? And let you hog all the glory?" Heinel said with a scowl. "NEVER!"

"Sir, pardon my insolence," one of the Boazanian soldiers said somewhat meekly, "but we can't take another hit like that. Retreating would be best."

"No! We are staying!" Heinel yelled. "I won't let that hawk-headed Campbellian steal my victory!"

Great Garuda turned around. "For your information, you horned ninny, I happen to have a form that is much more appealing to the eye!"

"Oh, really? Why not show it then? Are you afraid I'll mar it with my knife?"

The two generals immediately began arguing, while their forces stood stock still, waiting for their commands while DREAM looked on, wondering how this had all started up. But soon they got an urgent order from Max.

"Everyone, scatter! The Macross Cannon is going to fire!"

The army of Earth robots scattered, giving the _Battle 7 _a clear shot.

"Macross Cannon charge complete...target locked," Exsedol said. "We're awaiting your orders."

Heinel suddenly noticed the vessel's weapon thrumming with energy, ready to unleash it all at once. His Skull Ship lurched upward on his orders.

"Running away, you cowardly Boazanian?!" Garuda laughed. "You ought to...huh?!"

"MACROSS CANNON, FIRE!" Max ordered loudly just as Great Garuda turned around.

While the cannon didn't do any damage to the sunken Martian ruins, every last Slave Monster and Beast Fighter was annihilated in one shot. However, to DREAM's shock, Great Garuda still stood firm, with a barrier of a rather familiar energy surrounding it.

"Ha-ha! I must thank Kentaro Go for kindly donating his research on Super Electromagnetic energy to the manufacture of Great Garuda!" the Campbellian general cackled.

Kenichi, Daijourou and Hiyoshi couldn't believe their ears. Their father, it seemed, may have yet survived.

"You! Tell us where our father is!" Kenichi demanded as Voltes charged forward. Hyoma, however, quickly saw that Garuda was readying something, and spurred Combattler forward.

"Kenichi! Wait!" Hyoma cried out. With a wicked grin, Garuda suddenly revealed a chainsaw sword concealed inside its right arm, and prepared to cut Voltes down. But Combattler got there first, and took the blow instead. An ear-splitting sound filled the air as the chainsaw sword cut through Combattler's armor, as did yellow-hot sparks.

When it was all said and done, the damage was nothing short of horrific. Combattler's head was cut in numerous places, while the rest of its body was damaged in other ways. But Garuda had done more than just damage the Super Electromagnetic Robot.

In the wreckage, pieces of metal shrapnel fell into Hyoma's cockpit. He cried out in agony as the shrapnel completely tore up his arms, even if they were still attached to its body...

* * *

The ruins had survived undamaged thanks to a defense mechanism that had been put in by its ancient constructors - several Distortion Fields, layed over each other every eight-hundred meters or so.

"Oh god...something happened to Hyoma!" Hikaru gasped as she heard his cry of agony.

"Damn it all..." Ryoko growled as she started toward her Aestivalis. "C'mon guys, let's hurry up and get back into the battle!"

"Mamoru, stay here with Genichiro!" Guy told his little friend. "FuRyu, RaiRyu, Volfogg, let's go!"

Gai leapt back into Star GaoGaiGar via the lion's mouth on its chest, while the three other GGG robots started back up to the top when suddenly they heard Garuda make a threat.

"If anyone moves, I will turn Hyoma Aoi and the rest of the Combattler team into a bloody paste!"

Mamoru, scared to death about what was about to happen to the leader of the Combattler team, turned back toward the fossilized Ryu brothers and rushed over to them, crying and sobbing.

"Please...HyoRyu...EnRyu...you have to wake up! Help our friends!" Mamoru whimpered, praying fervently. Two teardrops slide down his face - one landed on HyoRyu's foot, the other on EnRyu's.

* * *

At that moment, the scanners on all of the ships started going crazy.

"Zero, there's an unbelievably huge energy spike coming from the ruins!" one of the _Ikaruga_'s operators exclaimed. "It's like someone set off ten thousand nukes there!"

* * *

Rather than ten thousand nuclear bombs, the energy came from two robots - HyoRyu and EnRyu that were the cause of the immense energy spike. Beyond all explicable reason, the fossilized bodies of the machines reverted to their original states; but now they glowed a deep golden orange color.

"HyoRyu...EnRyu..." Mamoru gasped.

"Is this...is this the power of **THE POWER**?!" Leo gasped.

_Incredible, _Genichiro though, _**THE POWER**__...it is great enough to regenerate even fossilized material!_

As if they knew exactly what to do, the two super-charged robots leaped straight up out of the ruins and next to FuRyu and RaiRyu, while bombarding the implacable Great Garuda with cannon fire.

"HyoRyu...EnRyu!" RaiRyu exclaimed with awe.

"You're back, stronger than ever!" FuRyu added. "But...you were fossilized for 65 million years!"

"How did you survive for that long?!" Guy called out.

"We cannot say for sure," HyoRyu said.

"But what we do know is that even now an unknown energy flows through us, giving us strength beyond our imagination!" EnRyu bellowed.

"**THE POWER**!"

"An energy that can increase overall output a thousandfold, and even return fossilized material to its original state..." Zero gasped. "Who could imagine something like that existed in this, or any reality?"

"FuRyu! RaiRyu! Let us share this energy, **THE POWER**, and defeat this foe!"

Almost immediately, FuRyu and RaiRyu began to glow the same golden-orange color as the fire and ice brothers did.

"Taiga...their SympaRates...they've gone all the way to 200 percent!" Swan exclaimed.

"I'm getting signals for HyoRyu and RaiRyu to initiate Symmetrical Docking!" Mikoto called out. "EnRyu and FuRyu as well!"

"Very well...SYMMETRICAL DOCKING...APPROOOOVED!"

"SYMMETRICAL DOCKING!"

All four dragon brothers leaped high into the air and began to transform. But unlike before, HyoRyu combined with RaiRyu, and EnRyu combined with FuRyu...and thus, two more GGG mechs were born!

"GEN...RYUUUUUJIIIIIINN!"

"GOU...RYUUUUUJIIIIINN!"

Garuda was furious at being so easily damaged.

"You meddling bolt-brains! I'll wipe you off the face of the universe!"

Great Garuda launched several missiles at them. However, thanks to **THE POWER**, they weren't even scratched.

"Your attacks are useless, Garuda of Campbell," GenRyuJin said smugly.

"Now we shall end this, and make you pay for making our friend suffer so!" GouRyuJin bellowed.

However, neither of them noticed, but the overflowing energy of **THE POWER **also affected the damaged Combattler V, as well as Hyoma, who had been suffering from having his arms smashed to bits.

The energy began to mend the damage Great Garuda had caused, while filling its energy tanks with power and its pilots with hotblooded vigor. It was as if the unbelievably powerful energy knew exactly what it was needed for.

Meanwhile, the other two mechs charged up for an immensely powerful attack.

"THE FREEZING SLEET! THE ROARING LIGHTNING!"

"THE HOWLING GALE! THE SCORCHING FLAMES!"

A dragon head formed of each respective element formed on their arms.

"MAXIMUM TOU LONG!"

The four dragon heads launched themselves at Great Garuda, striking simultaneously and with explosive force. But amazingly, the Campbellian machine survived the attack, though it was still sent sky-high.

Combattler, meanwhile, got to its feet as Hyoma prepared for a little payback as **THE POWER **rushed through him and his teammates.

"Incredible...I feel...incredible!" Juzo gasped.

"It k-k-kinda t-tingles..." Chizuru added. She felt an uneasy twitch in her heart.

"Oh man, I feel like I could do anything!" Daisuku bellowed excitedly.

"Hyoma, you feeling this too?!" Kosuke said eagerly.

"You know it!" Hyoma yelled. "Even if Garuda were to reduce me to a bloody puddle...I'll whoop his ass! CHOUDENJI TATSUMAKIIIIIIIIIIII!"

Even without Hyoma's physical input, Combattler unleashed the pink tornado, sending the already shattered Garuda spiraling away.

"CHOUDENJI SPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!'

Combattler rocketed past GenRyuJin and GouRyuJin as it spun like a drill. It pierced Great Garuda, breaking it into pieces. It then exploded catastrophically as Garuda let out a shriek of helpless rage.

But the victory celebration was short-lived. As **THE POWER **left Combattler V, Hyoma started groaning in pain again.

At the same time, Chizuru suddenly felt a wrenching sensation in her heart...

* * *

Hyoma and Chizuru lay in the medical bay of the _Battle 7_, both heavily drugged to keep them from suffering. The Voltes team and the three other Combattler team members looked on, worried for their welfare.

"Did you find out what happened to Chizuru?" Ippei asked Liger Shishioh as he carefully examined a sheet of readings on the unconscious Combattler pilot.

"It seems she has some form of valvular heart disease," Liger replied. "My guess is that the strain on her heart from using **THE POWER** must have been too much, and she underwent cardiac arrest. If she hadn't had all that physical training, she probably would not have survived."

"Professor Yotsuya AND her grandfather never said anything about that!" Daisuku exclaimed. "Why did they hide it from us?!"

"That doesn't matter right now," Megumi said, concerned greatly for her friend. "All I want to know is if she going to be okay."

"Yes, and will Hyoma be all right as well?" Kenichi asked, worried for his own friend. "He gave up his arms to save us and Voltes."

"Don't worry," Ray reassured them. "Once we return to Macross, they'll be heading to the best hospital in the whole colony."

"Yes. Once there, Chizuru will receive heart surgery, while Hyoma will have his arms replaced with new ones. However, this means that Combattler will be out of commission for a while, since it needs all five of you to operate it."

"Man, I hate sitting on the sidelines." Kosuke said.

"Don't worry, everyone will pick up your slack!" Hiyoshi said optimistically, patting Kosuke on the back. "You guys just take it easy!"

* * *

"Haruki Kusakabe."

Gabriel appeared in the middle of Haruki Kusakabe's darkened office. She glowed brightly, but didn't seem to fill the room with light as one would expect. Kusakabe, however, kept his back turned.

"Gabriel of Arubboth. I didn't expect to hear from you again so soon."

"I hear that the Earthlings are proposing peace talks. You're so close to victory...you're not really going to give it to them, are you?"

"Of course not," the Jovian general chuckled. "Besides, the Earthlings who are proposing are considered a rogue organization on their own planet. The accursed governments of Earth would never agree to it anyway."

"But if you refuse, those hotheads will likely strike back," Gabriel said. "They are not to be underestimated."

"I am no fool. I will obtain the power sleeping within the ruins that we Martian Successors have worked so hard to claim! With that power and your Threshold technology working in harmony, the corrupt Earthlings won't stand a chance!"

* * *

_Okay, I tried to include more fighting in this one. I hope you guys like it. We're nearing the end of the GaoGaiGar TV series' plot, and anyone who watched that knows what's coming next! Until next time, mecha fans!_


	76. Chapter 51

_Hmmm...let's do some Dancougar and Evangelion plot before we continue with Nadesico and GaoGaiGar. Also, I really, REALLY hope this chapter doesn't force me to up the rating, or worse._

* * *

**Chapter 51 - Gildrome's Wicked Trap! Nightmare in the Asteroids!**

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, **THE POWER **left the bodies of Combattler V, HyoRyu and EnRyu after the destruction of Great Garuda. On the other hand, there was still an entire planet brimming with this unbelievably powerful energy - Jupiter.

With Genichiro happy to know of the Earthlings' benevolent intentions, the surviving Jovians departed for Jupiter to report the events that occurred on Mars. Unfortunately, due to having the entirety of Macross coming along for the ride, DREAM couldn't follow them into the Chulip and just Boson Jump there. Meanwhile, charging up the sub-lightspeed engines would require at least one Earth week considering all the other facilities on the super-colony that needed to be supplied with energy. Also, the J-Der trio wanted to hold on to their ES Missiles for emergencies.

Ultimately, it was decided that Macross would travel using its normal engines. Even at that relatively slow pace, they could still reach Jupiter in three Earth days.

This gave DREAM a bit of time to relax after their harrowing battle on Mars, and to take stock on the events that transpired in the year following the Black Rebellion. It would also give Hyoma and Chizuru to have surgery, though the recuperation process would probably take longer.

For Lelouch, there wasn't much to do besides planning, waiting and thinking. He sat in his bedroom alone, lazily folding an origami crane, just as he and Nunnally did once. C.C. was off doing something with J, and Kallen was out in City 7 doing some shopping.

There was something about Jupiter that bugged the leader of the Black Knights - the gas giant appeared in the visions he saw when he regained his memories. Why would that planet be related to the power of Geass? Could Geass be connected to **THE POWER **somehow?

His thoughts were interrupted by someone knocking on his door. It wasn't just any ordinary knock - it was one that he had taught only the people he trusted his true identity with. A bit crude, but it worked all the same.

"Come in."

In came C.C., her gut sticking out a little, and a near-orgasmic expression on her face, which was very uncharacteristic of her.

"Did you have fun with your new friends, C.C.?" he said somewhat coldly.

"Fun?" the green-haired witch said calmly. "Why, I've never enjoyed myself more in my life."

"Let me guess...you went to the all-you-can-eat pizza restaurant?"

C.C. nodded, and flopped onto Lelouch's bed, snatching up her favorite plush toy - a yellow, blob-like plush dubbed "Cheese-kun".

"Well, don't go there again," the young prince replied. "I'd hate to see that lovely figure of yours blow up like a balloon."

The girl smirked a bit, but Lelouch quickly changed the subject when he grasped what he had just blurted out.

"Anyway...C.C., do you know if there's anything particularly special about the planet Jupiter...other than what we already know?" the young man asked.

"Not that comes to mind," the green-haired girl replied, rocking back and forth with Cheese-kun in her arms. "What brought this up all of a sudden?"

Lelouch quickly got the sense that even his wily accomplice was in the dark about any relation between Jupiter and Geass, if there was any at all.

"Who knows?" Lelouch then said. "I guess we'll find out when we get there."

Only a few people capable of fooling Lelouch like that...and C.C. was one of them.

* * *

A humanoid alien with cracked blue skin and no hair aside from white sideburns knelt before Emperor Muge, to deliver the latest report on DREAM's activities.

"Your Highness, it seems those meddlers of DREAM are heading for Jupiter via their solar system's asteroid belt - indeed, not a single member of that accursed group seems to remain on the planet Earth! That blue and green world is free for the taking!"

Muge nodded.

"Yes, it is indeed ripe for conquest, Gildrome," he said, his voice echoing through the chamber. "However, we cannot take chances while their forces are still around, especially with the Cyber Beast Force in their number. Based on Helmut's last report, they had first traveled to Mars at approximately twenty percent of the speed of light."

"What does that imply, Your Highness? That they could return to Earth on short notice and stop our invasion?"

"Indeed."

_Hmm...perhaps if I deal with them, _the scientist thought,_ the Emperor will view ME as his favorite, rather than that damned Shapiro Keats! I will NOT allow him to walk all over me!_

"Very well, then," Gildrome said. "I shall lead my forces to oppose them. All of their power will be meaningless in the face of my army's illusions and mental manipulation!"

"Excellent," the alien emperor replied. "And to aid in your endeavor, I'll lend you the assistance of my special battalion..."

* * *

Alan Igor was tired of sitting around; tired of hiding in the shadows like his old man, the famous Earth Alliance General Igor did. As good as he was at subterfuge and spying, Alan wanted nothing more than to throw to lend his own strength to the cause.

But now that he was on Macross, he had his chance. Dr. Hazuki, who had moved from GGG Orbit Base to the super-colony, arrived at his quarters in the main city area not long after the colony's departure from Mars. All he had to do was see the scientist at the door to know what he wanted.

Leading Alan to a secret hangar within Macross itself, the creator of Dancougar then showed off the last part of his mighty combining robot - a gigantic robot eagle, noticeably larger than Shinobu's own Eagle Fighter.

"So, that's the fifth Beast Machine, huh?" Alan said as he looked over his new ride.

"The fifth and FINAL machine, Alan," the scientist replied. "Once this Black Hawk combines with Dancougar, it will be truly complete."

"So why did you hold it back for so long?" the general's son asked. "I mean, they were plenty competent when they joined the Black Knights."

"I would have given it to them about that time, but I didn't want Zero...or rather, your friend Lelouch vi Britannia...to use them for evil," Dr. Hazuki answered. "However, it has become clear that the prince has no selfish intentions."

"To be honest, I still don't completely trust that blue-blood," Alan replied. My gut tells me he's hiding something from me, and my gut is usually right in these sort of matters. But I guess now that I have the Black Wing, I can keep a closer eye on him."

* * *

Shinji's rant was still playing back in Nemo's mind over and over again.

How could she not have seen it? The way everyone acted awkward around her, the way they avoided meeting her gaze, and the way Lelouch still seemed to mourn Nunnally even though she was still alive.

It was clear now that she was in the wrong - it wasn't her, the strong and capable Nemo, that her brother and his allies wanted...but the sweet, gentle Nunnally.

Nemo turned her mind inwards, hoping to contact her other side, which lay asleep in her heart.

_Nunnally..._

_Nemo..._

_Nunnally, I've been so stupid! I thought that by acting tough would get everyone to like me. But instead, I've just driven everyone away. Even Shinji hates me now! _

_I don't care if they don't like you, Nemo. You're the only one of us who can help Zero so that the world can be a place where Lelouch, Euphie and I can be happy! I'm nothing but a burden - you said that yourself!_

_But..._

_Please, just let me sleep. I know you can help Zero._

Suddenly, she was thrown back into reality just in time to see Kallen and Asuka walk by.

_Maybe I should just try to be nice to them like Nunnally is..._

But as Nemo approached, she saw the two quickening their pace a little and doing their best not to even look at her.

* * *

Michiru, Hayato and Benkei hadn't spoken with Ryoma much since he returned with the Black Getter. But while Michiru was standing outside, watching the universe pass by through her window, Ryoma suddenly approached her.

"Michiru..." Ryoma said somewhat nervously. She was one of the few people who he could ever show his more sensitive side too.

"Oh, Ryoma. I'm glad you came to see me."

"I just wanted to ask you something that I've been meaning to for a while now..."

"Oh...what is it you'd like to know?"

"Can you tell me what the versions of me, Hayato and Benkei were like in this universe?"

Michiru sighed and thought back to the Getter Team she knew so well before they were suddenly taken from her by the Vega Empire's sabotage.

"Well, the Ryoma I knew was...kinder, nobler and more heroic. Maybe he was like that because I was still alive. On the other hand, he didn't have the ability to make his scarf defy gravity."

Ryoma chuckled a bit. He remembered being that way before the Michiru of his world died.

"Meanwhile, Hayato...never came across as the kind of person who would be able to command a battleship. He kept to himself, at least until he started piloting Getter Robo. But even after that he wasn't the type to socialize."

"And Benkei?"

"He was a little more happy-go-lucky, I guess. I suppose having fatherhood forced upon you does that. Other than that, they're the same...what about the Michiru you knew?"

Ryoma was silent, but Michiru understood. As far as Ryoma was concerned, there was no difference.

Suddenly, more alarms began to go off.

"Another attack?!" Michiru exclaimed. "Who could it be this time?!"

* * *

Lifthrasir, Getter Q, Shin Getter, Black Getter, Dancougar, Freedom Gundam, Evangelion Unit 02, the Astray Red Frame, Great Mazinger, Guren mk II, Mark Nemo, Venus A, Fire Bomber, and the Aestivalis of Akito and Jiro all deployed. Meanwhile, the _Nadesico, Wunder _and _Battle 7 _stood by. Meanwhile, armored shutters began to close around Macross, which protected the super-colony's vulnerable dome from enemy attacks,.

"Ruri, who's our enemy this time?" Yurika asked. "I hope it's not the Jovians or the Primevals."

"I'm getting readings of two large Muge Zolbados units...and at least a few dozen Invaders and Getter Dragons..."

Sure enough, numerous Getter Dragons, each one controlled by a Muge Zolbados pilot appeared, as well as numerous Invaders, all lighter shades of gray than the "wild" variety. Behind was a large purple and green battleship with a two-pronged fuselage not unlike the _Archangel_. Next to it was a colossal robot that towered over even Shin Getter and Dancougar - it was large, bulky and had a pair of whip-like arms, plus thick power cables running along its chest and abdominal area. Its original color scheme was lost to time, as it now had the same sinister gray sheen, signs of possession by the domesticated Invaders.

"What the...INVADERS?!" Ryoma cried out. "The Invaders have figured out how to cross between dimensions?!"

"Crap, it's THESE kinds of Invaders," Hayato said, standing on the bridge of the _Nadesico _for the first time in a long time.

"What do you mean THESE kinds?" Ryoma exclaimed. "I thought the only ones that existed worked for old man Saotome?!"

"Apparently, the Muge Zolbados Empire is capable of domesticating these abominations," Benkei answered grimly. "Though I can't imagine how they accomplished such a thing."

"Listen, if you're gonna get close to the Invaders," Kei warned everyone. "Kill them in one shot or else they might try to take over your machine! If you can't kill them up, keep your distance!"

"Focus on the enemy battleship," Hayato ordered. "If we destroy it, then their little raid falls apart. Sayaka, Michiru, remain by the ships and provide support as needed."

"Right," Michiru said. She knew that Hayato wanted her close by so she didn't get killed again.

The Invaders, meanwhile, began to move. But while the garden-variety Invaders were content to simply rush in, these Invaders, as well as the Getter Dragons, seemed to move methodically and with calculation...at least, their general was directing them that way.

But DREAM, as always, faced this foe head-on. Ryoma and Shinobu dove into the fray with gusto, sword and tomahawk cleaving foes everywhere they turned, Invader blood spilling out into the void.

As Asuka jammed her progressive knife into one of them, a Getter Dragon had gotten behind her and prepared to chop it in twain. She barely had time to turn around and raise an AT Field before the Getter's head was blown off courtesy of the Mark Nemo.

Nemo hoped for some sort of show of gratitude, but saw none as Unit 02 merely gave her a quick glance before launching back into the fray as Asuka let out a hot-blooded yell.

Meanwhile, Kira awakened the power of SEED and readied every beam weapon in his arsenal. He was glad not to be fighting human opponents for once...these fiends were anything but human. He skillfully used his targeting scope tp lock on to twelve individual enemies.

The display of beam energy was like a dazzling rainbow light show. Even though the Astray Red Frame and Fire Bomber's Variable Fighters were in range, each beam missed them completely.

"Whoa...nice shooting, kid," Lowe quipped. "I thought we were gonna fry for a sec there, Hachi."

Another Getter Dragon lunged at Lowe, but was also destroyed by the intervention of an ally - in this case, it came in the form of a Double Gekigan Flare from Jiro and Akito, who had just mowed down another six.

"Top THAT, beam spam boy!" Jiro laughed. An Invader sneaked up behind the blue Super Aestivalis, which was promptly cleaved in twain by the red Gundam.

"Watch your back, fanboy," Lowe replied.

* * *

It was quite a good deal that Saotome got from Muge Zolbados - in exchange for the aid of some of his fellow Invaders, he would help along the process of completing Shin Dragon.

Ever since Go had forced Shin Dragon to sleep all those months ago, all of Saotome's attempts to wake it up had ended in failure. But then Muge came and gave him the answer. He had since spent the intervening months concocting the mystical elixir that would finally get Shin Dragon to cooperate - the very same drug Muge used to control the Invaders.

Carrying a large syringe full of the sickly gray liquid with one hand, the Invader-possessed scientist made his way to one of the large "veins" inside the monstrosity. He paused at what he knew would be a good injection site and raised it up over his head.

"Now, Shin Dragon...it is time for you to join us! Sleep no more, and accept the path of evolution we have chosen for you!"

Saotome jammed the needle deep into the vein and pushed the plunger with all his might. After emptying the syringe, he yanked it out and looked around him. The veins started to pulsate faster for a few moments, then returned to normal. The scientist then heard Shin Dragon let out a low, unearthly howl.

The scientist then grinned wickedly and began to cackle, his twisted laughter echoing throughout Shin Dragon's body...

* * *

"Damn it, there's no end to these guys!" Shinobu growled as Dancougar cut down yet another Invader. "It's like every time we kill one, another just pops in to take its place! At this rate, we'll never get to that battleship or that big thing!"

"Yeah, they're really going out of their way to protect it," Ryo added.

"I wonder what it does..." Masato quipped.

Unfortunately, Gildrome was all too happy to answer that. With the press of a button, the Invader possessed colossus revealed what appeared to be a pair of speakers very similar to the Sound Boosters on Fire Bomber's Variable Fighters.

But instead of firing Sound Energy, it unleashed a silent, barely visible wave of psychic power, which bypassed every last defense DREAM's mechs had...but the people piloting them. Immediately, the mind-controlling waves of Gildrome's weapon went to work.

Tara immediately felt herself becoming overwhelmed with feelings of fear, anger and despair. Visions of her house burning down, her family being murdered, and even of Charles using his Geass to crush her mind somehow played out.

But Xemmey, being a machine, was unaffected, and she knew just how to deal with this kind of problem.

"Warning: Mental contamination detected," she uttered. "Initiating emergency synaptic cleansing sequence in 3...2...1..."

Instantly, an influx of energy stored inside the TZUM flowed into Tara, awakening her angelic form, while the _Gekiganger 3 _theme suddenly started playing out of her speakers.

But as the visions faded from her sight and the sounds became more distant, she could barely make out two voices she had never heard before, yet felt so familiar, as garbled as they were...

_R...s...i..._

_L...t...i..._

_S...d...i..._

_S...k...n..._

* * *

Gildrome, meanwhile, sat quietly in the rear of the battle, watching The Muge Hypnosis Machine that he had brought with him would be DREAM's undoing, and the sheer despair he would extract from its victims would be a glorious gift to Emperor Muge.

Particularly the girl piloting the large semi-organic machine, known as Evangelion Unit 02. She had an extremely unstable personality, a potpourri of mental problems, a psychological time bomb just waiting to explode.

Gildrome licked his lips at the very thought of pushing her to the breaking point.

* * *

Inside the _Wunder_, alarms were going off like crazy as Asuka's mind came under attack by the psychic blast, while Misato, Shinji and the other EVA pilots, safely outside the weapon's maximum range, helplessly listened to her cries.

"N-n-nooooo! Don't come any closer!" she cried, her hands clutching her face. "Don't enter into me!"

"Misato, what's happening out there? Why is everyone going crazy?! What's happening to Asuka?!"

"Please! Don't invade my mind! Don't...don't..."

Mari glanced over at one of the _Wunder_'s screens, which was monitoring Asuka's mental balance. All the lines were complete convoluted, almost like a series of scribbles drawn by a mentally ravaged child.

_Geez, what kind of weapon are these Muge guys packing? _Mari thought._ Her psychograph looks like it divided by the square root of negative zero or something!_

"Her mental circuit is being severely damaged," Rei said bluntly. "It won't be long until her mind is contaminated beyond repair."

"Asuka, retreat! I order you to retreat!" Misato yelled.

"No! I-I can't!" she cried. "I'd rather die than retreat! Not while...not while Shinobu is..."

* * *

"Why am I crying? I said I wouldn't cry anymore."

_"What's wrong, Asuka? It's a present from your new mother. Don't you like it?"_

_"No!"_

"I'm not a baby! I'll grow up earlier than anyone else! I don't need a stupid teddy bear!"

_**REMEMBER AND DESPAIR**_

_"Mama, I'm here! Please, don't stop being my mama!"_

_"Come to heaven with me, my child..."_

_"Mama! Mama! Please don't...don't kill me!" _

_"I'm not Mama's doll! I'll think for myself, and live on my own...I don't need Mama or Papa...I'll live by myself!"_

_**REMEMBER AND DESPAIR**_

"Stop! Stop digging through my memories! I want to forget!"

_**REMEMBER AND DESPAIR**_

_"My dear Asuka...die with me."_

_"Okay...I'll die with you, Mama. Just don't stop being my Mama! Please, Mama!"_

_"Huh? I don't know you. Who are you?"_

_**REMEMBER AND DESPAIR**_

_"I'm Asuka Langley Soryu...please to meet you."_

_"Are you stupid?!"_

_"Chaaaaance..."_

_"So look at me!"_

"No! This isn't me!"

_**REMEMBER AND DESPAIR**_

_"I'm Asuka Langley Soryu...please to meet you."_

_"Are you stupid?!"_

_"Chaaaaance..."_

_"So look at me!"_

"No! This isn't me!"

_"Tee-hee..."_

_"Tee-hee..."_

_"Tee-hee..."_

_"Tee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee..."_

"Shinobu..."

_"Hee-hee-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha..."_

"Help me, HELP ME, SHINOBU!"

_**REMEMBER AND DESPAIR**_

"What...what's HE doing there?!"

"You...you won't do anything! You won't help me! You won't even hold me!"

"Nobody! Nobody! NOBODY DOES!"

"Please, someone look at me!"

_**REMEMBER AND DESPAIR**_

_Brrrrrrrrring_

_**ARE YOU LONELY LITTLE GIRL**_

"No...don't come near me!"

_**ARE YOU LONELY LITTLE GIRL**_

"I can live by myself!"

_**DO YOU WANT IT**_

"I don't need anyone!"

_**DO YOU REALLY WANT IT**_

"I can live by myself!"

_**LIAR**_

"EYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

* * *

Tara finally snapped back to reality and looked around while the TZUM returned her to normal. Almost the entire group was suddenly attacking each other, and she could hear were the mixture of incoherent ramblings coming from everyone. This forced her to cut her public receiver. But then she heard a few voices of sanity contact her.

"Tara, you alright?" Ryoma grunted. Tara felt another chill. She couldn't explain it, but now the man's voice bothered her.

"You're okay too, Ryoma?" Tara replied. "Good, because I'd like to know what the hell is going on here!"

"I'm okay," Nemo said, shaking her head a bit. "Nothing I couldn't handle."

"Yeah...I had to subdue poor Akito before he tore my Aestivalis apart!" Jiro added. "I saw a bunch of weird things for a second, but then I just started humming the _Gekiganger 3 _theme to myself, and everything went back to normal!"

"Xemmey started playing the theme inside the cockpit here," Tara added; "And it got me sane again too."

"Hey, same here!" Basara quipped. The rest of Fire Bomber seemed to be okay as well. "Nothing gets the hot blood a-flowing better than that song! I gotta admit, I like the original better than my own cover!"

"I do not seem to having issues," Go said, straining a bit. "But I cannot say the same for Kei and Gai. I do wonder what is happening."

"The Muge general is employing some sort of psychokinetic fluctuation weapon to disrupt higher neural functionality and overwhelm the temporal lobe and amygdala," Ruri said calmly.

"Use smaller words, Hoshino!" Jiro yelled.

"It means they're using some weapon to attack everyone's emotions and memories!" Ryoma said. "It's coming from that really big Invader there."

"Hmph! Leave it to an alien empire to try such a cheap, overdone trick!" the Super Aestivalis pilot said with angry disdain. "A true hero never lets his traumas keep him down! He confronts the past with courage and marches toward the future with hope! "

"Those are my thoughts too, Gai Daigoji," an unfamiliar voice said. "More or less, anyway." They looked around and saw the Black Wing flying around, which was just outside the weapon's maximum range. It was Alan Igor.

"Excuse me, how did you connect to this private channel?" Ruri asked curtly.

"That doesn't matter. Right now, I'm sending our rock star friend here a file containing a certain song."

"Hey, I see it! Thanks a bunch, mystery guy!" Basara said as he saw the file appear in his Sound Energy System's "playlist" - it was the original _Gekiganger 3 _theme.

"Fire Bomber, I want you to blast that out of the Sound Boosters at full volume! As for me, I need to have a little talk with Shinobu Fujiwara and company. The rest of you, take out that Muge Zolbados machine!"

"Mylene! Ray! Veffidas!"

"Gotcha, Basara!"

The rock band began to play their best rendition of the original theme to _Gekiganger 3, _releasing a massive torrent of Sound Energy to counter the energy generated by Gildrome's machine...

* * *

"Shinobu Fujiwara!" Alan called out to the leader of the Cyber Beast Force.

"A...Alan?" Shinobu grunted, eyes still shut tight, recognizing the voice of his mysterious contact. He was fighting to block out the visions that were assaulting his mind.

"Good," Alan said. "You're too stubborn to succumb to this sort of mental assault, just as I'd hoped."

"Any suggestions? I'm just about at my limit here..."

_Even the Gekiganger 3 theme isn't working? _Alan thought;_ I guess there's one other thing I can try..._

"Remember what old man Hazuki told you..." Alan said to him. "The power of instinct, the animal fury that drives one forward in the heat of battle, is what gives Dancougar strength! So get angry! Let your animal rage out, and it shall become the blazing, uncontrollable inferno that consumes evil!"

"Heh...yeah," Shinobu chuckled as he started to open his eyes. "These Invaders...that stupid Muge weapon...SCREW THEM ALL!"

All at once, the distorted illusions created by Gildrome's machine disappeared from Shinobu's eyes. His animal rage also channeled into the minds of his fellow Cyber Beast Force members. Masato and Ryo were suddenly snapped out of their unending dreams as well. However, Sara was proving more difficult to break out.

"Sh...Shapiro...I..." he heard Sara say weakly.

"Sara! Stop!" the Eagle Fighter's pilot yelled. "Whatever Shapiro's saying to you, don't listen to him!"

"Shin...obu...but I..."

_Sara...you can end this agony_, Shapiro's voice spoke in her head;_ Submit to me just as you always did. Don't you wish to be happy again?_

"You told me what he did to you!" Shinobu screamed; "He used you! He made you his toy! HE VIOLATED YOU!"

That got Sara's attention.

"And even after you left him, he continued to destroy you by commiting crimes beyond forgiveness! You're seriously going to listen to that egotistical fashion magazine reject after all that?!"

"I..."

"Stop being so meek and mild, and start acting like you always do...that loudmouthed, overbearing, short-tempered girl...that I treasure more than anything else in this world!"

That, and the memory of what Shapiro did to her, suddenly snapped Sara back into reality. With all four Cyber Beast Force members free of the weapon's control thanks to their righteous fury, Alan started to move in.

"Hey old man Hazuki, they're ready!" Alan radioed in.

"Very good then; Shinobu! Sara! Ryo! Masato! Now that the Black Wing is here, I can release the final seal so that you can unleash the full strength of the Beast Machine God Dancougar!"

"You mean..." Ryo gasped.

"Yes! It is time for you to unite with the Black Wing to form its true shape...FINAL DANCOUGAR!"

The Black Wing rearranged itself so it could dock with Dancougar, and did so, thus granting it an even larger set of wings. Alan's mind also began to sync with the other four.

One might expect that adding a fifth member to a four-person team would increase overall output by 25 percent. But with the addition of the Black Wing, the black machine's power increased several times over.

The combined anger of the five pilots emanated out into the void like a tsunami of flame, causing everyone who was affected by Gildrome's weapon to completely snap out of their trances. Meanwhile, Final Dancougar pulled out its sword and raised it over its head.

"Give us the likeness of love's soul..." Sara and Alan began.

"...The blade that cleaves the dark world!" Masato and Ryo called out.

However, now with the Black Wing, the Beast Machine God didn't even need the Gandor Cannon now. Using only their own hot blooded fury, the sword extended a long red blade of light.

"We call it...FINAL DAN KUU KOUGA KEN! YAAAAAATE YARUZE!"

Final Dancougar slashed once, and cut the evil machine in two, not even giving the others a chance to damage it.

Seeing that he was defeated, Gildrome ordered the crew of his ship to retreat, which it did so, going through a Threshold to do it.

* * *

"My mind...has been sullied..." Asuka whimpered. "Shinobu...it's been violated."

Asuka sat in the only lounge on the _Wunder_, clutching her knees, her cheeks stained black with tears, with Shinji nearby. The girl could not have known it, but while everyone else had simply been subjected to nightmares, Asuka suffered Gildrome's own twisted mental assault.

The Muge general had gleefully torn through every psychological defense she could put up, and defiled her mind in the worst way, all for his own amusement.

"Asuka...I'm glad you're okay," Shinji said, trying to console her.

"Okay? Who the hell are you calling okay?!" Asuka sobbed, not even looking at Shinji. "I was rescued by...by that girl...by that crippled girl! I'd rather have died!"

Even though he wasn't too fond of Nemo either, Shinji was still surprised by his fellow EVA pilot's reaction.

"Asuka..."

"Go away!" Asuka yelled; "I hate you! I hate you, I hate Shinobu, I hate EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING!"

* * *

_Yeah, I felt like doing THAT scene just for the hell of it. I really hope that sort of innuendo isn't ban-worthy. Anyway, next time, more GaoGaiGar and Nadesico plot!  
_


	77. Chapter 52

_It's almost time. While there's still a little more Nadesico plot to do after this, we're coming down to the big finale for the GaoGaiGar TV series! If it seems too filler-ish, you're probably right. Don't worry, I'm gonna work really hard on the fight that comes after this chapter!_

* * *

**Chapter 52 – Festival and Betrayal! Disaster in Jupiter's Orbit!**

The remainder of the trip to Jupiter was a mentally taxing one for those who had fought against Gildrome. Trying to shake off the lingering aftereffects wasn't easy, but at least they had the support of their friends to help them through it.

For Tara, who was sitting in her quarters on the _Nadesico_, it had been an eye-opener. She now knew where her original memories went, and who had stripped her of them - Charles zi Britannia, the ninety-eighth emperor of Britannia. Using his Geass power, he had wiped away her memories. If not for Xemmey's memory backup system, she would likely still be an amnesiac.

Yet at the same time, new questions plagued her. Before snapping back to reality, she heard four names. The voices who spoke them were heavily garbled, yet somehow the people and the names felt all too familiar.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Yurika began her announcement over the announcement system.

"Attention, everyone! We've just entered orbit around Jupiter, and will be docking at one of the Jovian space colonies in about a half hour. We'll be meeting the Jovian representatives upon disembarking, so dress nicely!"

Tara sighed. She hated dressing up formally.

Suddenly, there was a knock on her door. She opened it, and Jiro Yamada, dressed in a _Gekiganger_-style flight suit stood there, grinning.

"Oh...you look sharp, Gai," she said.

"Thank you, but I didn't come to show off," the Aestivalis pilot replied. "I came because I wanted to bounce an idea I had off of you. I REALLY think it'll make the negotiations go more smoothly."

"I'm all ears, pal!" Tara said.

* * *

Yurika sat at her commander's post, resting on her hands and looking rather forlorn.

"I wonder if this was the right thing to do," she said with a sigh.

"C'mon, don't doubt yourself NOW, Yurika!" Jun said, surprised that his captain would suddenly have second thoughts right before the big negotiation.

"Yeah, we have to end this war peacefully!" Ryoko said.

"I suggest we say that both sides should shoulder at least part of the blame," Akatsuki suggested, much to everyone's surprise. He was under the effect of Lelouch's Geass - otherwise he would never made such a suggestion.

"Um...that is true, but that isn't what worries me," Yurika said, keeping the conversation moving after a moment of awkward silence. "It's just that...will they really be okay? I mean, the Jovians killed a lot of people; do you think that those who lost loved ones and friends to them would just be able to forgive and forget?"

"You don't think we made the wrong choice, do you?" Jun replied.

"You'd rather that we continue fighting alongside the Earth Alliance?" Jiro exclaimed. "That's preposterous!"

"Of course not," Yurika said. "It's just that...I'm afraid that we won't be able to convince people on either side to believe in peace. Even if the ruling council of Jupiter is okay with it..."

"Worry not, Captain Misumaru," Zero's voice suddenly came over their communicators. "I believe in us...and I believe in that Shiratori fellow. And of course, your fellow captains will be assisting you as well."

"Let's not forget Ms. Reynard and Ms. Haruka either," Murrue added. "If it wasn't for them, Shiratori wouldn't even have considered peace in the first place."

Yurika smiled and held her head up. "You're right. I forget sometimes that I'm not alone in this...thank you, everyone."

* * *

"There! There they are!" Megumi said excitedly when she saw the people on the _Nadesico _disembark. They were all wearing either formal military uniforms or other kinds of formal wear. While she ran after them, Tsukumo, Yukina and Minato opted to hang back. Akito, Yurika, Ruri and the rest of the _Nadesico_'s main crew stepped off the ship and immediately spotted her, and then Minato and her new Jovian friends.

"Guys, oh, it's so great to see you! Listen, I want to..."

"There's no need to apologize," Akatsuki said. "You and Ms. Haruka escaping with Shiratori turned out to be for the best. Now we have a chance to end this war without further bloodshed."

_What the heck is up with Akatsuki? _Akito wondered. _Ever since we left for Mars, he's been cooperating with our efforts without so much as a single grumble. It's like he's a different person entirely..._

"Hello, everyone!" Minato called out.

"Greetings, all!" Tsukumo said as they approached. "I hope your journey was safe and uneventful."

"Um...yeah...it was okay," Yurika replied somewhat awkwardly, not wanting to think about the nightmares that Akito and the others had been subjected to.

"So, these are the other _Nadesico _crew members," Tsukumo said. as he turned to Akito and extended his hand in greeting."I could have sworn we met, but just refresh my memory...what's your name again?" Akito looked at Tsukumo's hand for a second, then grasped it and shook it.

"I'm Akito Tenkawa, Aestivalis pilot and head cook for the _Nadesico,_" the young man replied.

"Hey, Tsukumo!" Tara called out. She ran out of the ship, carrying the boxed set of _Gekiganger 3 _episodes in her arms, and with Jiro Yamada at her heels.

"Oh, it's you! The girl who showed me all those _Gekiganger _episodes...what's your name again?"

Tara's thought process briefly screeched to a halt when she noticed just how closely Tsukumo and Jiro resembled each other...they could easily pass for each other.

Thankfully, Jiro was able to step in.

"Tara's her name, while I, my fine Jovian fellow, am Gai Daigoji!"

"Listen, before we start the negotiations," Tara then said. "I thought we'd take the time to establish...you know...common interest between our two groups...and I know just the thing!"

She held up her complete collection of _Gekiganger 3 _episodes.

"Those discs...there are so many..." Tsukumo gasped, having never seen all the discs at once.

"Yep. I've got the entire series here," the girl replied with a wide grin; "Digitally restored, remastered and uncut! It's even got twenty hours of extras!"

"Um...what do you plan to do with that?" Ryoko asked. Meanwhile, the crews of the other ships began to file in.

"Isn't it obvious?" Jiro said; "We're going to show the Jovians the ENTIRE series!"

"The ENTIRE series?" Tsukumo said, his eyes lighting up. "Even the entire eighth season, which not even Glenn the Just was able to provide?"

"All that, plus directory commentary and twenty-six hours of extras!" Hikaru chimed in. Akatsuki, even if he was under the thrall of Lelouch, couldn't help but find this ridiculous.

"Yamada, that has got to be the..."

"...Most brilliant idea ever!" Tsukumo yelled ecstatically. "Do you know how many philosophical questions will be answered? How many debates our brightest minds will finally be able to put to rest?! Surely this complete collection detailing love, courage and passion will truly bring about peace and understanding for our two worlds!"

_Wow...Gekiganger really IS a religion here_, Tara thought as she watched Tsukumo start going on a rant.

* * *

It was decided - prior to the start of the negotiations, a festival where the entire series would be played consecutively, from the first episode of Season 1 to the series finale at the end of Season 8. Theaters and important news stations across every last Jovian colony would be playing them.

And it would be known as Geki-Fest.

The hype quickly consumed the Jovian populace, a wave of _Gekiganger_ fever spreading throughout like never before. Crowds flocked into the theaters, families gathered around their televisions, and shoppers flocked to stores to purchase _Gekiganger _merchandise.

But it went beyond that. Lectures discussing the lessons taught in various episodes abound, while preachers were out in the streets proclaiming their own interpretation of the new parts of what they viewed as God's word.

It seemed that _Gekiganger _would bring peace between Earth and Jupiter. It would, if not for the interests of a few powerful individuals.

Vice Admiral Haruki Kusakabe was one such man. He watched the festivities from the window of his office in the government building, with Genichiro by his side.

Kusakabe had returned to Jupiter even before the Vega attack on the ruins, and he was feeling particularly pleased with himself at how things were going, especially since Genichiro had brought a very tasty tidbit of information back with him regarding said ruins:

Apparently, the source of the ruins' energy was exactly like the one that was in Jupiter's interior, but remained unreachable and uncontrollable...**THE POWER**.

"And what do you believe we can use to harness the energy of Jupiter?" Genichiro asked.

"The same device those two GGG robots are powered by - the GS-Ride!" the Jovian commander replied. "It is a device that exceeds even the phase transition engine as a means of power!"

"But how can we replicate them? Only the Earthlings have access to the G-Stones."

"I've already sent the details to the council. They're debating whether to use them as we speak. Meanwhile, I will be leading the peace talks myself. As for you, Commander Genichiro - I have a special assignment for you..."

* * *

"Well, tomorrow's the last day of Geki-Fest..." Tsukumo sighed as he, Akito, Tara, Rolo and Zero sat in a now empty theater. "I'm really gonna miss it when it's over."

"But it's not over," Rolo said.

"Indeed," Zero added. "The peace talks shall serve as further celebration of the values _Gekiganger _espouses."

"Not to mention we get to hear Fire Bomber sing," Tara chirped excitedly. "You guys are gonna love it! Basara Nekki says _Gekiganger _is his favorite show!"

"Mister Shiratori...what do you plan to do after this is all over?" Rolo asked.

"I was just thinking I'd propose to a certain someone at the concert, actually," Tsukumo commented. "But I guess we've chitchatted long enough...you guys probably want to get some shut-eye."

"Yes. It's been a long day," Zero replied as he stood up. "We should all be well-rested for the peace negotiations." He began to leave, with Rolo following him.

As Akito stood up, Tsukumo turned to him one last time.

"Hey, have you seen the last episode of _Gekiganger 3_?" he asked. "No one in the entire Jovian Federation ever has. Everyone's excited to see what happens."

"Actually, I don't think ANYONE ever has until that box set was released," the Aestivalis pilot replied. "The show was canceled before the last episode could be broadcast. You saw how the eighth season kinda floundered around."

"Well, here's to hoping it brings a happy ending," Tsukumo said with a nod. "See you tomorrow, Akito Tenkawa."

* * *

"You think the Jovians will try something?" C.C. asked Lelouch while in the Britannian prince's quarters aboard the _Ikaruga. _

"I'm sure they will," Lelouch said as he took off his mask. "First, there's the matter of the Martian Successors that Jiro Yamada warned us about while they were in the other world. Even if the events he detailed took place in another timeline, we must remember that at this point in time the Successors held the reins of power in the Jovian Federation, similar to how Blue Cosmos now controls the Earth Alliance military...and their leader, Haruki Kusakabe, will be leading the talks for the Jovian side."

"So, what do you plan to do? Kill Kusakabe?"

"His death would be used as propaganda by the pro-war faction," Lelouch replied. "We'll let him move first. That's what everyone agreed on."

"It must be nice knowing what's going to happen," C.C. replied. "Thresholds are truly a wondrous phenomenon."

"I'm simply planning for a possibility, C.C.," the prince replied. "But I won't allow Tsukumo to die. I WILL prevent that tragedy from happening."

* * *

Today was going to be a difficult one for the various captains of DREAM. Zero, Taiga, Murrue, Yurika and Akatsuki (Misato and Max were charged with keeping an eye on the ships) all sat in the rather traditional-looking meeting room of a government building. Accompanying them were Akito, Kallen, and Geki Hyuuma. On the other side of the room sat Haruki Kusakabe and two other Jovian military officials.

Each of the five representative leaders for the Earth side read over some documents that were supposed to be the terms for peace, which would expedite the peace process...except they were hardly what one would call terms of peace.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Taiga roared. "This is no peace treaty!"

"You're asking for a full disarmament of our military, control of our industries, conversion of our ideologies!" Murrue protested. "You might as well be conquering us!"

"And all of these terms are nonnegotiable?!" Yurika added.

"Indeed," Kusakabe replied.

_It's going exactly as Yamada said it did, _Zero thought. Tsukumo stood up, angered to no end.

"I demand that these papers be withdrawn right now!" the Jovian said loudly.

"Why should they, Lt. Commander Shiratori?" Kusakabe asked wryly, unaware that the captains present all knew what was coming. They felt bad that they couldn't just call Genichiro out...they had to keep up the facade long enough to save Tsukumo's life.

"Because they love _Gekiganger _too!" the In that show I discovered a common thread that binds all humans, Jovian, Coordinator AND Earthling together as brothers and sisters!"

"Yeah, you tell 'em!" Geki cheered.

"It's the values we share...perseverance, determination, friendship and love!" Tsukumo continued, heart filled with passion; "By watching _Gekiganger _together we learned to embrace these values! They've come seeking peace because they've learned the truth! There is only ONE true righteous path!"

Zero glanced at Akatsuki, who spotted Genichiro sitting just out of view behind a screen of sorts. The mind-controlled corporate executive seemed to be poised to spring into action, in a subtle manner.

"Yes...I agree," Kusakabe replied. "There is only ONE true righteous path!"

That was the signal Akatsuki, as thrall to Zero, was waiting for. He sprang out of his seat, tackling Tsukumo just as a gun went off. The bullet missed its intended target, and instead grazed the back of Akatsuki's head before pass through the other screen behind DREAM and into the wall.

Kusakabe's face turned pale, then turned bright red with rage. Genichiro, meanwhile, slipped back into hiding. Even Zero hadn't anticipated that he would intentionally miss.

"Damn you..." Kusakabe said. "You would deny us the one righteous path?!" Suddenly, numerous armed Jovian guards stormed into the room and surrounded the group.

"I'd ask you the same question!" Akito yelled. "Why'd you shoot at him?!"

"Because that is what _Gekiganger 3 _teaches! The evil empire that oppresses others must be destroyed! That is the ending to the final season - Gekiganger lays waste to the evil empire just as it so richly deserves for its abominable crimes!"

Akito couldn't believe his ears. That was the ending? The heroic Gekiganger team kills thousands of innocent Kyo'akk who had nothing to do with the war?

"And thus, we Jovians are required by its teachings to vanquish the descendants of the evil United Earth Federation, who banished us to Jupiter! That is the true, righteous path...the path of we Martian Successors! Now...slaughter these fiends, warriors of righteousness!"

The Jovian guards took aim.

However, suddenly the colony began to shake and quake, as if something massive had struck it. Geki took this chance and forced his way through the guards. Alarms started going off throughout the facility.

"Let's get out of here!" Murrue yelled as everyone took off. While the other guards began to pursue, Gabriel suddenly appeared behind him, and then clasped his shoulder.

"We must leave now, Haruki Kusakabe," she said, "Destiny awaits you and the Martian Successors in your new stronghold."

* * *

DREAM had expected to fight the Jovians due to Haruki Kusakabe's machinations. To prepare for this, every fighting-ready member of DREAM was ordered to sortie. Even Athrun and the Justice Gundam were allowed to sortie. But they never expected only to see this terrifying sight unfold before them...

All sixteen of Jupiter's largest moons were under the control of the remaining Primevals, and were laying waste to the Jovian fleet.

"Man, I thought stopping one moon was going to be hard," Kei said with dismay. "But SIXTEEN at the same time?!"

"No, we must persevere...we must fight!" Guy declared. "Otherwise..."

"Fools!" the voice of Arm Primeval, who had taken control of the moon Europa, boomed. "You think you can oppose us now?! Let's see how well you fare against the unending barrage of Wing Primeval!"

Wing Primeval, who had turned its host moon into a massive ridged ball, began raining countless yellow, feather-shaped missiles at DREAM. Some of the robots were able to dodge, but Star GaoGaiGar was not so lucky. Guy could only struggle helplessly as he and his machine plummeted toward Jupiter...

* * *

"Is everyone alright?!" Akito called out to the transport shuttle as his Aestivalis' Distortion Field dropped, having barely managed to withstand the rain of projectiles coming from Wing Primeval.

"Y-yeah...but Guy Shishioh..." Yurika whimpered, having just seen GaoGaiGar fall into the gas giant.

"Those damn Primevals!" Geki roared. "They're gonna pay!"

"First, we must get back to our ships..." Zero said, trying to remain calm.

Of course, Lelouch was even more terrified of everything that was going on. The Primevals were enemies far beyond the scale of even Britannia. Indeed, the whole situation seemed hopeless. How were they, a group of five battleships and a bunch of robots, going to contend with sixteen moon-sized foes, let alone survive them? And the one who was most able to deal with them, Star GaoGaiGar, had just been swatted away like a mote of dust.

As if things couldn't get any worse, a pair of Primeval-possessed moons appeared on either side of the shuttle and began to move closer together, as if to crush the tiny shuttle in between them

The same thought began rushing through Akito and Yurika's minds at the same time.

_No...this can't be how it ends...I..._

Suddenly thin lines were starting to develop all over their bodies, and the transport shuttle and two robots were engulfed in a bright light as they let out a desperate cry...

* * *

_Sorry this one was a little short. Next time - we FINALLY begin the two-part finale to the events of the GaoGaiGar TV series! Stay tuned, mecha fans!_

_A quick note for you anonymous reviewers: I had to enable "Moderate Reviews" on my profile for my own reasons. Of course, I'll allow any reviews (even ones critical of the work) that aren't flames or spam. But if you don't see your review show up immediately, fret not. _


	78. Chapter 53

_It begins! The fight against some of the largest enemies in mecha history, and a fight I've been really looking forward to doing for a long time. Hopefully, this all works out!_

* * *

**Chapter 53 – Courage, Passion and Truth! Epic Battle at Jupiter! (Part 1)**

It wasn't just Guy who got caught in the gravitational pull of Jupiter as a result of the moon-sized Primevals' attacks. The numerous floating space colonies that housed the Jovians were also blasted apart, and countless Jovian lives were snuffed out in a matter of minutes.

Even the reappearance of the transport shuttle holding the negotiation team did little to cheer up DREAM. Athrun and Nicol were particularly horrified at this sight. For them, it was like seeing the Bloody Valentine repeated a dozen times over.

Mamoru, unsurprisingly, was mortified beyond anything he had ever experienced. To watch Guy, the hero he had looked up to as an older brother, who had been his partner over so many battles, to simply disappear like that.

"GUUUUYYYY!"

Mamoru transformed into his winged form and flew headlong towards Jupiter, phasing through the walls of the _Nadesico. _

"Mamoru! Not you too!" Mikoto cried out. She was already distraught over losing Guy, but to see the little boy she viewed as a little brother rush after him was almost too much for her to bear. Suddenly, she felt a brief but painful wrenching sensation in her chest that faded after a few moments. But her heart still ached as she watched Mamoru descend into Jupiter's atmosphere.

"Oblivion is the fate of those who threaten the stability of the infinite realities!" Arm Primeval declared.

"What is it with this talk about the infinite realities and how we're threatening it?" Viral growled. "The Anti-Spirals mentioned it, Arubboth mentioned it, and now the Zonder! You guys are really pissing me off!"

"Now the time has come to end this! SUPER GRAVITY WAAAAAVE!"

Arm began charging a blast similar to the _Nadesico_'s Gravity Blast, as if ready to wipe out DREAM's forces in one move...

* * *

Guy felt himself falling through Jupiter's atmosphere, the last of his life slowly ebbing away. Not even the G-Stone on his arm could keep him alive in these conditions.

_So...this is it. This is how I'm going to die. Mikoto...Mamoru...everyone...forgive me._

And yet, he didn't expire. And then he heard something.

_Guy...Guy Shishioh...do you hear my voice?_

Something, or someone, was keeping him around. He saw a blob of green light a distance away from him. It soon formed into a person - a classically handsome man whose body was engulfed in the green light, but he had wings just like Mamoru's.

"You're..."

_...I am Cain._

"So you're Mamoru's..."

He suddenly found himself kneeling on solid ground again, except he was in space. The clouds and sky were red like a beautiful sunrise, and the ground was more like a yellow fog.

_The person who is speaking to you is but a copy preserved within Galeon's body. I, who gave up his body to become part of Galeon, cannot raise my son._

"So you gave Mamoru to the Amami family..."

At that moment, Mamoru himself appeared, and looked around, confused as to what was going on before finally seeing the shining form of Cain.

_In my last fight with Pasdar, my personality core was damaged and was forced to go off-line. But thanks to __**THE POWER**__'s energy, I can speak freely once more._

"**THE POWER**..."Guy muttered.

_In this, and all of the other infinite realities, there are many powerful energy sources that can amplify one's abilities. __**THE POWER **__is but one of them. Your companions in DREAM have already harnessed several others._

"F-father?" Mamoru stammered.

_Latio, my child...__I was supposed to be the one who was to perform Fusion with Galeon. Guy, I must thank you for taking the role I could not fulfill._

"No, I have to thank you," Guy replied, holding up the arm with his G-Stone on it. "I have the power to protect all the people I care about and the planet I call home because of you."

Suddenly, Cain's aura turned red.

"Father!" Mamoru cried.

_It seems my time here is running short. I must do one more thing._

He turned to Mamoru, gazing at his child with kind eyes and a gentle smile.

_Latio...you have become strong in mind and body. Now I can release the final seal._

Cain's pendant sent out a small beam of gentle red light, which struck Mamoru's own pendant. Mamoru began to shine even brighter as the last seal on his powers was removed. The G symbol that appeared on a shining G-Stone revealed itself on Mamoru's forehead.

_It is time for you to use the full extent of your abilities, as you were meant to. And when you return to the blue planet, my child, give my thanks to your parents for raising you when I could not._

"I will!"

_Guy...everything depends on you and your comrades. Believe in your courage..._

With that, the image of Cain faded away, disappearing with one final twinkle. No sooner did that happen than did the cyborg and the boy began to overflow with energy as **THE POWER **rushed into their bodies.

Guy found himself back inside a fully repaired Star GaoGaiGar's cockpit, while Mamoru swooped into the cockpit of the StealthGao II.

"Mother...Cain...as your children fight, watch over us to the very end...and give us the strength and courage to not solely rely on **THE POWER**."

Star GaoGaiGar flew upward and began to shift to the same golden orange color from before. But even more, courage filled Guy and Mamoru's hearts - and it would be this courage that would get them through the trials ahead.

* * *

"Vanish into the infinite darkness!" Arm bellowed as it fired the massive gravity wave it had been charging up. It looked like it was about to be all over.

"PROTECTO WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLL!"

Suddenly, Star GaoGaiGar shot out of Jupiter's atmosphere and directly into the path of the gravity blast. Holding out its hand, it created an enormous barrier that deflected the gravity blast like it was nothing.

"Sorry for scaring you all like that!"

"GUY!" Mikoto cheered, ecstatic to see that her love was alive and well.

"Guy! We thought we'd lost you!" Leo exclaimed, tears dripping down his face.

"Commander Zero, it's that same energy from Mars!" one of the _Ikaruga_'s operators called out. GaoGaiGar's is immense!"

"Hey, you mind sharing that?" Kouji called out. "I think it's just the boost we need!"

"Of course! There's plenty to go around!" Guy said eagerly.

As if to confirm this, Jupiter began to glow more brilliantly, its aura spreading outward and infusing every last machine in DREAM's forces with **THE POWER**'s energy. Soon, every single machine (as well as every pilot) began to glow the same golden orange color. Even the weakened Asuka, Chizuru and Hyoma began feeling much better than they were before as **THE POWER **entered them.

"What the?!" Arm gasped.

"ATTENTION, ALL DREAMERS!" Zero boomed, **THE POWER** driving him to the peak of hotblooded-ness; "THE TIME HAS COME TO PUT AN END TO THE ZONDER MENACE!"

The entire group let out a single loud cry in unison before rushing into battle.

"Hey, other me!" Kouji called out. "I was hoping to save this for later, but let's do it now!"

"I don't know what you're getting at, but I'll follow your lead!"

Mazinger Z and Mazinkaiser got closer together, while the former turned into its gigantic golden fist form.

Seeing where Kouji was going with this, Mazinkaiser launched off one of its arms and then allowed Mazinger Z to dock with it. How they pulled it off, none could say, but Mazinkaiser now had a massive hand.

"SHINE, IN THE NAME OF ZEUS!" Kouji bellowed.

"AND SMASH EVERYTHING TO ATOMS!" Koji cried out. "FINAL SMASHER..."

"BIG BANG..."

**"PUUUUUUNNNNCHIEEE!"**

Mazinkaiser launched the fist at Kidney Primeval, piercing its barrier with ease and striking it with unbelievable force. Meanwhile, Great Mazinger and Grendizer moved in on it as well.

"Let's do it! Go! Ryoma! Tetsuya!" Daisuke cried out.

"Right! MAZINGER BLAAAAAAAADE!"

"DOUBLE HAKEN!"

"GETTER SCYTHE!"

"GETTEEEEER TOMAHAAAAWWWWK!"

The four Super Robots rushed in after the golden fist, with each making a massive slash. Mazinger Z burst out of the other side just in time. The Primeval-possessed moon exploded spectacularly, leaving a Zonder Core behind.

As Ryoma gazed back at Jupiter, he began to recall something - his time floating through the cosmos, on the flow of Getter Rays.

Jupiter was a special planet, as special as Earth...for reasons he had yet to understand, Jupiter was the gateway to the place where the source of all Getter Rays could be found...for Getter Rays and **THE POWER **were very closely related...

* * *

The Black Knights, meanwhile were working on Neck Primeval. Thanks to **THE POWER**, Rolo could use his Geass without straining his heart, and did so to keep the moon-sized monstrosity off balance, for it also allowed him to effect even beings as mighty as one of the 31 Machine Primevals.

"Amazing! Who would have thought such an incredible energy source existed!" Tohdoh exclaimed. "I feel like I could take on Britannia entirely on my own!"

"We've got bigger problems right now! Namely, this guy!" Kallen said. "Let's take it out in one shot!"

Kallen's Radiation Wave claw began to thrum with incredible energy as her Knightmare descended toward Neck's surface. Just before landing, she grabbed onto the monster and infused it with a massive influx of energy. Meanwhile, Rolo, Nemo and Tohdoh prepared for a simultaneous attack. As the moon began to gurgle and bubble, the two Knightmares slashed it. It was also cut in two before exploding, leaving only a Zonder Core.

But the light of Jupiter suddenly revealed something to Nemo. It wasn't just a gas giant...it was something far more, and integral to C.C.'s true intentions...

* * *

The Aestivalis and _Nadesico _headed straight for Wing Primeval, the one responsible for wiping out the Jovians...and Akito had never been angrier in his life.

"Damn you, you stupid Primeval! All of those people you killed...I'M PUTTING ALL OF THEIR FEELINGS, HOPES AND DREAMS INTO THIS ONE BLOW!"

"We're with you, Akito!" Jiro bellowed.

"Yeah, this guy's really pissing me off!" Hikaru yelled.

"I suppose it's better to be pissed off than pissed on!" Izumi quipped.

"Now is NOT the time, Izumi!" Ryoko yelled. "Let's take this clown downtown, everyone!"

"Everyone, together now!" Akatsuki called out. "Distortion Field, full power!"

"DYNAMIC..."

"GEKIGAN..."

"SPECIAAAAAL!"

The five Aestivalis simultaneously rocketed forward, blasting through the moon, dealing tremendous damage.

"Ruri, raise the Gravity Blast's output to maximum!"

"Yes ma'am. Charge will be completed in...wow, it's charged already."

"In fact," Minato said, "We could rapid-fire fully-charged blasts and keep the Distortion Field at maximum forever if we wanted."

"Who cares?!" Yurika said, filled with the passion of _Gekiganger_. "Let's avenge those Jovians!"

"Ready to fire, captain," Ruri said.

"ONE SHOT KILL! ULTIMATE GRAVITY BLAST, FIRE!"

The _Nadesico _unleashed a Gravity Blast almost three times as strong as the one generated by Arm Primeval. Wing was heavily damaged, allowing Guy to deliver the finishing blow.

"HIKARI NI NAREEEEEE!"

Wing turned into light, leaving behind its core...

* * *

One by one, the Primevals fell to the hyper-charged forces of DREAM.

A combined assault by the Freedom and Harmony Gundams, with the help of the _Archangel_'s Lohengrin positron cannons made quick work of Nerve Primeval;

A blast from Raideen's God Voice, combined with a Giga Drill Break from Gurren Lagann, turned Shoulder Primeval to dust;

A super-charged Final Dan Kuu Kouga Ken from Final Dancougar and a Ten Kuu Ken from Voltes V sliced Hip Primeval to pieces;

A simultaneous assault by Diamond Force and Fire Bomber took out Muscle Primeval with ease;

Evangelion Units 01, 00 and 08, free from the need to use umbilical cords thanks to **THE POWER**, delivered a three way beat-down to Torso Primeval, concluded with a single gigantic slash from Unit 01's sword.

Even Zeorymer didn't need to use its Mei-Oh to destroy Bladder Primeval - its Dimension Coupler Cannon was enough, **THE POWER **raising Zeorymer's output to a thousand times its normal maximum.

But it was GGG who was dealing the most damage.

With one graceful pass with the Goldion Hammer, Star GaoGaiGar was able to wipe out Elbow, Knee, Foot and Lung while GenRyuJin and GouRyuJin were able to wipe out Genital and Breast Primeval with a Maximum Tou Long.

And with each core gathered up, Mamoru and Kaidou purified it, integrating it into the sphere of Zonder Crystals.

Before long, only Arm remained.

_Jupiter's energy is this strong?! _Arm thought, terrified at what he was up against. Meanwhile, King J-Der landed on top of him and aimed downward.

"TEN-LINKED MASER CANNONS! J-QUAAAAATH!"

Both of King J-Der's strongest weapons fired at once, quickly annihilating Arm Primeval in one move. Its core floated there helplessly. King J-Der grabbed Arm Primeval's core.

"Let's see...that leaves one more," J said.

"Warning: Primeval signal detected in Jupiter's atmosphere," Tomoro said.

Suddenly, something glowing and green whizzed by and snatched Arm's core right out of the battleship-sized robot's hand.

It was Gabriel, who had just delivered Haruki Kusakabe, Genichiro and the other Martian Successors to the red planet.

"Well, it seems like my timing was perfect. You've saved me quite a chore in having to gather all the Primevals in one place."

"You again!" Janus yelled. "I oughta..."

"So, you are the one who has Metatron's sacred armor," Gabriel interrupted. "And you've brought along Iophiel's most cherished memory and her sacred armor as well. He shall be very pleased, especially now that the Z-Master can be reborn on top of it."

That name sent chills down Kaidou's and Mamoru's spines. At that moment, the final core besides Arm arose from Jupiter's atmosphere. It began to speak - but in a mix of Pagliacco's voice and EI-01's...

"Jupiter's energy...**THE POWER**...analysis complete."

"We missed one?!" Ryoma exclaimed. "Crud, this isn't good..."

While everyone was shocked to see the return of EI-01, Gabriel suddenly disappeared. Several explosions struck King J-Der before Gabriel reappeared with the other twenty-nine Zonder Crystals.

"Here, Heart Primeval. I return your body to you."

"Thank you, Gabriel of Arubboth," Heart Primeval said. "Now...Z-MASTER FUSION!"

"There's a super-high density energy source coming from Jupiter's surface!" Mirallia cried out. "Its level is beyond our ability to measure!"

DREAM watched in unbridled horror as the Primeval Crystals began to combine into one. An unbelievably huge, vaguely humanoid form began to grow out of Jupiter itself. It began to grow...and grow...and grow...

Suddenly, Guy spotted King J-Der flying towards them, clutching what looked like a wound caused by Gabriel.

"Be careful...this guy, the Z-Master, is the combined form of all 31 Machine Primevals..." J grunted.

As massive feathered wings grew out of its back, and its arms became wicked claws, the monstrosity had become far larger than even the Earth itself, for it was able to cover even Jupiter's most notable feature, the Great Red Spot. A single evil red eye appeared on its head, with Earth-sized teeth in its mouth. Its right hand was much larger than the other, and a mask of sorts appeared on it.

"Normally, the Primevals are split into 31 different bodies, but in reality, they are the part of a single being...whose goal it is to Mechanize the entire universe..."

"And with the help of **THE POWER**, they can speed up the process of Mechanization hundreds of times over..." Kaidou said, trembling with fear.

"The Z-Master..." Mamoru gasped.

_LADY GABRIEL...IT HAS BEEN FAR TOO LONG_, the Z-Master addressed the tiny angel. _THANKS TO YOU WE HAVE REGAINED OUR NATURAL SHAPE. NOW, AS YOU COMMANDED US IN TIMES LONG AGO, WE WILL COMMENCE THE MECHANIZATION OF THIS UNIVERSE._

"The Primevals were working for Arubboth too?!" Kaidou exclaimed.

"Wait, didn't Zohar command you to start all this?!" Tara cried out.

"Stupid girl!" Gabriel laughed. "Zohar and Arubboth are but different parts of the same group!"

_Wait, didn't Samael say that they'd never associate with Arubboth? _Tara thought._ What the hell is going on here?!_

"We are the heavenly host, charged with protecting the infinite realities from destruction. We are the ancients of days...the Atik Yomin!"

_INDEED. IT WAS ATIK YOMIN WHO GAVE US OUR MISSION, _Z-Master replied;_ TO CLEANSE THE UNIVERSE OF ALL MINUS THOUGHTS. AND THUS I SHALL BEGIN THIS PROCESS._

"Wait, Z-Master," Gabriel said. "You can Mechanize the Blue Planet whenever you wish. You should overcome the threat in front of you first while you have all of your power. Any Mechanization you achieve will be reversed if you are destroyed."

_VERY WELL. I HAVE TAKEN HEED OF YOUR WISDOM. FAREWELL._

"I hope you enjoy yourselves...because here is where your story comes to an end! Too bad you won't get to see the Earth's beautiful new form!"

With an unnerving giggle, Gabriel disappeared. Finally Z-Master turned to DREAM once more.

"Everyone! Z-Master is being controlled by Heart Primeval at its core!" Mamoru called out. "We just need to hit it there!"

"YOU HEARD THE KID!" Max called out. "AIM FOR ITS HEART!"

DREAM grouped together, hoping to overwhelm the Z-Master at once. Meanwhile, the Mic Force and Fire Bomber prepared to launch the same attack they had used on the Combined Primeval.

"HEY, Z-MASTER, LISTEN TO OUR SONG!" Basara yelled out. The two bands began to play together, combining Disc X with Try Again, and firing the same beam as before.

But the beam didn't even reach the Z-Master this time - it fizzled out when it drew close enough.

"Oh man...all that and not a scratch!" Kouji said with dismay.

The planet-sized monstrosity raised its right hand as it spoke to its foes.

_YOU OF WEAK MINDS...WHY DO YOU CONTINUE YOUR PITIFUL RESISTANCE?_

"Damn it! It's gotta have a barrier of some kind!" Zero said, slamming his fist on the wall.

"That's a negative, Zero," Ruri said bluntly. "It looks like the amount of energy being emanated by our big ugly friend is just too great. We might as well being pouring a cup of water into the ocean."

"Well, find its source!" the Black Knights' leader yelled back.

Z-Master began drawing energy from Jupiter, which it was connected to by its hair, and channeling it into its left arm.

"No time!" Guy yelled. "He's attacking!"

_KNOW DESPAIR AND BECOME SPACE DUST._

A huge number of beams burst out from its left hand, hammering DREAM with a barrage even worse than anything Wing Primeval could have dished out. Star GaoGaiGar extended another Protect Wall, but it didn't last long against the force of the beams.

And even with the Protect Wall reducing their impact by ninety-five percent, the damage was still immense. Most of DREAM's machines were gravely damaged, but barely able to keep operating.

However, the Mic Force wasn't so lucky. When Mic Sounders the 13th managed to get a moment, he saw that his twelve other brothers were absolutely wrecked, many of them groaning as if in pain, while others had been annihilated utterly.

Distressed, he approached one of his surviving brothers, Mic Sounders the 1st.

"First! Hang on, First! Don't die on me! Please!"

But First let out a weak croak and went silent. Mic sobbed and tearfully embraced his brother.

"No...no..."

He turned to face the Z-Master as he let his brother gently float away, rage blazing throughout his circuits.

"You! You're going to PAY, Z-MASTER!" he screamed.

_I FEEL IT_, the Z-Master boomed telepathically. _THE ENERGY BORN OF UNCONTROLLED EMOTION. YOU ARE ALL OVERFLOWING WITH MINUS THOUGHTS! SUCH ENERGY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING CHAOS TO THE UNIVERSE. _

"Shut up!" Simon yelled. "You think that making everyone into emotionless beings is going to save the universe?! That's nothing but a load of crap!"

"Changing emotions are the ultimate essence of life!" J declared, rushing in. "Our existence is proof of that! Here, I'll show you!"

He raised his arm.

"J-QUAAAAATH!"

While the fiery bird struck home, it wasn't able to so much as scratch the planet-sized monster.

_IS THAT ALL YOU CAN MUSTER, KING J-DER?_

"Damn it..." J grunted.

_MECHANIZATION OF ALL LIFE FORMS IS REQUIRED TO PREVENT THIS UNIVERSE FROM BEING DESTROYED. LIFEFORMS WHO RESIST THIS HAVE NO RIGHT TO EXIST IN THIS UNIVERSE._

J struggled helplessly as DREAM looked on.

_BEGONE NOW!_

The mask on the Z-Master's right hand suddenly flashed as a massive gravity surge burst forth, crippling every surviving machine.

* * *

"So...this is it, huh?" Tara grunted to Janus over her communicator. She couldn't get Lifthrasir to move. It seemed to be shattered beyond repair.

"Yeah...we really went in over our heads this time," Janus replied with a small laugh. "Who were we trying to fool when we decided to take on a planet-sized monster like that?"

The Z-Master, seeing that its victims were still around, charged up another gravity wave.

"Hey, Jan? Can I ask one last favor before we go?" Tara asked.

"Sure."

"Do you promise to find me again?"

"Yeah. I promise. I'll find you."

Z-Master's hand trembled as it prepared to unleash the finishing blow.

"I love you, Janus."

"I love you too, Tara."

_TZIM/TZUM Synchro Level 2, activated...enumerations five through seven, online...Chesed, Gevurah and Tifiret permissions granted...releasing auxiliary seals..._

* * *

_Of course, we all know what happens to the Z-Master...but how will the Earth be saved? Will DREAM have to take a fantastic voyage, or will hot blood and a whole bunch of ultimate attacks be enough to fell this planet-sized behemoth? Find out next time in Part 2! Stay frosty, mecha fans!_


	79. Chapter 54

_Time to bring the GaoGaiGar TV series finale on home...and to FINALLY give Granlif and Lifthrasir their upgrades, as reveal some surprise plot details!  
_

* * *

**Chapter 54 - Courage, Passion and Truth! Epic Battle at Jupiter! (Part 2)**

Suddenly, Jupiter's energy ceased flowing into the Z-Master, causing the gravity wave he was just moments from firing to fizzle out.

_WHAT? __**THE POWER**__'S FLOW...WHY HAS IT CEASED?_

He looked at Granlif and Lifthrasir, which were engulfed in a sphere of silvery white light.

_IMPOSSIBLE...DOES JUPITER HOLD A SECRET EVEN GREATER THAN __**THE POWER**__?_

* * *

Janus, looked around to find himself floating in a white void while stark naked, and heard a little boy grunting as if trying to lift something heavy. He turned and saw the source of the grunting...except the child, probably eight or nine years old, looked like Janus did at that age. He appeared to be lifting a sword twice as long as he was tall. However, the blade wouldn't budge - it looked to weigh even more than the boy trying to lift it.

_"It's too heavy, Master! How am I supposed to lift it?"_

Then Xengar, or a man who looked like him, approached the little boy.

"What is this?" Janus wondered out loud. "Is this my life flashing before my eyes?"

_"Using the Colossal Blade style of Jigenryu properly requires both physical and spiritual strength, my boy. Why not learn your father's style?"_

_"Because I wanna be like you, Master Zonvolt!"_

Janus heard the sound of a woman giggling, he looked up and saw a woman he didn't recognize immediately, yet felt very familiar. She had short, neatly combed hair, kind eyes, and an overall motherly look to her.

_"It's probably because his father spends all his time at Tesla Leicht nowadays with his new project. And you are his godfather, after all." _

_"Kusuha, you're early today."_

_"I had a few cancellations."_

_"Mama! One day, I'm gonna be as good as Master Sanger! Just wait and see!"_

_"I know you will. You are your father's son, after all."_

The boy ran up to the woman and embraced her excitedly.

"Kusuha...Mama?" Janus thought. "Why is Jupiter showing me this? Is this what happened in my previous life?"

The three figures faded away, but the sword remained behind. Suddenly, a massive ash tree, one that seemed to extend upward forever, appeared before Janus' eyes, and the blade was now stuck in the wood. The tree's leaves seemed to be colored like the various gases on Jupiter, rather than the typical green.

Janus approached the sword and put his hands on the handle. With a great pull, he yanked it out, and stumbled backwards a bit, having expected more resistance. The blade also felt light in his hands, as if it were an extension of his own body.

Suddenly, he saw the tree transform into Granlif...only it was different. First, it no longer had the chest part that shot out the Gran Fire. Instead, a pair of katanas hung on its hips, one per side. It finally had a rather human-like nose and mouth where it didn't before. The rest of it was similar, except its overall shape was somewhat sleeker, yet somehow even more heavily armored than its predecessor.

Janus approached the machine and heard its name...

_Granlif Yggdrasil..._

* * *

Tara found herself also floating through a similar void, equally nude as Janus was. She heard the sound of a little girl dancing and singing. She turned and saw the source of the sound. It was a little girl who looked to be about half her age, twirling about in an outfit somewhat similar to Lacus', except more modest. On the floor was a video game system of sorts, while a middle-aged man with brown, somewhat spiky hair sat on the couch, smiling.

_"I did it, papa! I beat Burning PT 3!"_

_"That's my Tara. I bet you'd have what it takes to pilot a Personal Trooper, just like your mom and I did when we were young."_

Another woman appeared. She had a face and figure somewhat like Xemmey's, although not nearly as substantial. The woman wore big, round glasses, hiding a very stern gaze.

_"_ _Ryusei, don't encourage her...or have you forgotten that we fought so she and everyone else could live a peaceful life?"_

_"I know that, Lat,__" _the man replied._ "I'm just saying she's got your knack for piloting. Besides, you got all worked up a lot when you were piloting!"_

The woman smiled.

_"Again, that was your fault." _

"These people..." Tara thought out loud; "Are they..."

"I'd say the odds of them being your parents in a past life are pretty high," a more familiar male voice spoke to her. "Why else would Jupiter be showing you this?"

Tara turned around, and saw the form of her father standing there. His mother was next to him.

"Dad! Mom!"

"It's good to see you again, my child," Haruhi replied. "However, our time here is short, so we must be quick."

"Your proximity to Jupiter and your feelings for Janus have allowed the TZUM and TZIM systems to achieve synchronization with each other, and with the energy emanating from Jupiter," Gilbert said. "This will allow both Lifthrasir and Granlif's final forms to come forth."

"You mean **THE POWER**?" Tara then asked.

"**THE POWER **is but a single incarnation of this energy," Haruhi answered. "As to what its true form is, I cannot honestly say. But if you stay with DREAM, I know you will find the answer."

Suddenly, the figures of her parents began to fade.

"Well, we're just about spent," Time for us to give Lifthrasir a nice makeover!"

Lifthrasir appeared behind them, and their two forms turned into globes of silver and golden light, and floated over to Lifthrasir. After disappearing into it, the mech began to glow and change.

After a moment, it reappeared. The leaf shaped band of metal around its head grew significantly, to the point where seemed more like an elfin ear; A second one appeared on the other side and grew to match. The beam tonfas from before were now solid bladed ones, and it had a pair of bladed wings attached to the backpack, although the rifles still sat in their usual place. And like Granlif, it finally had a humanoid nose and mouth. Overall, Lifthrasir's new shape seemed somewhat fairy-like, which made sense considering the new name it had:

_Lifthrasir Titania..._

* * *

The white light surrounding the two robots disappeared, revealing their new forms, which thrummed with power. The interior of their cockpits had changed somewhat was well. Now they felt much roomier, and with less obtrusive viewing screens.

_TRANSFORMING SHALL NOT SAVE YOU, _Z-Master boomed;_ ALL YOU HAVE DONE IS DELAY THE INEVITABLE. BEHOLD!_

Letting out a chilling, deep cry, the Z-Master began drawing **THE POWER **from Jupiter once more. And it was then that Janus and Tara noticed exactly how the Z-Master was doing it - the energy channeled through Hair Primeval and throughout the rest of its body.

"Yeah, he's right, Jan," Tara quipped almost mockingly, "We can't do this by ourselves."

"Then again..." Janus chuckled. "We weren't planning on fighting alone...right, Guy?"

At that moment, Star GaoGaiGar, still filled with the energy of **THE POWER**, started moving again.

"You forget, Z-Master..." Guy said. "You may be made up of 31 beings, but you have only a single heart between you!"

Then, King J-Der, also filled with **THE POWER,** got up.

"We, on the other hand, are connected by the courage in each of our hearts!" J said. "And through that courage, we shall prevail against you!"

As J uttered that speech, the immense energy emanating from the four robots was revitalizing every last member of DREAM, enabling them to fight once more. Even the Knightmares, Aestivalis and mobile suits were somehow repaired by the immense energy.

"There's no way we're gonna lose to the likes of you," Simon said as Gurren Lagann rolled its head around to stretch its neck; "Not when everything and everyone we care about is on the line!"

Meanwhile, Mikoto and the other GGG operators also discovered the Z-Master's weak point.

"There's an energy pipe connected to its core via the hair!" Mikoto said to the others. "It sends **THE POWER **from Jupiter to Heart Primeval, who then distributes it to the other parts!"

"Understood," J called out. "GGG, we'll enter Z-Master from there and head straight for Heart Primeval!"

"We're with you, J!" Guy declared.

"Everyone else, keep the big guy busy until they can enter that pipe!" Tara called out. "After all, we're just the supporting cast for this battle!"

"With pleasure!" Viral replied with a toothy grin.

"Mikoto...believe in our victory. I promise we'll return."

Once more, DREAM charged forward, this time making a beeline for Z-Master's eye. With **THE POWER **(and Basara's singing)behind their attacks, they all unleashed a storm of ranged attacks at Z-Master's eye.

The planet-sized Zonderian, occupied with so many targets, found itself having difficulty maintaining its link to Jupiter. And without that link, DREAM's attacks could strike it. In spite of its size, Z-Master still felt great pain from each attack. Finally, Simon got a good opening at its eye, and readied its own ultimate attack.

"GIGA...DRILL...BREAAAAAK!"

Z-Master howled in agony as Gurren Lagann's drill twisted and dug into its eye, sending Zonder Metal flying everywhere.

"Tara, let's hit 'em with our combination!" Janus called out. "We haven't used it in a while!"

Lifthrasir Titania and Granlif Yggdrasil swooped in, spreading golden fiber wings out. Slashing repeatedly with their improved weaponry, they continued to open the wound Simon had created, even as GGG and King J-Der got close to the pipe connecting Jupiter to Heart Primeval.

"Eat it, Z-Master!" Tara cried out. "RAGNAROK..."

"REQUIEM!"

Bolstered by **THE POWER**, the finishing blow of the attack obliterated Z-Master's Mars-sized eye. It covered its face with its hands, which basically rendered it defenseless.

Seeing this opportunity, GGG and King J-Der dove headlong into Jupiter's atmosphere, and then into the pipe that would lead them straight to the core.

"The Brave Corps have successfully infiltrated Z-Master's energy pipe!" Mikoto called out.

"All units, pull back!" Taiga ordered.

"It's all on their shoulders, now," Zero said with a sigh. "Full reverse!"

As everyone retreated, Z-Master continued to writhe in place, groaning with agony as it desperately tried to regenerate its eye.

* * *

Star GaoGaiGar (with Mamoru still in StealthGao II), King J-Der, GenRyuJin, GouRyuJin, Mic Sounders and Big Volfogg all dove straight down toward Heart Primeval, their forms completely saturated with **THE POWER**.

There was no need for talk - they all knew exactly what they had to do.

After several silent minutes, the tube came to an end at a vast chamber, probably the size of the moon. The chamber was divided into two colored halves - one red, one blue. And at the center was their final enemy - Heart Primeval itself.

It was very much like a heart. It pulsed and beat steadily, with two pupil-less, golden eyes, black marks above and below the eye, and an mouth that never opened.

_You have come, bearers of destruction_, Heart Primeval said in an echoing but emotionless voice. GenRyuJin was about to charge in, but King J-Der stopped him. It was then that they noticed the thrumming wall of power that surrounded the heart.

_You have merely delayed the inevitable_, Heart continued._ Once my eye regenerates, I will fulfill my purpose - to protect the universe from destruction by ridding it of all Minus Thoughts. All life shall be transformed into the single being in the universe without Minus Thoughts - the mechanical life form Zonder._

"You still do not understand?!" J bellowed. "The emotions that we feel, controlled or otherwise, are proof that we are alive! Without them, there would be no life!"

_Then all life must be fused with the machine_, Heart replied, _in order to evolve in a manner that will maintain the integrity of the universe._

Then Heart defended its other defense mechanism - a swarm of whipping tentacles that lashed out and shot powerful energy projectiles.

"Braves! Open a hole in one of its veins!" J said. "I will enter Heart and destroy it from the inside!"

The GGG robots all readied their attacks.

"THE FREEZING SLEET! THE ROARING LIGHTNING!"

"THE HOWLING GALE! THE SCORCHING FLAME!"

"MAXIMUM TOU LONG!"

The four energy dragons lashed out at the whipping tentacles, slicing them in half. Meanwhile, Mic fired a single-shot Solitary Wave, and Big Volfogg aided him with a Melting Siren, shattering the barrier surrounding Heart's veins.

"Big brother Guy!" Mamoru cried.

"Yes!" Guy cried. "I won't waste everyone's strength...GOLDYMARG!"

"Yeah!" Goldy bellowed, transforming into GaoGaiGar's ultimate weapon.

"HAMMER CONNECTO! GOLDION...HAMMEEEERRRR!"

Guy charged toward one of the larger veins on Heart, even as its projectiles smashed into Star GaoGaiGar, breaking bits and pieces of its body, though that did nothing to stop Guy's courageous charge.

"The universe does NOT need your mechanization!" the cyborg yelled as he drew closer. "It's our burning passion, and our blazing courage! If you would call them Minus Thoughts, then YOU, Z-MASTER, ARE THE ONE WHO SHOULD BE ANNIHILATED!"

As a projectile struck GaoGaiGar's face mask, it reached the main blue vein and created a wide gash with one swing of the Goldion Hammer.

"Excellent work, Guy Shishioh!" J called out. King J-Der rushed into the vein and charged at full speed to the center of Heart Primeval. They arrived in a matter of seconds.

_What?! What are you trying to do?!_

"**THE POWER **is both the power of life and the power of destruction," Kaidou said.

"You're foolish to forget that!" J declared.

"**THE POWER...**full release!" Tomoro uttered.

King J-Der unleashed the incredible amount of energy in its body at a furious rate - so much that the machine itself began to break down. However, the plan was working perfectly - the uncontrolled influx of **THE POWER **was too much for Heart to handle, and its form began to bloat and swell as if ready to burst. The three crew members of J-Ark meanwhile, felt at peace. They had finally achieved their goal of ending the Zonder threat throughout the universe.

"J! Kaidou!" Mamoru cried out.

"Latio...we can't stop the flow of energy now, even if we wanted to," Kaidou replied, surprisingly calm in the face of imminent death.

"But you and DREAM still have work to do on Earth," J said. "Guy Shishioh, don't go dying on me. We still haven't had a chance to settle things."

Beams of light began to peer out of the over-inflated heart, and a rush of energy sent everyone flying out the way they came. In desperation, Mamoru concentrated as hard as he could...

* * *

The Z-Master, also overloaded with the energy of **THE POWER**, could take no more. It ruptured and exploded spectacularly, sending a massive shockwave that shook the very fabric of spacetime.

As its body disintegrated into cosmic dust, Z-Master uttered one last sentence...

_WE ARE RUINED...HOWEVER..._

* * *

The Braves were safe, surrounded by a protective aura courtesy of Mamoru. In Star GaoGaiGar's grasp was Z-Master's core, larger than any Zonder Metal core. Now, all that remained was purification.

But this purification ritual was very different from the usual one.

"Two powers become one..." Mamoru said to himself, the ritual coming to him as if he had always known it. He mimicked the stance GaoGaiGar used whenever it used Hell & Heaven.

"Gemu-giru-gan-go-gufo..."

Just like with Hell & Heaven, Mamoru had to strain a bit to clasp his hands together as he chanted.

"Viiiita!"

Instead of the usual tornado, a small green beam shot out of his clasped hands, which struck the core, causing it to disintegrate and turn into sparkling green cosmic dust, which formed a beautiful nebula around Jupiter.

* * *

"WOOOOOOOOOOO!" Koji yelled ecstatically once everyone was safely back on the ships, with him on the _Nadesico_. "We did it! The Zonder are actually gone!"

"Yeah, but we couldn't save the Jovians," Akito said with a frustrated sigh. "They all..."

"Thanks a lot," Koji grumbled. "You just HAD to remind me." However, Minato suddenly started typing away, as if something was happening.

"There wasn't anything you could do," Tsukumo said with an equally sad sigh. "Once the Primevals started attacking, their fate was sealed. Besides, it's not like they haven't been avenged."

"Don't open all the waterworks just yet, everyone!" she said optimistically, "I'm getting multiple distress signals from what appears to be some sort of escape pod...I'll patch one of them through."

To everyone's great joy, the wide-eyed face of Yukina appeared, and other Jovians could clearly be seen in the background.

"Yukina!" Tsukumo cried out, elated to see his little sister alive. "You're okay!"

"Yeah...you mind coming to pick us up? It is REALLY, REALLY CRAMPED in this escape pod!"

"How many others are with you?" Yurika asked.

"I dunno...at least a hundred. Now hurry up and get us on board!"

"I'm detecting a total of ten Jovian escape pods in the area," Ruri said. "Assuming they're all filled to capacity, we're going to have another thousand mouths to feed at minimum."

"Max, can you provide shelter for the survivors?" Yurika asked her fellow captain.

"Sure! There's still plenty of room on Macross!" Max said. "In fact, I'll see if I can get Milia to house them on a permanent basis."

"My thoughts exactly," Exedol said. "It would not be to their benefit to try to live on Earth. As civilians of an enemy force, they would not be easily accepted into Earthling society. But I'm sure the people of Macross will welcome them."

"It's settled then," Zero declared. "Once we deliver the survivors to Macross, we'll head back to Earth. I hope things are still roughly as we left them."

* * *

Janus and Tara still felt like they were dreaming as they gazed up at their upgraded machines. Xemmey and Xengar stood with them. Liger, Leo, Taiga and Guy soon came up behind them.

"Janus...Tara," Guy said. "We want to thank you for your aid in this final battle."

"Hey, we did what we could," Janus answered humbly. "It was you and the rest of the Braves Corps who risked everything to finish off the Z-Master from the inside!"

"Yes, but it was your machines that gave us that window of opportunity to attack him," Taiga said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Otherwise, we could have never obtained victory. Credit must be given where credit is due."

Janus blushed with embarrassment.

"So...I guess since the Zonder threat is gone, GGG has no more reason to exist, huh?" Tara said with a small sigh. "What's gonna happen now? Are you going to retire?"

"On the contrary, Miss Zifell," Liger replied, "We still have a lot of work to do!"

"Yes," Taiga said grimly. "There are still forces that threaten the Earth which GGG must deal with. If anything, I was hoping I would have been able to address them after we had defeated EI-01...the criminal organization known as BioNet."

"BioNet?" Tara exclaimed. "My mom said she once..." But Tara stopped herself. She had promised her mother to never reveal that she had once been an employee.

"Don't worry, Tara," Taiga reassured her. "We had no plans to arrest Haruhi Zifell. In fact, she was an extremely helpful informant to our forces in regards to BioNet's illegal dealings."

"She was also kind enough to leave us one final gift before she left us..." Leo said with a smirk. He produced a small screen showing off some highly complex molecule. Amazingly, both Xemmey and Xengar recognized it.

"That's the component molecule of our outer body structure!" Xemmey exclaimed.

"Yes. And as part of our newest project, Guy here will be receiving a new body, one that looks and feels more like human flesh!"

"Awesome! But why are you starting a new project?" Janus asked.

"After we completed Fusion Out on GaoGaiGar," Liger replied; "Galeon suddenly went into what we concluded is a sort of hibernation state. I suspect it will remain asleep until its core programming determines it is needed again."

"But there's still so many other threats!" Tara exclaimed; "There's the Vega Empire and the Protodevlin..."

"...Which, as we stated before," Liger said, "is exactly the reason that GGG will begin this new project as soon as we return to Earth."

Leo pressed a button to show what appeared to be the blueprints for a somewhat differently designed version of GaoGaiGar.

"And it shall be known as the King of Braves...GaoFighGar!" Leo said, beaming.

* * *

_I bring good news. _

_Has the Z-Master fallen?_

_Yes. It took long enough, but that foolish creation of Cain did it for us. What's more, Galeon sleeps, not knowing of its true reason for being._

_So we can commence our plan?_

_Indeed. My fellow Sol Masters...the time has come for the wheels that will resurrect the Trinary Solar System to begin turning!_

* * *

_Well, unless I decide to bring out EI-01's final surprise later on, that's it for the plot of the GaoGaiGar TV series! It's been an awesome ride. But of course, there's still more of the King of Braves to do, but that's not going to be for a little while yet. For now, it's back to Code Geass and Gundam SEED!  
_

_Also, yes, I had plans of making Tara a Ryusei/Latooni lovechild of sorts for a long time now. Will I ever do an OG version of her and Janus? Maybe. But not for a loooong time._


	80. Chapter 55

_And we're back to Code Geass for now. Today, we begin the next major plot arc of Code Geass. I thought I'd avoid having a lot of fighting in this episode, but still set things up for the next battle._

* * *

**Chapter 55 – Brides in the Forbidden Vermillion City! Euphie's Desperate Plea!**

DREAM was happy to see their lovely blue planet once more after what seemed like an eternity away from it. The surviving Jovians, which numbered three to four times the original estimate, were nonetheless being given new homes and the opportunity to begin a new life on Macross. And just as Exedol had said, the people of Macross more or less accepted the newcomers. The _Battle 7 _was to remain in orbit to keep watch over the Macross.

On the other hand, there was surprisingly little gratitude from the political leaders of the Earth Sphere, and only towards the neutral GGG, who had never formally acknowledged its renewed ties to DREAM. They were too busy waging war on each other or making shady political deals to keep an eye on the stars.

But for Tara and Janus, they returned to Earth as very different people than when they left. For one thing, they had learned a lot about themselves from the mysterious energy of Jupiter. But there was one more surprise waiting for Tara.

"Hey, Tara," Kallen said as she entered the media and computer lounge. "There's something you really oughta see before we return to Earth. You might want to hear this too, Janus."

"Sure, what's up?" Tara replied.

Kallen inserted the disk drive that started up the Guren mk II into one of the computers, and after a few moments, a list of options appeared. After a few clicks, she started up a video recording of some kind - visual data captured by her machine's Factsphere, which served as the pilot's window to the outside world.

The Guren seemed to be fighting a Knightmare Frame that Tara couldn't help but find it very similar to Lifthrasir's old form, only scaled down.

"Did the Britannians reverse-engineer the Lifthrasir or something?" Tara asked. "I don't think it's going to stand much of a chance against Lifthrasir Titania, especially if it does have any Threshold manipulation abilities."

"That's not the part that you need to see. It's this."

She flipped to another window. Prominently displayed at the top...was Tahra's picture.

"Hey, I didn't know you had a twin sister, Tara!" Janus quipped. "You're still cuter, though."

"Janus...I don't."

"Yeah. We don't know if she's a clone of you or what, but we do know that this Tahra person has basically taken over your life at Ashford."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say you can't go back there anymore until she's dealt with."

Tara sighed. "I suppose I can live with it. I hope she hasn't ruined my reputation or anything."

At that moment, Rolo overheard this. "Well, for one thing, she's on the student council...and I heard she's gotten close to Shirley Fenette. But she also disbanded the manga club - she absolutely hates anything Japanese."

Tara looked at the image of her doppelganger with hatred. She would find this pretender and take back the life she had stolen...and for destroying her club.

* * *

"Commander Zero!" Kaguya Sumeragi said with relief when the ships, including the _Ikaruga _landed on Giga Float, the home of the exiled Japanese and their current base of operations. "Oh, I was afraid you wouldn't come back!"

"Well met, Miss Sumeragi," Zero answered. "Is Japan well? I see that little has happened here on Giga Float."

"Japan's doing okay more or less, but there's something going on in the Chinese Federation that we really should look into."

"Yes. Taking out the Chinese Federation capital of Luoyang will make it much easier to defeat Britannia and truly free Japan," Zero said thoughtfully. "What's the situation there? I have the other captains on the line...they need this information as much as we do."

"There's going to be a political marriage," Kaguya said.

"A political marriage, you say?" Murrue said. "It must be between a pair of very prominent individuals."

"I received an invitation to the ceremony through the Sumeragi Conglomerate. The bride is the Empress, the symbol of the Chinese Federation. She and I are close friends, and she wanted to be there."

"And the groom is Odysseus the First Prince of Britannia," Diethard added.

"I knew there was something fishy about those High Eunuchs!" Shinobu, who happened to be on the ship to check on a few things, growled. "Leave it to a bunch of jerk-offs with no junk to pull a trick like this!"

"No," Zero said grimly. "This is a Britannian plot...as I feared, our absence has enabled them to make things difficult for us."

_And I was going to move against the empress before they could, _Lelouch then said to himself; _How could that mediocre man could move so quickly? _

"So what?" Tamaki quipped. "It's not like Britannia's our problem anymore. We're exiled, remember?"

"Except we haven't exactly been pardoned, have we?" said one of the _Ikaruga_'s operators.

"And since this is a political marriage," Yurika said with concern, her tactical mind coming into play once more, "It's possible the Chinese Federation could attack Giga Float."

"So they're basically making all of DREAM into one big wedding present?!" Tamaki exclaimed.

"Actually, that's a good way to put it," Kaguya replied.

_There's only one person that could reverse the poor relations with the Chinese Federation overnight by pulling a devilish stunt like this,  
_Lelouch thought.

"Actually, now that I'm thinking about it," Kaguya then said. "There's going to be two other weddings going on at the same time and in the same place - one between Ex-Viceroy Shapiro Keats and current Viceroy Princess Euphemia...and a third, unspecified one."

"A surprise wedding?" Diethard said. "That sounds fishy to me. I'll see if I can drum up any info regarding it."

"Good thinking, Diethard." Zero said with a nod. "No stone can be left unturned when it comes to Britannia."

"So, we're going to crash their party, I take it?" Ruri said. "I suspect that's what Britannia wants us to do."

"Um, we just took out a planet-sized menace who could have Zonderized the entire universe!" Yurika said. "I think we can do something like this."

"For now, we'll watch and wait," Zero said. "I'd like to investigate this matter myself before we engage in any combat. Kaguya, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to escort you to the banquet that will happen the evening before the ceremony."

Kaguya smiled and nodded in acceptance of his offer.

* * *

"...Aaaand there!" Shirley said as she clipped a few flowers on Tahra's hair. She and Milly Ashford were eagerly preparing the Knight of Eleven's wedding dress and ensuring that everything looked just right.

"How do I look, Prez?" Tahra asked.

"See for yourself!" Milly replied, holding up a long, but light mirror. Tahra looked over her outfit - it was certainly lovely, but not long, flowing and puffy like most nobles wanted their wedding dresses to be.

"This is great!" Tahra said, beaming with joy at the results. "You two are the best!"

"What can we say?" Shirley said. "Only the best for a fellow Council member for her wedding day...Speaking of that, are you ever going to tell us who you're going to marry? There's no need to keep that kind of thing a secret!"

"I'm sorry," Tahra replied with a sigh. "But for the fifteen-thousandth time, His Majesty explicitly ordered that no one who was in on the secret is allowed to say who my husband is prior to the banquet. You'll get to meet him then, Prez."

"C'mon, pleeeease?" Milly asked, pleading a bit. "We promise we won't tell ANYONE! I swear on the Ashford family name!"

Tahra sighed. She wondered if they would even believe her - after all, her fiance was, for all the world knew, dead as a doornail. If that was the case, then she saw no harm.

"My husband is going to be...Prince Clovis la Britannia."

Milly and Shirley blinked in disbelief.

"C'mon, seriously...who's the lucky guy?" Milly asked, annoyed at Tahra's apparent attempt at humor.

"I told you. I'm marrying Prince Clovis," the Knight of Eleven answered again.

"You know what? Forget we asked," Milly sighed. "Whoever it is, I'm sure you'll be very happy with him."

Tahra smiled. Milly would surely be dumbstruck when Clovis made his grand entrance...

* * *

The banquet hall was filled with the well-to-do of the Chinese Federation and of Britannia. Sitting at the far end was Odysseus eu Britannia, a well-built, classically handsome man with brown hair, a small beard on his chin and a somewhat vacant gaze. Next to him was the Empress, tiny and trembling.

Tianzi was scared...scared out of her wits of being married to this giant of a man who was probably twice her age. She was scared for her people, who would surely suffer even more under Britannian rule...but she was most worried about never being able to be with Li Xingke again.

She looked around for a friendly face...someone...anyone!

Nearby, Suzaku was chatting it up with Cecile, when suddenly Gino went up to them excitedly, carrying some sort of sculpture resembling a lion in the typical ancient Chinese art style.

"I found it! This is that charred newt thing you were talking about!" he said excitedly. "You gotta show me how you eat it!"

"Um...that's a decoration made of food, Gino," Suzaku said, a little surprised that Gino would do something like that.

"Decoration?" Gino said. "But you ate a bird just like this before, right, Cecile?"

"A bird?" the Britannian replied as she tried to remember. "Oh, I did! I thought it was made of meat, but it was actually made out of carrots..."

Suddenly, she heard a beeping coming from behind her. It was Anya, taking another photo for her "memories". Then she saw Lloyd Asplund walk by, as he approached Milly. She and Suzaku were the only members of the student council that were formally invited to the wedding.

And then a guard announced the arrival of the prime minister.

Schneizel, in his usual royal attire, was holding the hand of his escort, a Britannian girl with dark green hair and wearing a pink gown. It was Nina Einstein, the chief of In Vogue and mastermind behind the F.L.E.I.J.A. weapon, as well as a former student council member. Normally, she wore large, round glasses, but today she wore contacts, which revealed her to have a very cute face. She was much smaller than Schneizel - the top of her head didn't even reach his shoulders. Then again, most of the Britannian princes who Charles sired were on the tall side like their father.

As the two walked by, the crowd began to whisper. Nina heard the murmuring and shrank a bit with embarrassment.

"Don't act quite so meek," the prime minister whispered reassuringly; "Euphie picked out that dress for you personally...show some pride."

Suzaku, Gino, and Anya immediately knelt down in deference to the prince.

"It's been a while, Prince Schneizel," Suzaku said. "His Majesty has ordered that we obey your orders during our stay in this land."

"Well, three more Rounds...how splendid! But do try to relax," Schneizel said. "After all, this is a celebration of three individual unions."

* * *

"What? This can't be!" FuRyu exclaimed when he heard the news over a secret communication line he, his brother and Li Xingke all shared.

"The Empress is to be wed to a Britannian prince?" RaiRyu added. "Unthinkable!"

"It's true," said Zhou Xianglin, Li's confidante, replied. "The High Eunuchs and Prince Schneizel have already made a secret agreement. Once she is married, they will cede the entire Federation to Britannia, and receive Britannian titles of nobility in return."

"They'd sell out their entire country for mere titles...such is the tyranny of the High Eunuchs," Li growled. He remembered the day that the Empress had saved his life.

Six years ago, he had been arrested by police for giving medicine to a prisoner and was to be put to death on orders of the Eunuchs. But when he was brought before the young Empress, who was barely even six or seven years old, she ordered that his life be spared, and that he be set free, for he had committed no crime in her eyes. The night after he was released, he made a solemn promise to his sovereign, one they sealed by clasping pinkies...

A promise to one day take her away from the palace and show her the world outside.

If the wedding were to go forward, Tianzi would leave the palace, but she would merely be transferred from one luxurious prison to another. He could not allow this.

* * *

"Presenting Miss Kaguya Sumeragi," a guard announced. "Representative of the Sumeragi Conglomerate!"

Tianzi's eyes widened with excitement, and she ceased trembling.

_She came! _she said to herself; _She actually came!_

"Kaguya? She's here?" Suzaku exclaimed, surprised that his cousin was here. But the crowd let out a gasp when they saw who was accompanying her:

Zero and Kallen.

_So...it really WAS Schneizel who planned this, _Lelouch thought as he spied his brother off to the side._ But Kaguya mentioned two more weddings. Where are Euphemia and Shapiro...and what about that third couple?_

Of course, he didn't have time to consider that before several armed guards, equipped with spears, surrounded them. He saw some of the High Eunuchs whisper something to Tianzi, and then saw Schneizel step forward.

"Come now, today is a day of celebration," Schneizel said. "Let's not quarrel like this, hm?" He then turned to Kaguya. "Miss Sumeragi, please do not let Zero escort you at the ceremony tomorrow."

"Well...I suppose it can't be helped," Kaguya replied. The Britannian prime minister then approached Zero. Suzaku preemptively got between them.

"Hmph. Watchful as always, I see," Zero said. But to his surprise, Kaguya stepped in front of him with a quick twirl.

"Sir Kururugi, don't you remember me?" she said in a sweet tone. "It's me, your cousin!"

"Of course I do," Suzaku replied. Charles never bothered to erase her from his memory. "We're the last survivors of the Six Houses of Kyoto. However, I can't align myself with Kirihara and the others, who sided with terrorists and murderers."

"Oh, have you forgotten? You owe Zero a debt of gratitude for saving you and Princess Euphemia. Do you plan to execute a man who did that for you?"

"Zero did nothing of the sort!" Suzaku replied angrily. "That has nothing to do with this, anyway!"

"How sad. If only we could kill with our words alone," Kaguya taunted. But before any more could be said, the lights were turned, and a pair of spotlights were turned on, focusing on a door near stairs that connected the throne room with the upper level.

"Well, looks like they're here," Gino whispered, leaning over to Anya. "He's 'fashionably late' to everything...even his own party. And he makes a spectacle of it too."

Suddenly, the doors flung open, revealing a sharply dressed Shapiro Keats, leading an equally elegant looking Euphemia down the stairs. Suzaku, however, saw the glaring discomfort she was having holding the man's hand. Even though his memories told him that it wasn't Shapiro's fault that the massacre happened, he still couldn't stand the sight of the man. Shapiro glanced over at Suzaku_, _whose expression reverted to a slight frown.

Lelouch was also far from pleased. In a just world, a man like Shapiro Keats would be rotting in either a jail cell or in a grave, not marrying princesses.

_Euphie, _Lelouch thought, _I had hoped one day to see you in a wedding dress, but not in marriage to the monster who tried to kill you a year ago. I cannot let this stand. I will rescue you somehow._

But then the crowd gave an even bigger gasp of shock when the second couple appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Greetings, one and all!" he said dramatically; "I, Prince Clovis la Britannia, have returned!"

Lelouch was dumbstruck - Clovis, the brother he could swear he had killed, was proudly walking into the banquet hall, leading the girl who looked exactly like the pilot of the Lifthrasir Titania.

_Clovis...he's alive?! But...how is that possible?! I killed him! I killed with my own two hands!_

Milly was also shocked.

_I don't believe it, _she thought, her mouth agape._ Tahra really did tell the truth the other day..._

"Now, I assure you..." Clovis said as he helped Tahra down the stairs; "I am neither ghost nor illusion; my bride-to-be here can attest to that."

A great murmur went through the crowd. Meanwhile, Tahra scanned the room, smiling outwardly, but fuming with rage at the presence of Zero. She assumed he had a connection to V.V, since he too possessed the power of Geass.

"I hope I'm not stealing the show, dear brother," Clovis said, turning to Odysseus, who knew about his brother's return beforehand. "After all, I'm simply marrying my Knight. You're to be wed to the empress of the most populous nation in the Earth Sphere!"

He then turned to Zero and Schneizel.

"Well, this is certainly a meeting of the minds," he quipped. "The cunning Zero and my brilliant brother, Prince Schneizel...how about we have a little fun? May I suggest...a game of chess?"

Lelouch wondered just what Clovis was trying to pull. However, he could immediately tell that his half-brother was different from that day. He saw a ruthlessness in his eyes, a cunning that he never possessed before.

Then it finally hit him.

_Clovis...I never actually killed him, did I? _the masked student thought; _I must have shot a body double...a sacrificial lamb meant to take the bullet for him while he was elsewhere in perfect safety. Why didn't I see it before?_

Nonetheless, he had to keep his cool.

"A fine idea, Prince," Zero said. "Let's make it more interesting, too...if I win, I'd like to have Sir Kururugi. He'll be a present for Lady Kaguya."

"Oh, I would just love that!" Kaguya swooned.

_Yes, _Lelouch thought, _If I can get Suzaku out of here, I can use my Geass on everyone here to turn things around, and then find a way to free him from Father's grip at my leisure._

"But if I win," Schneizel said, "I would like you to remove your mask."

"Very well," the masked man replied, much to Kallen and Kaguya's astonishment.

_Arrogant as always, I see, _Clovis thought. _You honestly think you can beat Schneizel? I may not as crafty as our brother is, but I know you well enough that I can take advantage of your hubris..._

"It's settled then!" Clovis said with a cheer. "This will surely be a fine night's entertainment!"

* * *

During the chess match between Zero and Schneizel, Euphemia took a moment to excuse herself. Though she didn't show it, the prospect of having to share a bed with the man who nearly killed her over a year ago terrified her.

Suzaku noticed this and decided to follow her. After all, he was still Euphemia's Knight, and was obligated to watch over her. He motioned for Gino to take his place, as he had been staring down Kallen to counter any attempts on anyone's lives. Nina Einstein, who was sitting in the back of the audience, followed as well. Unbeknownst to anyone but her, she had particularly strong feelings for Euphemia...or rather, fantasies.

"Euphie!" Suzaku called out to his charge as she rounded a corner. She stopped and turned to face him as he approached. However, the Japanese Knight was all too familiar with his charge's states of mind, and could clearly see the desperation in her eyes.

"Suzaku! Nina!" the princess said. "Did you follow me out here?"

"I am your Knight, milady," the young man replied. "I can't let you wander about unprotected. What would happen if someone were to hurt you and Shapiro weren't around?"

Something in Euphemia's mind snapped like a twig, and she suddenly started giggling, then laughing hysterically. All the pressure, and all the pent up emotion began to burst forth.

"Oh, Suzaku, are you really so blind?!" she laughed. "You've only looked for my enemies on the outside! Meanwhile, the man who tried to kill me a year ago is going to walk down the aisle and force me to become his plaything for the rest of my life!"

"Euphie, did Zero trick you again?" Suzaku exclaimed. "HE was the one who tried to kill you, not Shapiro!"

A torrent of emotions flowed through the princess at seeing her Knight like this. She wanted to do so many different things to him at the same time...anything to break whatever spell he was under.

With her reason completely overwhelmed, Euphie went by her instincts.

She tackled Suzaku and started sobbing while embracing him.

"Please, help me, Suzaku!" she cried hysterically. "That man...that man who is to be my husband...he said he'd do things to me! Please, Suzaku, you're the only one who can save me!"

"Euphie..."

"SAVE ME, SUZAKU! SAVE MEEEEEE!"

Nina watched, more horrified that her idol had been reduced to this gibbering, insane mess because of Shapiro than the fact that she was begging and pleading to an Eleven for assistance. The girl walked up to Suzaku, and took a small, sharp knife that he kept near his sword.

If Suzaku wouldn't make Euphie happy by spilling Shapiro's blood, she would.

* * *

Lelouch saw that Schneizel just did the unthinkable - he was_ intentionally_ giving him a chance to win. The wily prime minister had pondered moving his king next to his opponent's, but that was technically an illegal move.

All Lelouch needed to do was move his queen one square diagonally forward and to the left, and victory would be his.

"Are you handing me a win?" Zero said, surprised that his opponent would do such a thing.

_If I take his invitation, I'll simply be falling for his plot! I...I won't allow myself to be humiliated like this!_

He instead started to move his queen in the opposite direction...but then he noticed something else...that would be exposing HIS king.

Instead, he moved his king back a space. It was the only legal move he could make without taking Schneizel's bait. Nonchalantly, the elder prince moved his rook down and smirked.

"Check."

Lelouch looked back down at the board. He realized that Schneizel had even expected him to do THAT.

Clovis, who had initially been frustrated at his brother's sudden apparent bout of incompetence, couldn't help but smile at just how brilliantly his brother had suddenly pulled it off. Even though he couldn't see his younger brother's face, Clovis knew that Lelouch was probably beside himself with rage.

"If it were the Emperor playing against me," Schneizel said, leaning back in his chair, satisfied with making checkmate impossible for either side. "He would have claimed victory without hesitation before. I've learned something about who you really are, Zero."

_SCHNEIZEL...YOU DARE LOOK DOWN ON ME?! _Lelouch thought, furiously.

Suddenly, Nina, with tears of rage pouring down her face, came tearing into the room and made a beeline for a surprised Shapiro, knife drawn.

"SHAPIRO! PRINCESS EUPHEMIA'S HONOR WILL BE AVENGED!"

Gino and Anya quickly grabbed hold of her, keeping her from harming Euphemia's groom. Just then, Suzaku, having wrenched himself from the equally desperate princess' grip, rushed in and caught her knife hand.

Lelouch saw this, and had to restrain himself from pulling Suzaku away and letting his deranged classmate kill Shapiro. And yet he was powerless to do so. It would jeopardize the plan.

"Suzaku, why are you stopping me?!" Nina screamed as she struggled. "You're her Knight, aren't you?! You're the one who should be doing this, not me!"

"But..." Suzaku gasped.

"You're an Eleven, aren't you?! That monster killed your people! He's taken everything from her!"

Shapiro was almost amused by watching Nina writhe and scream out Shapiro's crimes, which he knew no one would be able to touch him for, even if anyone believed her. He was a god, after all. Britannia was dancing in the palm of his hand, and the only one who could stop him was completely in thrall to Charles' Geass...

* * *

_I thought I'd do a no-fighting chapter today, since we just got done with a huge one last time. Don't worry, folks, Shapiro Keats will be getting what's coming to him - in spades. When will it occur? Stay tuned! Until next time, mecha fans!_


	81. Chapter 56

_And now, more fun! It's time for some more Code Geass, where yet again an important part of the plot goes quite differently from the canon..._

* * *

**Chapter 56 - Shen Hu Wins Glory! Siege at the Mausoleum of 88 Emperors!**

Tahra gazed out at the moon from her window after the banquet was over. There was a lot on her mind, particularly what had happened during the chess match. She couldn't help but notice that Euphemia was acting very timidly when she sat with Shapiro. And when that Nina Einstein girl, who clearly had a fanatical obsession with her, attacked the princess' husband-to-be, Tahra couldn't help but wonder why Suzaku had chosen to defend him.

She had to do something. Just thinking about that sweet girl being with anyone except Suzaku just didn't feel right, even if he was an Eleven.

At that moment, she heard a knock on the wall next to her door, which was more like a pair of large pieces of cloth hung in the doorway.

"Who is it?"

"Your brother-in-law, as of tomorrow morning." came the voice of Schneizel from outside. It was funny...Schneizel was going to be the very person she would speak with regarding Shapiro and Euphemia. After a few moments, he entered.

"Hello, my lord," Tahra said.

"There is no need to stand on ceremony with me right now. You will soon be family."

"...As will Shapiro," the Knight of Eleven said with a sigh. "And frankly, that bothers me. A lot."

"Yes...it bothers me as well. There are many things in this world that bother me. It is like one cannot get anything done without hanging a sword over the heads of people. Indeed, that may be the entire purpose of a 'hell' in religion, as well as law...to keep people in line with the threat of punishment."

"I see."

"But those who make the laws and possess power have no such problem in this world. That needs to be changed, don't you think? Even in so-called 'democracies' the people are kept complacent by honeyed words, false promises and misdirection, allowing their elected officials to do as they please."

"Men like Shapiro Keats."

"Yes. And I, for one, can no longer sit and watch as he does what he pleases, even if my father does favor him."

Tahra was surprised. She didn't even need to say a word to the Prince - he had decided to do what she wanted him to do entirely on his own.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Everything will work out. Just go and marry Clovis," Schneizel replied with a smile. "I know you two will be very happy together...and I don't think Zero will interfere with yours...and I believe Clovis has one more surprise for them as well."

* * *

"Let us launch!" RaiRyu called out as he banged on the hangar door.

"Our Empress needs us!" FuRyu said loudly.

"FuRyu, RaiRyu, I know you are concerned for Empress Tianzi," Taiga said apolegetically, "But we can't allow GGG to get involved in politics. If we incur the wrath of Britannia, we will lose their cooperation in our effort to hunt down BioNet!"

"But we swore an oath!" FuRyu yelled.

"We swore to protect the Empress!" RaiRyu cried.

"And by protecting the Earth as a whole, you are in turn protecting her!" Taiga replied loudly. "I know you want to. My heart is screaming for me to let you go. But for the sake of the countless GGG staff and crew, I will not!"

Suddenly, Kosuke Entouji got a look of shock on his face.

"Sir, the hangar doors are opening automatically! The manual override code isn't working!"

"Inoubozaki, what's going on down there?!" Geki Hyuuma yelled.

"We have a system breach!" said GGG's head of information security; "Whoever is doing it is working through multiple backdoors!"

"Atmospheric entry capsules 45 and 46 have been unlocked!" Swan exclaimed. "RaiRyu and FuRyu have entered them! They're going to be launching in T-minus ten seconds!"

"Stop the launch! If we allow those two to get us entangled in that mess..."

"Negative! The abort code for that has been changed!"

"Atmospheric entry capsules 45 and 46 have launched!"

"Sir...there seems to be a message from our hacker," Kousuke said. "I'll put it onscreen."

_To my comrades at GGG: _

_I'm sorry, but Commander Zero really needs FuRyu and RaiRyu's help in order to help liberate the Chinese Federation. All I did was enable them to do their duty of protecting the Empress. I have not accessed any other information other than that. In hopes of making amends, I have included a list of the vulnerabilities in your systems that I was able to exploit. I recommend that you fix them immediately to prevent further breaches in the future. _

_Best,_

_Nicol Amalfi_

* * *

The wedding ceremony between Tahra and Clovis had gone well so far. No surprise visits from Zero, no attacks by DREAM. Indeed, it was a surprisingly modest ceremony being held away from the palace grounds, although it was certainly elegant. The pews of the vaulted shrine were occupied by members of the royal family (minus Euphemia, who was in her own room getting ready), the emperor's court, and a selection of other nobles with connections to the family - including Milly and her fiance Lloyd. Also present were the Knights of the Round who were at the banquet yesterday. Anya was recording from her phone as always.

"If there is anyone who does not think that these two should not be bound in holy matrimony," said a priest, "Speak, or forever hold your peace."

Silence. No surprise there.

"Then, by the power vested in me by the Church of Eden Vital and by His Imperial Highness, I now pronounce you man and wife!"

Clovis and Tahra looked at each other, and smooched each other quickly. They had kissed numerous times, so they didn't feel the need to make it quite so dramatic. Cheers and clapping filled the shrine, even as the Knights present suddenly got up and started out the door in a hurry. Tahra immediately sensed that Schneizel was right - DREAM was making a move. After all, it was right around the time that Tianzi's ceremony would end as well.

"Don't worry...Schneizel and your fellow Rounds will take care of it," Clovis reassured her as they stepped outside. "Let's go...our carriage awaits."

* * *

The doors of the chapel where Odysseus and Tianzi were being wed were smashed open. In the doorway stood Li Xingke and a small number of armored soldiers.

"We ask this question!" Xingke declared; "By the voice of heaven, the roar of the earth, and the hearts of the people!"

The terrified Tianzi's heart leaped with joy to see the man she truly cared for coming to her rescue. He was the picture of heroism in her eyes as he drew his sword, the same blade that he had used to defeat Viral.

"How does this marriage represent the will of the Chinese Federation?!" he bellowed.

"Have you lost your mind, Xingke?!" one of the Eunuchs, a portly man with a cleft chin.

"Silence, Zhao Hao! In the name of the people, I challenge the legitimacy of this wedding!" With that, he charged forward, blade drawn. Several soldiers with metal-tipped bludgeoning poles moved to intervene, but he sliced the wooden weapons in half with his keen-edged sword.

Six more guards tried to strike Xingke simultaneously, but he and his sword were able to block the strikes.

As the Chinese warrior fought, he found himself wondering whether he was really doing this for the people's sake, or if it was for his own selfish desire to always be by his sovereign's side.

"Traitor! You think the Empress is yours alone!" one of the soldiers bellowed as he got in his path.

_That's right. All this planning and scheming I've been doing...I haven't even considered if this is what Her Majesty wants...or if she even remembers what happened six years ago. _

He struggled against the soldiers' weapons as his heart began to falter.

_Even so...I made a promise...an everlasting one in exchange for her mercy that day! A vow I swore from the bottom of my heart! I WILL take her to the outside world!_

He dodged around and slashed another soldier down, when suddenly, she heard the girl call out his name.

"Xingke! Xingke!"

He turned around and saw Tianzi on the altar - her right hand was up in the air, and her thumb and pinkie were extended.

It was on these fingers that he made that vow. Xingke's heart soared.

_She does...she does remember!_

With all hesitation gone from him, his strength seemed to multiply tenfold as he overwhelmed the other guards and rushed in. Tianzi looked ready to be swept up into his arms. But then a banner fell between the warrior and his Empress...and when it had fallen away, he saw Zero standing there, holding the girl hostage as he pointed a gun at her head...

* * *

Euphemia heard the sounds of battle going on outside. Had Lelouch gotten the message? Was she going to be saved? Or was he just here for the Empress to gain some political foothold here?

These questions were answered when a huge fist busted through the wall nearby, then laid its hand flat, palm up. It was rather fitting that it was Final Dancougar who had done it.

"C'mon, Viceroy! Hop on!" the voice of Sara called out. "Zero said that he wanted to have a nice chat with you!"

_Lelouch...thank you_, Euphemia thought. She eagerly approached Dancougar's hand and climbed on.

"Mind your head, milady," Masato said cheerfully. Final Dancougar gently cupped its free hand over Euphemia, ensuring that she would have a relatively safe flight. She was able to peek out at the gaps in its fingers as it took off back toward what she hoped was her brother's ship...

* * *

It was a fight neither opponent was ever wishing for - Suzaku's Lancelot Conquista was going head-to-head with Kyoshiro Tohdoh's Zangetsu. But for the sake of the plan, Tohdoh would have to fight his student.

Suzaku managed to spot an opening.

"There...gotcha!"

He fired his Knightmare's side arms...only for it to be blocked by a red energy barrier - the same kind that the Guren mk II used.

Frustrated, he docked his blaster with a larger cannon on his Float Unit, and prepared to fire. However, Tohdoh quickly moved around, putting himself between Suzaku and the city, knowing that he wouldn't fire.

Sure enough, Suzaku hesitated, allowing Tohdoh to make his move. Zangetsu flew around to Lancelot's backside, and he rushed down, ready to chop the Frame in half.

And even when Suzaku managed to dodge his downward swing, the Zangetsu's special sword was easily able to remedy this.

"Kyanbu no Tachi!"

The sword's rocket boosters fired, giving him sufficient momentum to swing upward again. This time, he managed to land a hit, slicing one of the wings of the Lancelot's Float Unit clean off.

"Crap...the Float Unit's damaged...can't stay airborne like this...but still..."

The Lancelot surprised Tohdoh by doing a powerful spin kick that sent the Zangetsu back a ways.

"Tohdoh, that's enough. With his float unit damaged, he won't be able to pursue us easily. Leave his capture to our Super Robots."

The skilled warrior broke away from combat, leaving Suzaku to slowly descend back to earth...

* * *

Xingke couldn't believe himself. He was being forced to fight for the very people he wished to overthrow!

But with the Eunuchs' pursuit forces gone, they had no choice but to turn to him for help...and he had no choice but to obey them, if he wanted to ensure the Empress' safety.

_Shen Hu..._he thought, having cleared out numerous Black Knights already, _it did all that, and it's only operating at 40% output, _he thought. _How could the High Eunuchs have upgraded it so much?_

He soon spotted them - DREAM's three flagships: the _Archangel_, the _Nadesico _and the _Ikaruga_. They were exactly where he predicted they would be: the Mausoleum of the 88 Emperors.

"Li Xingke!" a voice the swordsman recognized came over his communicator. He looked down and saw Gurren Lagann standing there, along with numerous Akatsukis. Mazinkaiser, Freedom Gundam, Guren mk II, Mark Nemo, Final Dancougar, Black Getter, both Astrays, and Lifthrasir Titania all stood there as well.

However, Xingke had numerous Chinese Knightmares backing him up as well. However, he was apprehensive about taking on Super Robots - at least until the Desire, Shapiro's personal machine, came into view.

"Li Xingke, I never expected to be fighting you again."

"Nor did I, Viral. I also didn't expect DREAM would do something so underhanded, especially after what we did for you in Area 11." With that he turned his attention to the _Ikaruga_.

"Hear me, Zero!" the Shen Hu's pilot declared. "Return the empress and your lives will be spared."

However, before Zero could answer, two more robots appeared from around the other side of the great mausoleum - FuRyu and RaiRyu, much to the Chinese warrior's shock.

"Xingke! Why are you fighting for the High Eunuchs?!" RaiRyu called out.

"Zero is trying to protect the Empress!" FuRyu also cried.

"You fools!" Xingke retorted angrily. "You obviously didn't see him...that masked man put a gun to her head!"

It had only been the Black Knights who had directly involved themselves in the kidnapping of the Empress, and now the others saw why. They would have never allowed him to do such a thing.

"Zero, you seriously did that?!" Koji exclaimed indignantly. "You've got some nerve! If you weren't our ally, I'd come over there and kick your ass!"

"Koji Kabuto, now is NOT the time!" Viral yelled before turning back to the Shen Hu. "Li Xingke, as a fellow swordsman, I swear we have not harmed a hair on the Empress."

Li Xingke hesitated. Something about Viral's words made him want to believe the Gunman pilot.

"Xingke, why are you hesitating?!" one of the High Eunuchs cried out with frustration. "Take out those meddlers and bring the Empress back!"

"If you truly wish to protect the Empress..." FuRyu said.

"Then join forces with us!" RaiRyu called out. "But if you insist on siding with the High Eunuchs, then WE will fulfill the promise you made to her for you!"

But before Xingke could decide, a loud rumbling coming from farther ahead seemed to make his decision for him - a massive force of Chinese Knightmare Frames, bombers and tanks was storming in. Also included their numbers were numerous ZAFT mobile suits, including the Duel and Buster Gundams. Leading them were the Mordred, Tristan, and Lancelot Conquista, while Schneizel's _Avalon _held up the rear. In the center of this huge formation were two massive units: one was the Desire, piloted by Shapiro, and the other was a massive, pyramid-shaped rolling fortress - the Dai Leung Tan.

Xingke, however, was appalled. The High Eunuchs had sunk so low as to ask for Britannia AND ZAFT's help?

He didn't have long to consider what was going before the Tristan rushed at him...

"Sorry, nothing personal," Gino said as he clashed blades with the Shen Hu; "But I was ordered to take you down."

* * *

"There's the legged ship, Dearka!" Yzak said eagerly. "That's where they've got Zala and the Justice locked up!

"And where Nicol might be," Dearka replied. "I won't believe he's alive until I see him for myself!"

A volley soared over their heads and struck the _Archangel_.

"Stupid Naturals! They're gonna blow up the legged ship with him still inside!" Yzak exclaimed. "All mobile suits, focus on the _Archangel_! Disable the legged ship, but do NOT destroy it! I repeat, disable the legged ship, but do NOT destroy it!"

The numerous GINNs, DINNs and BuCUEs charged forward, desperate to rescue Athrun before the Chinese and the Britannians took out the _Archangel_...

* * *

Anya watched as the Chinese rebels peppered her Knightmare with bullets, only to have them bounce off her green Blaze Luminous barrier. Her Stark Hadron Cannons had blown away numerous enemies at once already, and she was preparing to fire another salvo.

But then something rammed into her. She spun her Knightmare around and saw the Lifthrasir Titania there, looming over her. Her Mordred, in spite of being one of the largest Knightmares around, was still smaller than even a typical mobile suit.

Anya was confused for a second, having never seen the Lifthrasir before. Then she remembered that it wasn't nearly as tall. This gave the rebels a chance to high-tail it to safety.

"So, this is the Bors' prototype," the Knight of Six said, recognizing it as not belonging to her fellow Knight. "No matter. Dissidents must be destroyed."

She unleashed a salvo of hadron shots, which Tara dodged by slipping into a portal. Tara then reappeared behind Anya, and attempted to disable the Mordred by slashing it with her new blade tonfas, but the blades bounced off the shields.

"Man, that's some barrier," Tara grunted. "You'd think I'd be able to one-shot something only a quarter of my size."

"May I suggest your beam rifles?" Xemmey replied. "They should be powerful enough to overwhelm her defenses."

"Hey, I don't want to KILL her!" the pilot exclaimed. "If she knows anything about the lady who's impersonating me, I have to get it out of her first!"

The Mordred combined all its cannons into one and prepared to fire a fully charged blast. However, this forced Anya to drop her frame's barrier. That gave Tara an idea. She quickly opened a portal behind and below the Knight of Six's frame.

"Farewell, prototype," Anya said. She fired her cannons. With a smirk, Tara opened a portal in front of her. The beam entered the second portal, then reappeared out of the first one. It struck the Mordred's Float System, much to Anya's shock.

"All right, time to capture our Knight!" Tara quipped. But before she could move in, the ZAFT forces rushed toward the Lifthrasir Titania, though they were targeting the _Archangel, _which happened to be nearby.

"Damn it...so much for questioning her," the girl sighed as she turned her attention to the grunts. She was soon joined by the Freedom Gundam, who prepared to unleash a Hi-Mat Full Burst.

"Tara, please protect the _Archangel. _I'll deal with these guys."

"Right..." the Lifthrasir's pilot sighed. But she soon got another opponent when the Lancelot Conquista came charging in, maser vibration sword humming. But Tara was quick enough to parry the attack with her tonfas.

"Suzaku Kururugi...how convenient. I have some questions for you."

"How you tell me where Euphemia is?!" he replied angrily as he took another swing.

"In a safer place than she'd be if she was with Shapiro Keats!" Tara replied in an annoyed tone as she parried his attack and counter attacked. "You're her Knight, Suzaku...how can you let her be married off to the monster who tried to kill her?"

"Says someone who conspired with Zero to kill off innocent people! Shapiro may have his downsides, but Zero is nothing more than a power-hungry monster who will use anyone to achieve his goals!"

"It's clear he doesn't remember," Xemmey finally said. "There's no use in trying to persuade him with words."

Tara sighed as she dodged a hadron blast from the Lancelot. She knew that Lelouch wanted to get Suzaku back on their side. But she could barely keep up with the Lancelot.

This was going to be a major uphill battle...

* * *

Several Chinese bombers swooped over the enemy lines and dropped a payload of explosives right on top of the Mausoleum, though were promptly shot down by DREAM's own forces.

"Damn Eunuchs! I guess they abandoned the Empress!" Shinobu growled as Final Dancougar sliced a bomber in two. However, Sara managed to spot Shapiro in the center of the enemy forces.

"Shinobu...it looks like HE decided to tag along," she said spitefully.

"It's time for a little payback for our humiliation during the Black Rebellion, I guess," Ryo quipped.

"Yeah, and for everything else he's done!" Shinobu added. "Let's go! YAAAAATE YARUZE!" While Alan didn't think it was such a good idea, he had no choice but to silently go along with it.

Final Dancougar broke off and charged over the swarm of Chinese Knightmares, sword drawn.

"SHAPIRO!" Sara roared. The blue mech whirled around in time to catch Final Dancougar's blade with its hand. Dancougar yanked it out and landed, cutting down a few incoming Knightmares before turning to engage the Cyber Beast Force's hated foe...

* * *

"So, have you come to admit your defeat?" Zhao Hao chuckled. Zero had contacted them with the apparent intention of trying to negotiate with them. "Sadly, you're too late."

"So you have no intention of halting this attack?!" Zero exclaimed. "If this keeps up, the Empress will be killed as well!"

"The empress is merely a system," one of the other Eunuchs chuckled. "She can easily be replaced. Don't think you can use her as a bargaining tool."

"But...weren't you about to give her up in order to obtain titles of nobility from Britannia?" Zero replied, genuinely shocked that the High Eunuchs regarded her this way.

"My friend, it was an incredible bargain!" another Eunuch replied smugly, almost enjoying hearing the indignation in Zero's voice.

"So you already ceded your territory and signed an unfair treaty with Britannia?!"

"It doesn't concern us anymore. We're Britannian noblemen, now!"

"What about the common people you've deserted?!" Zero cried out, the sheer abhorrence in his voice growing with each syllable. On the one hand, this was an act for Lelouch, to cast the Eunuchs as villains. On the other hand, the prince didn't expect that they'd actively take a running leap off the slippery slope.

"Do you take pains to avoid the ants when you walk down the street?" said Zhao Hao gleefully. "Do you not throw away the toilet paper that clings to your rear? This is no different!"

"You sell out your nation, betray your sovereign and abandon your people! What could you possibly stand to gain in the end?!"

"My, my, it seems your little group of naive allies has softened you, Zero!" the second Eunuch said.

"Don't you get it? Leaders and people can be replaced. After all, they breed like insects!"

The Eunuchs laughed in unison as boulders tumbled on top of the _Ikaruga_.

"You dirty scum!" Zero cried, now completely beside himself with rage and disgust at just how completely arrogant and monstrous the Eunuchs were; "You're not noblemen...you're nothing but bureaucrats who blatantly ignore the obligations of nobility!"

"Zero, the upper hatch just opened..." one of the operators called out. "The Empress! The Empress is outside!"

"...Is it ready, C.C.?" Zero asked his confidante.

"Ready and waiting," C.C. replied. "I think I'll join you this time around."

* * *

Indeed, Tianzi, in a desperate effort to stop the fighting, was on top of the _Ikaruga_, crying out, begging her subjects to stop fighting.

Xingke, meanwhile, was fighting a losing battle with the Knight of Three. He suddenly spotted her from his aerial position. She was all right, just as Viral had said. But being out here would easily...

He didn't hesitate to break combat. But as he darted away, something struck the Shen Hu's upper right wing - a slash harken from his opponent.

"Hey, that's what you get for being distracted!" Gino said in his usual friendly manner. He saw numerous Chinese Knightmares, all piloted by those loyal to the High Eunuchs, ready their machine guns to fire on the Empress.

Xingke, of course, was not about to let her be killed like this. Just as the enemy Knightmares opened fire, the Shen Hu landed in front of Tianzi, and began spinning its slash hakens rapidly, using them as shields. But bullets did manage to get through this defense from time to time, and the Shen Hu began taking damage.

"Save yourself, Empress!" he called out to her. "You've just made it to the outside world...you can't die when you haven't even seen any of it yet! I'll defend you here!"

"But...without you..." Tianzi cried back, tears streaming down her face and being blown back by the wind produced by the spinning hakens; "No, I can't! It has to be you and I! You and I have to see the world together!"

But the enemy Knightmares continued to lay on the firepower, even as the other members of DREAM did their best to reduce their numbers...there were simply too many, and with Dancougar fighting Desire, they couldn't risk them getting caught in their attacks.

_Is this it? _Xingke thought. _Am I truly unable to protect her? To save her?! Have all my years of preparation been for nothing?!_

The Dai Leung Tan locked on to the Shen Hu and prepared to open fire.

"Please...somebody...I don't care who...PLEASE SAVE HER!" the warrior finally cried out.

As if in answer to his plea, something moved in front of them just as a round of heavy artillery fire rained down. When the smoke cleared, the Empress and Shen Hu had emerged unscathed, as had their savior.

It was a Knightmare Frame, a very unusual-looking one. It was similar in design to the Gawain, but smaller, sleeker and more limber. Its face was white like marble, and four red eyes adorned it.

"Very well...your wish shall be granted," said its pilot...who was none other Zero himself.

"Whoa, is that Zero?!" Lowe exclaimed. "That's a new sweet new ride he's got!"

"And that barrier system's nothing to sneeze at either," Gai Murakumo said with surprise. "Looks like Zero still has enough spine to join the fray on his own."

"I ask this of the Chinese Federation and the Britannians," Lelouch said smugly; "Are you still prepared to take on Zero himself?" C.C. also appeared, riding a custom pink Akatsuki.

"What are you doing?!" a Eunuch cried out. "Fire! Fire! Demolish them!"

"If that's your answer then," Lelouch replied, lifting his arms to allow a pair of touch-screen keyboards and a monitor to appear. He then began to rapidly type, his manner more like a concert pianist than anything else. His keystrokes resulted in the appearance of numerous pinkish-red hexagons, arranging themselves precisely to block every incoming projectile in the most efficient way possible - thanks to the super-fast Druid system that the Black Knights had salvaged from the Gawain.

"That, my friends, is the power of the Shinkiro's Absolute Protection Territory!" Rakshata laughed proudly. "It is the strongest barrier system ever developed for any Knightmare Frame, if not in the entire world!"

But of course, this Knightmare wasn't just about standing and taking hits. It could dish them out as well. The barrier moved aside, and a small hatch opened in its chest.

A liquid metal prism was launched out of the hatch, then immediately followed by a beam. The beam struck the prism, which refracted the beams in numerous directions, not unlike the Lifthra Divider. In one move, at least twenty percent of the enemy force was wiped out.

"And that was my structural phase transition cannon," Rakshata continued. "Although I suppose it is a bit of a misnomer now that I think about, since it operates nothing like the _Nadesico_'s..."

"How sad, Xingke," Zero chuckled. "You betray your countrymen, and yet you could not save a single little girl. Of course, I think you understand now that joining forces with us is your only option."

"Even so, I refuse to be your subordinate!" Xingke replied. He coughed a bit, and blood came out.

"Subordinate? You?" Zero laughed. "Of course not...you have the potential to lead your entire nation!"

Xingke didn't quite expect that answer.

"You see, my friend, they must be saved," the masked man continued. "You...your empress...and all of the downtrodden people of the Chinese Federation."

"And you think a single Knightmare can turn the tide of battle?" Xingke replied suspiciously, wondering why Zero was so confident.

"Not really. The tide of war is not determined by tactics, but by strategy...isn't that right, Miss Hoshino?"

Ruri smirked. "The guy's got a point." She typed in a few commands, which caused video feeds using Nergal satellites to appear on the screen, as well as on the other ships. They were showing the common people rioting in the streets, engaging in an insurrection against their tyrannical government.

"Ruri, what is this?" Yurika gasped.

"I'm receiving reports of riots going on in Shanghai, Shou Xian, Peking, Burma, Jakarta and even Islamabad," Minato exclaimed; "And there's still more popping up every minute! The whole Chinese Federation is starting to rise up at once!"

"Isn't it obvious?" Zero replied. "They just saw what the High Eunuchs really think of them. Now that they've gleefully taken on the role of villain, the people's support of the Eunuchs has fallen like a house of cards..."

* * *

"It looks like the communication between Zero and the High Eunuchs went public," Cecile said when Schneizel wanted word about what was going on. "I'll put on screen."

The audio of the conversation between the two parties began to play, and it didn't take long for Schneizel to make up his mind. Just as a huge wave of Knightmare Frames poured from out of the tombs, the prime minister gave his order.

"We're withdrawing now."

"What?!" said one of Schneizel's aides. "But all we need to do is bomb them and victory is ours!"

"No. Just as Zero said in the second attempt at the SAZ, a nation consists not of a system or territory, but of people...and now that the High Eunuchs have lost the trust of their people, they no longer have the right to join our empire as representatives of the Chinese Federation."

"And what of Shapiro Keats, my lord?" said Kanon, a effeminate looking man who served as Schneizel's most trusted confidante.

"He has no right to join our family. Even His Majesty has the decency to be ashamed of his crimes."

* * *

Shapiro had managed to land a few good hits in with its fists, but so did Final Dancougar. During the Black Rebellion, Shapiro's machine had been far stronger - but now they were evenly matched. Finally, Dancougar managed to catch both of Desire's fists, and they began to push and shove, hoping to drop the other.

This time, Final Dancougar had the edge, thanks to the additional power provided by the Black Wing, which didn't dishearten Shapiro much.

"Well, it seems your power of instinct has increased," the traitorous man said, "But I have the power of my god behind me! Muge Zolbados, I request your aid, and in return, I will give you delicious despair!"

But to his shock, no answer came.

"Emperor Muge Zolbados, answer me!" Shapiro cried.

This time an answer came, but it was not one Shapiro was ready to hear.

_Shapiro Keats...why do you request my aid in an endeavor that does not further my ends? You are fighting for the sake of some woman with whom we have no need for._

Dancougar squeezed harder, crushing Desire's right hand with its own.

"My lord...please! Think of all I've done for you!"

_Your contributions have given me and my other generals the power they need to conquer this world. As such I have no further use for you, human. _

"No! Don't abandon me!"

_As a parting gift, I give you Desire...assuming it will last much longer against Dancougar..._

With that, Muge's voice went silent.

_Pah, who needs him_, Shapiro reassured himself. _I still have Britannia on my side!_

But then, he saw the _Avalon _and the Knights of the Round withdrawing.

First his god, now his host...Shapiro was being abandoned by everyone. Had he been the doll being made to dance all this time, when he thought it was he who was doing the manipulating? The man, distraught beyond measure now, could only laugh.

As the remaining Chinese forces retreated in terror at the sight of the Super Robots, Final Dancougar readied its sword once more.

"So, tell me, Shapiro..." Masato said with a sneer; "Where is your god now?"

Dancougar raised its blade skyward, even as Shapiro continued laughing in despair, unable to make himself move. The sword emitted a pink beam that reached the heavens.

"Sara, let's finish him now," Ryo said; "His laughing is getting on my nerves."

"Right," Sara replied, her body trembling with both excitement and fear. This was it...she'd finally get her revenge for everything Shapiro put her through. And yet, the smallest part of her still yearned for him.

"Sara, do it!" Shinobu yelled.

"FINAL DAN KUU KOUGA KEN!" Sara cried, forcing her remaining affection for Shapiro into the dark corners of her mind. "YAAAATE YARUZE!"

Dancougar brought the sword down on Desire, slicing it and its pilot in twain with a single earth-shaking strike, and opening a gaping hole in the Eunuchs' mobile fortress. The Shen Hu took this chance and flew inside...

* * *

The battle was over. Shapiro Keats was but a memory, and the High Eunuchs were to be buried in unmarked graves, to only be reviled for their treacherous ways. Lelouch's sister Euphemia was safe as well.

But now a question remained in the minds of the leaders of DREAM: what to do regarding Tianzi's marriage.

It wasn't going to be an easy one, especially for the more idealistic members, as they watched Xingke and the young Empress clasp pinkies like they did six years ago.

"Are you sure this is alright?" Xingke asked.

"Well, you did manage to get me out of the Forbidden Vermillion City. Besides...this isn't the end, right?"

The Empress' guardian smiled, and gently pressed his thumb against hers - another reminder of the eternal promise he had made.

"Yes. I shall protect you from now on, until the end of time."

Sadly, Diethard wasn't so empathetic.

"Commander, we must make the world recognize that the Empress' marriage has been canceled," the Britannian journalist said. "My suggestion is for her to marry someone Japanese."

_A reasonable move_, Lelouch thought. _She could marry Tohdoh...or even Tamaki, for all I care_.

"No, you mustn't!" Kaguya protested.

"My dear, this is a question of high-level politics," Diethard replied.

"No! This is a simple question of love!" the young Japanese girl retorted. "Don't you dare put it in terms of politics!" The other members of the Black Knights present also seemed to be of the same mind. The two sides began arguing over politics and love, with the masked leader caught in the middle..

Suddenly, Lelouch felt his phone vibrate.

"I apologize everyone, but I have other matters to attend to," he said somewhat nervously; "I'll provide you with an answer within the hour."

He walked away and checked to see who had just called, since he couldn't answer it in time.

It was Shirley.

* * *

"Wow! You're going to the Sandwich Islands?!" Shirley exclaimed when she heard from Tahra where Clovis was taking her on their honeymoon. "I've always wanted to go there! You're so lucky!"

"Yes. It's..."

Suddenly, Shirley's phone vibrated.

"Oh, hang on, I've got another call. I think its Lulu."

"That's okay, we can talk when I get there," Tahra replied. "Talk to you later!"

Shirley switched to her other line as her friend hung up.

"Lulu?"

"Hi, Shirley, sorry I didn't answer in time," Lelouch replied, assuming his student persona. "I was...um...caught up in a debate amongst friends. You wanted to talk?"

"Yeah, it's about the event we're planning for Prez's graduation. We can't discuss it in class, or Rivalz is going to tell her everything!"

"Why not let her decide for herself?"

"I guess so..." Shirley replied with a sigh. Then suddenly, Lelouch remembered the problem at hand, and figured he'd see what the girl had to say about this.

"Shirley, listen...I need your advice on something. There's this couple that I'm trying to help split up, but I can't persuade other people that it's right."

"Does the couple want to split up?"

"No, politics is the cause...erm...I mean, it's a matter of diplomacy...family issues and all."

"Don't you dare!" Shirley yelled. Lelouch heard a low thump on the other end. He wondered where the girl was right now.

"May I ask why?"

"Geez, you watch all that _Gekiganger _with your brother and you STILL don't have a clue?!"

"I don't follow."

"Love is power! When you love someone, it has incredible power! You think about them day after day! It makes you want to write poetry, knit earmuffs for them, wake up early and even jump off of waterfalls while screaming their name! Even I..."

Suddenly, Shirley stopped herself.

"Um...you felt that away about someone, right? To do something out of the ordinary for someone?"

Lelouch didn't have to think too hard to get Shirley's point. After all, out of his love for Nunnally (and now, Euphemia), he was fighting to remake the whole world.

"I get it now! Passions have the power to change the world! You're absolutely right, Shirley!"

"Um...yeah..."

"Thank you so much, Shirley! I'm glad I asked you."

But before Shirley got a chance to reply, Lelouch hung up the phone, put his mask back on, just in time for the group to reconvene.

* * *

"So, have you reached a decision?" Murrue asked from over the communication system.

"Yes! I have!" Zero said dramatically, passion filling every fiber of his being before turning to the confused and somewhat frightened Tianzi. "Your Majesty, your future...is yours alone to determine!"

"Alright! I knew you'd understand!" Kaguya cheered.

"But Zero we must display our power relationship to the world!" Diethard protested.

"I learned something during my time at Jupiter," Zero replied; "It is that the human heart is the source of our power! It also goes for the people who rose up against the High Eunuchs; and it goes for us of the Black Knights as well...indeed, it is what DREAM itself embodies! We will fight using the power in our hearts!"

"Yes! That's right!' Ougi said in agreement.

Zero turned back to Li Xingke and extended his hand.

"Zero...it seems I'm truly starting to understand what sort of person you truly are," the Chinese warrior said, and grasped the masked man's hand, and they shook.

"The path that lies ahead will not be easy...but if we continue forward, the future is ours!"

* * *

"So, if Zero's true objective is here," V.V. said after swallowing an animal cracker, "Then it'll mean no end of trouble for us." He was sitting on the carved marble steps that led to a great ruin somewhere in the Gobi Desert.

Sitting near him was a man with neatly styled green-blue hair, a sharp white outfit similar to those worn by the Knights of the Round, and a strange orange-bronze device over his left eye. He sat in an elegant wooden chair, next to an equally elegant side table, upon which sat a bottle of orange champagne, kept cool by a bucket of ice. The man held a tall glass of the drink in his hand.

"And that is why you made preparations for me, is it?" the man replied. "I thank you. Now that my adjustments are complete, C.C. and Lelouch shall be no match for me...I, Jeremiah Gottwald, shall strive to exceed your expectations with all of my power..."

* * *

_Wow, this was something of a pain to write. I hope Shapiro's demise was suitably satisfying. Anyway, next time, it's back to Gundam SEED plot, with maybe some Grendizer thrown in!_

_Also, I've decided to do a side project: I'm going to call it: **Super Robot Wars U Picture Dramas**! Similar to other picture dramas, it will involve scenes of various characters that take place in between chapters or during chapters. However, here's the clincher: YOU, the readers, will be able to provide me with the seed ideas. I'll give more details when I officially start the project.  
_


	82. Chapter 57

_We're still a bit of a ways from the end, but I'd say we're almost 3/4 of the way through this behemoth. Time for more Gundam SEED, Code Geass and Evangelion plot, with a smidgen of Grendizer thrown in!_

* * *

**Chapter 57 – Zero and EVA Return Home! The Shining Land of Orb!**

A young woman with long brown hair awoke suddenly to the glare of the morning sun. She looked around, and quickly realized that she was in some sort of hospital. She strained to lift herself up, her muscles weak from a long period of inactivity. But thankfully, a nurse came along, as did Cagalli.

"Oh my, you're finally awake!" the nurse exclaimed. "We were worried you'd never come around."

"W-where am I?" the young woman groaned. "The last thing I remember was..."

"Take it easy," the nurse said, gently laying her patient back down. "You're in Orb Capital Medical Center. This young lady here, found your vessel stranded just off-shore about a month ago. You've drifted in and out of consciousness a few times since you've arrived."

The woman gazed out the window.

"This isn't planet Fleed, is it?"

"Planet Fleed?" the nurse exclaimed. "What on Earth are you..."

However, Cagalli recognized the name.

"Nurse, may I have a moment in private with this person?"

"Yes, of course."

Once the nurse left, Cagalli sat down on the chair near the woman's bed.

"You come from planet Fleed, huh? What's your name?"

"Maria. Maria Grace Fleed. I'm the..."

"Last survivor of your planet's royal family," Cagalli interrupted, "When your planet was wrecked by the Vega Empire?"

Maria blinked with confusion. How could this girl (who looked a little like a boy) know what she was going to say?

"Oh, I just heard from someone who think I think you might know," Cagalli said with a small smirk. "Does the name 'Duke Fleed' ring any bells?"

* * *

Gendo's eyebrow raised with surprise when he and the others saw the _Wunder _flying over NERV headquarters. The Evangelion children had long been away from NERV, but now they were finally back.

"Welcome back, Captain Katsuragi," the head of NERV said as the Evangelion pilots and their commander returned. "I see you have a new ship."

"Yep. With the _Wunder _here, we'll be able to hit the Angels fast and hard no matter where they show up!"

Asuka disembarked next, and still looked frazzled from the horrible experience Gildrome had put her through. Gendo immediately took notice of this.

"It's odd, there haven't been any reports of Angel activity since the Seventh Angel attacked."

"We actually ran into the Eighth Angel in the other world," Rei said. "But Shinji was able to defeat it."

"It was able to possess a machine and then turned against us."

_Bardiel...what's it doing as Number 8? And how did it cross into the other world? Is there something that 00 isn't telling us?_

"I see. Thank you. Send Units 01, 02 and 00 to maintenance. "

"Got room for Unit 08?" Mari chimed in as she walked out of the ship. "I hope you do."

_Unit 08?! _Gendo thought, stunned by this. _What's going on? The scrolls didn't predict a Unit 08 that wasn't part of the EVA Series..._

"I'll see what I can do."

* * *

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Lelouch cried out when he heard the news from Sayako, the maid and caretaker for him and Nunnally...apparently Shirley now thought that she and Lelouch were an item now, due to the maid (cleverly disguised as Lelouch) kissing the girl in an attempt to keep her attention away from his room.

He absolutely HATED the idea of abandoning the operation now. But if things kept up, his secret would soon be exposed, and Viletta would reveal everything. He had no choice but to return to Ashford with Rolo and get that spy on his side..

"Kallen, I'm going to be returning to Ashford with Rolo. I'm leaving you, C.C., Kaguya and Diethard in charge of the operations of the Black Knights. However, I trust that my fellow commanders will be able to hammer out the basic details of our new group."

"Seriously? But without you..." Kallen replied.

"Captain Misumaru's tactical ability is on par with mine. If you should have trouble in battle, I am sure she can get you out of it. I'll meet you in Orb in one week. And C.C.?"

"Yes, Lelouch?"

"I think it's time I revealed a little of my hand. If I'm going to keep the trust of the other members of DREAM, I can't keep hiding everything. especially if I want Euphemia to be fully accepted..."

Ohgi sighed as he stared at the picture of himself and a dark-skinned woman with silver hair having fun and eating pizza together at the Ashford school festival.

The woman in the picture was one he had a secret relationship with, not knowing who she truly was. Having developed amnesia for reasons he had not known, the woman came to live with him, and took up the moniker of Chigusa.

It didn't take too long for them to fall in love. But right around the Black Rebellion, she somehow regained her memories and rejected him. But even then he couldn't stop loving her - and when Zero explained that she was a spy working at Ashford Academy under the guise of being a teacher, he fell in love with her all over again.

Oh, what he would give to see that woman, Viletta Nu, just one more time...

His reminiscing was interrupted when Tara, of all people, approached him. She had just been talking with Kallen about a few things and was leaving. Startled, he stuffed the photo into his back pocket.

"Hey, whatcha got there, Kaname?" Tara asked curiously.

"Nothing...nothing at all," Ohgi replied nervously, sweating a little.

"C'mon, let me see! I promise I won't tell anyone!"

Ohgi sighed and showed her the picture of him and Viletta. To his relief, Tara didn't recognize her for who she REALLY was.

"Oh, I knew I saw you two at the school festival last year!" Tara chirped. "Are you two still..."

The man shook his head. "Things...got complicated. It was mostly because she was Britannian and I was Japanese...but I still think of her a lot."

Tara smiled. "Love finds a way. It did for me and Janus."

Ohgi sighed and smiled. He would have to remember that...

* * *

Euphemia, Kaguya, Empress Tianzi, Alan Igor, Lacus Clyne, C.C., Akatsuki Nagare, Ohgi and Diethard sat around a conference table aboard the _Ikaruga_. Murrue, Milia Jenius, Yurika and Taiga Koutaro were all viewing the conference via video feeds. A whiteboard sat on the far end, where Kaguya was.

"Good, we're all here!" Kaguya said eagerly. "First, in case you're wondering where Zero is, he went off elsewhere to attend to some important business; but he'll be joining us at Orb in a week."

"All right," Alan Igor said with a nod. He had a pretty good idea of where Lelouch was really going, but for the sake of their arrangement, he was going to keep quiet about it.

"So, let's get down to business. Today, I'm going to run an idea Zero and I worked out with you all, and get your input."

"Please...g-go ahead," Lacus said, still uneasy about being part of all this.

"As we all know, the Earth Sphere is dominated by two great factions - the Earth Alliance, and the joint forces of Britannia and ZAFT. Unfortunately, it's become terrifyingly clear that the heads of these respective groups are willing to tear the Earth Sphere apart in the name of achieving their goals."

Even Euphemia had to admit that her father wasn't exactly all there.

"So, I was thinking that the nations and organizations who don't want that to happen - like us - need to pool our resources and come together as a single group...a United Federation of Nations, if you will."

Kaguya took a marker and began to write something on the board - the letters "UFN" on the board.

"As it currently stands, Zero and I have determined we'd like to have Orb join up as one of its core members."

"Is that why we're headed there?" Yurika asked.

"Indeed," Diethard answered. "Having Orb on our side will give us almost exclusive access to Morgenroete. With them and Nergal working with us, we'll certainly have the proper military might to oppose these forces."

"What about me?" Euphemia said. "I'm from Britannia, and the Viceroy of Area 11. What do I have to do with all this?"

"Perhaps I am best to answer this," C.C. said. "Zero feels that it is time he revealed a little more about himself."

_Looks like Lelouch realized that he can't keep up his deception forever_, Alan thought. _Smart kid_.

"The man you know as Zero initially had an alternate agenda in his efforts to liberate Area 11, the key word being _initially _here. He, for reasons he may or he may not divulge in time, has a personal grudge against Britannia and sought nothing less than its destruction."

A murmur filled the room. Only Alan and Euphemia remained silent.

"However, he has decided that Britannia itself is not to blame for his misery, but its current ruler, Charles zi Britannia. As such, he desires that Britannia eventually join the UFN. Of course, it would only be possible if Euphemia were its Empress."

"But I gave up my claim to the throne," Euphemia replied.

"You are still the third Princess of Britannia," C.C. said. "And considering how fair and even-handed you have been in your time as Viceroy, we could think of no one better..."

* * *

"Welcome back, Shinji-kun," Kaworu said with his usual smile as the elevator door opened on one of the upper floors of NERV headquarters. "I see you are well."

"Hey, Kaworu...listen, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"When I was away and you were taking care of Nunnally...did something happen to her?"

Kaworu knew where this was going, and he already felt bad enough knowing that it was his fault.

"After I came back from the other world, Nunnally was like a completely different person. While she could walk and see...she's not the kind person she used to be! She calls herself 'Nemo' or something, and she says that Nunnally doesn't want to talk anymore...that she's a burden!"

As he said this, he became visibly distressed, and Kaworu's Angel heart filled with regret.

"I-I'm sorry, Shinji. It's my fault."

"What?!"

"I was the one who brought her before the Mark Nemo, and encouraged her negative emotions to come out."

"You WHAT?!"

"I thought I was giving her what she wanted...Nunnally-chan wanted the strength to protect those she cared about...she was tired of being helpless and weak. I believed that Mark Nemo would be able to do that...but I had no idea she'd..."

"Liar!" Shinji cried; "You betrayed me...you betrayed Lelouch...and you betrayed Nunnally! We trusted you, and you went and betrayed us!"

"Shinji-kun..."

Then the elevator door opened, and Rei was standing there, all dressed in her school uniform. The pilot of Unit 01 stormed out in a fury, and Rei, only glancing sideways as Shinji walked by, got on. The pilot, realizing he wanted to ask Rei something, turned around as the doors began to close.

He managed to catch a glimpse of Rei slapping Kaworu across the face.

* * *

The timing was almost too perfect. On the very same day the other Evangelion children returned, the Ninth Angel decided to show up - and once again, it appeared miles away from the GeoFront. The Angel appeared near Mt. Fuji, where the sakuradite and Japanium ore mining was going on. Shinji and Rei were sent out to face it.

The Ninth Angel, codenamed Armisael, was like unlike any other. It was a simple white ring-shaped thing, a shining strand of DNA that was chasing its own tail. Its color slowly shifted from light blue to light orange and back.

"Shinji, Rei, hold your position," Misato said over the communicator. "We're going to monitor it for a while."

But Rei noticed it was starting to act up and readied her gun. The Angel suddenly disconnected from itself, becoming more like a serpent or a worm and charging straight in.

The Angel pierced Rei's AT Field with the greatest of ease, and started to burrow into Unit 00's body, which began to pulse and throb with thick veins, which also began to form on Rei as well. She tried her hardest to pull it out, but all that achieved was giving the Angel another place to enter, as it started penetrating her hands.

"Get away from her!" Shinji cried, rushing in with sword drawn. He slashed at Armisael, cutting it all the way through...although it quickly reattached its two pieces, and turned on Unit 01...

_"Where...am I? Am I...still inside EVA? No...there's...someone else here besides me."_

_Do you wish to become one with me?_

_"No...I'm me...not you."_

_Soon you will be. But for now, I give you this... _

_Oh...it seems you already have it. Pain...loneliness..sadness. You desire a world where you won't be lonely. You desire a world where he won't be lonely. A world where no one will be lonely._

_"A world...where no one will be lonely..."_

_Yes. It would be a nice world. But I don't think you want it. Shinji and I...can create it together..._

* * *

Lelouch was back at Ashford at last. Thanks to the apparent Angel attack near Mt. Fuji, much of the Britannian military stationed in Area 11 was headed over there, allowing him and Rolo to sneak back inside much more easily, in spite of the lockdown that the attack caused.

Thankfully, he didn't need to actively look for Sayako, his maid. After all, she was in charge of attending to the room he and Nunnally shared - and it was there that Lelouch found her.

"Oh, master Lelouch," Sayako said when she heard the door open. "You've returned..."

Sayako, however, was surprised to see Rolo with him. Instinctively, she pulled out what appeared to be a pair of kunai, knives utilized by ninjas from her dress.

"Wait, hold on!" Lelouch exclaimed. "Sayako, Rolo is on our side now. I'll explain later, but for now, you'll have to trust me."

"Very well," Sayako replied, putting the knives away. "So, I assume you're here because of my...mistakes."

"Mistakes? She made more than one, big brother?" Rolo exclaimed.

"Yes...108, to be exact," the maid replied humbly. "Considering that I failed to realize that Lelouch was not the 'playboy' type, I had set him up for 108 dates for today..."

Lelouch wasn't sure whether to burst out laughing or start crying inexorably.

"However, due to the lockdown as a result of the Angel attack near Osaka, all of them obviously had to cancel. I believe you owe the Angels a debt of gratitude for this."

Lelouch sighed with relief and regained his composure. He couldn't imagine trying to change the world while having 108 teenage girls after him.

"Well, I'll be here for the week," Lelouch said, "Or for the duration of the lockdown, whichever ends last. Right now, my priority is putting a leash on Viletta. If I can secure the place where the OSI was monitoring me, it shall be a great help for the future."

* * *

Rei snapped out of her trance, her heart racing. During that final moment of her vision, the image of herself became that of someone else. She looked around and saw him struggling against Armisael. Unit 01 was also covered with the same pulsating veins.

"N-no...I won't...let you!"

Concentrating as hard as she could, she reversed her AT Field's polarity, and started to pull Armisael out of Unit 01, and into Unit 00's own core. The core started to swell and mutate, as if ready to explode.

But before that could happen, Rei then switched her AT Field's polarity back, and managed to yank the Angel out of Unit 00 and held both ends in one hand. She then drew her progressive knife and jammed it through both ends.

The Angel seemed to deflate like a balloon losing its air, then dissolved into the same liquid.

"Rei...that was incredible..." Shinji gasped. "You just..."

Thinking back on her vision, Unit 00's pilot realized just who her mirror image had transformed into in its final moments:

Nunnally Lamperouge.

* * *

Cagalli, dressed in an Orb officer's outfit, hurried along a catwalk with anxious excitement as the _Ikaruga, Nadesico _and _Archangel_ finished docking in one of the Orb capital's numerous hangars. There was one person she was hoping to see above all others.

As the girl dodged and weaved around the crew of the _Archangel_, her heart raced, hoping to see him.

She spotted Kira walking down one of the halls. She couldn't believe it at first, yet her heart knew, without a doubt, that it was Kira. Cagalli called out to him as she ran toward him, emotions of all sorts running through her.

Kira was still caught completely by surprise, and found himself pressed against the wall, with Cagalli up against him, tears running down her face, and her fist lightly pounding his chest.

"You...idiot...you jerk..." she sobbed. "I thought you were..."

Kira sighed. "I'm sorry, Cagalli. But, yeah...I'm back."

The Freedom Gundam's pilot put his arms around Cagalli, who did likewise. They didn't notice that Nicol had appeared behind them.

"Um...Kira?" Nicol said, startling the two.

"Oh...um...hey, Nicol," Kira greeted him awkwardly as he and Cagalli stopped hugging; "Just...saying hello to a friend."

At that moment, Daisuke and Hikaru Makiba passed by, and then Cagalli remembered the other reason she was here.

"Hey, Daisuke!" she called out to him.

"Oh, Cagalli. It's been quite some time," Grendizer's pilot said pleasantly. "I'm glad to see you're safe."

"Listen, once you disembark, there's someone I'd like you to meet. You can come too, Ms. Makiba."

* * *

"Rolo...what's going on?!" Viletta exclaimed as Rolo when she saw him enter the room in Ashford where the OSI had set up shop, gun pointed at her. "Why are you..."

"Coach Viletta...no...Viletta Nu of the Britannian Office of Special Intelligence. I'm afraid that my 'little brother' is on my side now. Rolo, you did splendidly."

"Thank you, big brother!" Rolo replied, the praise from Lelouch warming his soul like the most beautiful music.

"However...it seems that you have a connection to the Black Knights," Lelouch continued smugly, walking to the other side of the table.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" the spy retorted.

Lelouch squinted a little. "Does the name Kaname Ohgi ring any bells?"

Viletta froze up, and Lelouch knew he had the spy right where he wanted her.

"If word of your relationship with him got out," he continued, "you'd lose your position, and I'm sure you worked very hard for it."

"...What do you want from me?" Viletta asked with a scowl.

"Your cooperation and your silence," Lelouch replied plainly. "This nice little setup you have here would be good as well..."

* * *

_Urgh...not terribly proud of this one either. Feel free to critique this one to hell and back if you're so inclined. _


	83. Chapter 58

_We're not quite ready for the siege of Orb. Now it's time for one more bit of Code Geass plot, where common sense and good timing drastically change the course of the plot..._

* * *

**Chapter 58 - Earth Alliance's Scheme! The Assassin from the Past!**

"Thank you for accepting our rather selfish request," Murrue said as she bowed respectfully to Uzumi Nara Athha, the Chief Representative of Orb. Uzumi was a man approaching old age, with a trimmed goatee and long, dull brown hair with flecks of gray.

"Given the situation, I will have to put the crew members and pilots of your group under tight watch for the time being. Please understand."

"No problem," Mu replied. "We've got nothing to hide...I hope, anyway."

"However, this should be a good opportunity for you all to get some rest. Once you are rested, I'll be more than happy to discuss your group's idea."

"Thank you very much, Representative," Murrue replied.

"It's a pity Zero couldn't be with us," the politician replied. "I was hoping to meet him myself."

* * *

There was no end of shock to the employees of Morgenroete when Lowe Gear, the current owner of the missing Astray Red Frame, came waltzing into their headquarters and asked for some resources for working on both the Astray Red and Astray Blue.

Of course, his status as a Junk Guild member gave him immunity from any sort of prosecution for stealing the two prototype mobile suits, especially considering that the company had abandoned them when Heliopolis blew up; it also helped that he had access to the Junk Guild's rather deep pockets.

With a constant twinkle of excitement in his eye, Lowe immediately took charge of the process of upgrading the Blue Frame, directing various flustered workers (whose paychecks were coming out of the fee he had paid).

But a few hours into the process, several familiar faces showed up: Guy, Leo, and Liger Shishioh. Also entering was a large plane-like vehicle with teal accents.

"Well, well, fancy running into you here!" Leo said happily. "Who would have thought we'd see each other again so soon!"

"I see you're working on something as well, Lowe Gear," Guy said. "That looks like Gai Murakumo's Astray Blue Frame."

"Yep. This baby's gonna be able to fight even better than before!" Lowe said proudly. "Too bad I couldn't get it done in time for the Z-Master...what about you guys? Where's your lion buddy, Guy?"

"Galeon is taking a nice long rest after his many hard battles," the cyborg replied. "That's why my father and uncle created PhantomGao here."

"We utilized the data we had on Galeon as a base for PhantomGao, so things went much faster than expected!" Leo said with a grin, twirling his mustache. "All we're doing here is putting on a few parts we didn't have, and then we can begin testing!

"Yes! Hopefully we can have Final Fusion up and running by the end of the month! The sooner Project GaoFighGar is completed, the better!"

"I still think we shouldn't have outsourced the manufacturing of GaoFar's remaining parts," said the voice of a serious-sounding young girl. Lowe looked over and saw a girl, probably no older than five or six years old, in a frilly white and blue outfit, with a blue ribbon tied in bows on either side of her head.

"Hey, who let this little kid in here?" Lowe said. "This place is dangerous for tykes like..."

"If I wasn't involved in this project, I wouldn't be here," the girl replied. "Idiot."

"Oh...I apologize for her behavior," Guy said with a chuckle as he picked up the girl and had her sit on his shoulder. "This is Alouette. She created the Program Drive for GaoFighGar's Final Fusion sequence."

_Man, it's like she's an even brattier version of that Ruri Hoshino girl..._

* * *

Muruta Azrael drummed his fingers impatiently as he presided over a meeting of Atlantic Federation officials, who were discussing the Alliance's current political and military situation.

"We've constantly been requesting Orb to help, but Uzumi Nara Athha continually turns us away!" one official said, slamming his fist on the table.

"Yes, that's true," Azrael said. "They should be obliged to help. After all, our people are risking their lives to protect the Earth from mankind's greatest enemy."

"Azrael, we wish you wouldn't put it in quite those terms," another politician said grimly; "We are not Blue Cosmos."

"Fine...but why should we continue to recognize a nation that continues to hide behind its own rhetoric?" Azrael continued. "With both Britannia and ZAFT breathing down our necks, there's no more room for neutrality. Even if they are an independent nation, they are still a nation on Earth, and should be cooperating with the Alliance military, who is its protector...am I wrong?"

A murmur filled the room.

"And furthermore, I've received word from our agents that they've allowed those terrorists known as DREAM into their borders, with open arms no less."

Azrael knew he had the group's attention.

"Gentlemen, I'll lead the negotiations with Orb. After all, they have a mass driver, which we direly need. If we can secure the one on Giga Float, so much the better...and taking Victoria from ZAFT means we will have three!"

"And what will do you if Orb continues to deny our requests?"

"We'll have an opportunity to test THEM. It should be very exciting..."

* * *

Tahra couldn't believe it. Of all the times the Emperor has to call her back to Area 11, it was during her honeymoon, and having only spent two out of the seven planned days in the beautiful Sandwich Islands. But with the situation there getting more unstable by the day, it was little surprise that she would be called back at some point.

But now she was back, and was waiting to meet someone in the pouring rain. Soon enough, she spotted him: Jeremiah Gottwald, who had an umbrella in one hand, and a bottle of some sort of alcoholic drink in the other.

However, Jeremiah, in addition to tracking down C.C. and Lelouch, had one extra mission...to make sure that his Geass Canceler wouldn't work on someone who possessed a "perfect" Geass...one like Charles zi Britannia's.

As he approached the Knight of Eleven, Jeremiah opened up the opaque artificial eyelid covering his Geass-negating eye.

No reaction on her part. For all Jeremiah knew, Charles' perfect Geass was able to maintain its hold on the Knight of Eleven, and he could use the Canceler in her presence without fear of awakening her memories, as V.V. had hoped. Only one who bore a Code could overcome that level of Geass.

"Tahra Zifell, Knight of Eleven."

"Jeremiah Gottwald, aka Orange Boy."

Jeremiah took the name in stride, and cordially opened the door of the restaurant they were near. It was one of the Tokyo Settlement's more high-end places, meant for aristocrats and other wealthy members of the Britannian populace.

The two followed the waiter to a table and sat down before picking up the menus. After a few minutes of perusing it silently, both made their choices and laid the menus down.

"So, I hear His Majesty dragged you back here from a honeymoon, to Prince Clovis no less," he said, pouring himself a glass of the orange champagne he had come to enjoy. "Care for a drink?"

"I'm fine, thanks," Tahra replied. "But yeah, he did. So, I was told you'd fill me in on the situation here."

Jeremiah looked around, making sure no one suspicious was listening before leaning forward and speaking quietly to the Knight.

"My superiors have determined that Lelouch Lamperouge has indeed regained his memories and is once again in the role of Zero," Jeremiah said; "I've come here to capture him and C.C., his accomplice, so that the threat they pose can be snuffed out once and for all. However, I believe we will need to coordinate both of our skills to apprehend them."

He extracted a piece of paper from his coat pocket and handed it to her. It contained a list of carefully typed instructions. Tahra looked them over, nodded, and pocketed them.

"This looks doable," she said with a smile. "Trapping him in the Ikebokuro station...it's so simple, he'd never anticipate it."

Jeremiah nodded, still starring at Tahra wistfully. "I'm sorry but you have the same spark and skill as Lady Marianne did, just like everyone says she did. No wonder His Majesty wanted you to be a Knight of the Round and Clovis' wife."

"Yeah, I get that from everybody," Tahra said with a sigh. She looked out the window, and spotted Shirley walking down the sidewalk. Just then, Jeremiah's opaque eyelid which covered his Geass Canceler flipped open. As Shirley passed by, the Canceler, automatically programmed to sense the presence of those affected by Geass and negate its effect, went to work.

The twin Geasses set by Lelouch was instantly wiped away...as was the one set by Charles. It turned out that the Geass Canceler could even dispel a "perfect" Geass.

The girl froze mid-step as her memories poured back into her. Like Lelouch before her, she remembered everything. But instead of filling her with confidence, the events she suddenly remembered filled her with terror.

Shirley glanced over at the window and saw Tahra waving to her. But to the Knight's surprise, Shirley suddenly started running away, as if she had seen a ghost.

"That's funny...I could have sworn this thing was adjusted properly."

"What is that thing on your eye, anyway?"

"That is classified information."

"As a Knight of the Round, I order you to tell me."

Jeremiah again looked around to make sure no one was listening, leaned forward and whispered.

"It is a Geass Canceler. It dispels almost any Geass, and prevents me from being affected by such powers for longer than a few moments."

A Geass Canceler...it would be a perfect tool to use against Zero and Lelouch. Just then, the waiter returned.

"Are you ready to order, sir and madame?"

* * *

Ikebokuro, the commercial center of the Tokyo Settlement, filled to the brim with shops, restaurants, and enormous department stores, one of which was connected to the train station. It was here, atop the roof of this particular store, that Shirley tried to make sense of everything with Lelouch and Suzaku.

The Britannian redhead rattled off summaries of different events that she remembered both Lelouch and Suzaku being present at, but the latter, due to Charles' Geass, just couldn't seem to remember. Yet the Japanese student continually insisted with the deepest sincerity that he and Lelouch were still friends.

Even so, it was becoming clearer and clear to Shirley that Lelouch was alone. Even if he had his pseudo-sibling Rolo, he was still living a double life, lying out of both sides of his mouth because he had no choice. How could she hate him, even if he did kill her father? Surely, it must weigh heavily on his soul.

Suddenly, Lelouch's phone rang. It was Rolo.

"Big brother! Jeremiah Gottwald...he's alive."

Lelouch felt like he should have been surprised, yet with Clovis appearing out of nowhere, he should have expected as much from Orange Boy.

"He's an Order assassin, and my Geass didn't work on him!"

"Assassin? What do you mean by that?" Lelouch said, trying to make sure Suzaku didn't hear him. But the Knight of Seven could still tell that Lelouch wasn't taking a call from a friend - he knew his body language very well.

"I'm not sure, but don't do anything rash! Sayako and I are on our way!"

With that, Lelouch hung up.

"Something up?" Suzaku asked. "That didn't sound like a call from a friend."

But suddenly, Shirley lightly slapped him on the back of the head.

"Suzaku, can't it wait?" the girl said, pushing Suzaku along. "I'd like to talk with you alone for a bit. Let's head back to campus." The Knight of Seven sighed and started walking on his own.

_This place is going to become a battlefield soon...Even if he is my enemy, _Lelouch thought;_ I can't think of a better person to trust Shirley's safety to than Suzaku._

Thankfully, Lelouch had other ways to stall for time.

* * *

"Suzaku, I need to tell you something," Shirley said as she and Suzaku started off in another direction.

"Yeah, what is it that you wanted to tell me?"

"I...love Lulu."

Suzaku was obviously surprised at this - after all, Zero had killed her father...how could she love anyone like that?

"Do you...hate him?" Shirley then asked. "Surely you couldn't have forgotten all those fun times you had together!"

"I did like him...once, a long time ago," Suzaku replied. "I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you before."

"Did you have a fight?" the red-headed Britannian asked. "You were so close last year, but now..."

Suzaku bowed his head. "He did something I can't forgive him for."

"Nothing is completely unforgivable!" Shirley replied sincerely; "It just means you're having trouble forgiving him. As for me...I forgave him a while ago."

Suddenly, it dawned on Suzaku what she meant. _Is that why she..._

But before he could finish his thought, a muffled explosion filled the air, and a crowd of people came screaming out of the station as what seemed to be a massive, billowing cloud of smoke poured out of the area. Police and firefighters soon rushed to the scene. Seeing this, Suzaku and Shirley rushed over.

"Knight of Seven, Suzaku Kururugi," the young man said, showing a badge that was testament of his status to two nearby policemen, both Britannians. In spite of his status as an Eleven, the two policemen still stood to attention, as they would in response to a superior.

"My lord!"

"This could be a terrorist act," Suzaku continued as he slipped on his communication headset, usually worn in his Knightmare Frame. "From hereon, I'll take charge of coordinating policing and firefighting efforts in this situation."

"Yes, my lord!" the two policemen replied.

"Oh, and I'd like you to protect that girl over there," he said, turning toward Shirley to point her out. "She's my friend."

* * *

"Damn it, I can't see a thing in this fog," Tahra said over her radio to Jeremiah, who was scanning one of the middle floors of the station. "At least he didn't start an actual fire."

"So no luck on your end?" Jeremiah said. He looked around, his cybernetic eye scanning his surroundings for his target. Soon enough, he spotted Lelouch hurrying up the now-stopped escalators.

"I see him," the cyborg then said with a small grin as he started to follow him. "I'll chase him up to the middle platform as we planned."

"How long can you keep Lelouch there?" Tahra replied, coughing a bit. "I don't know if I can get there to help you trap him soon enough."

"Don't worry, Knight of Eleven..." Jeremiah Gottwald replied confidently as he hastened his steps. "He won't escape me."

* * *

Tahra wandered through the slowly dispersing fog, fuming with frustration.

She couldn't see Shirley, gun in hand, walking on the floor three floors directly above her. The Britannian girl had fled from her protectors in search of Lelouch, and had picked the gun off the floor, where it rested after being dropped by a murdered security guard.

Then Tahra heard her classmate call out someone's name, her voice echoing through the halls.

"Rolo!"

Tahra's heart nearly stopped.

_Oh no...if he's here and Shirley's here, then..._

The Knight of Eleven rushed about, looking for a way to get to Shirley before something terrible happened...

* * *

"Mariaaaa, I brought that person you wanted to meet!" Cagalli said with an excited smile on her face as she entered Maria Grace Fleed's room in the hospital.

Daisuke stepped into the room, elated beyond belief. Maria too, gasped and began to weep joyfully.

"Duke..."

"Maria!" Daisuke cried out. The Fleedian prince ran over and embraced his sibling. Now twice he had regained someone he was so sure he had lost.

"Maria, how did you manage to survive?! I was so sure that you had..."

"One of our servants helped me escape Fleed before its destruction," Maria began to explain as she wiped her tears; "and tried to find another planet with an environment similar to our home."

"It's lucky then that you found Earth."

"Actually, we didn't know where to start. As we wandered, our ship got caught in some sort of weird vortex. It somehow transported us to this planet where we crashed. The next thing I knew, I woke up here."

"Our soldiers found her vessel near the shore," Cagalli continued. "The old man with her was dead, but you somehow survived...even if it did take a few weeks to patch you up."

"Call it luck, I guess," Maria replied. "Or maybe I just wanted to see you again so much, Duke, that it was the only thing keeping me alive."

"So, what will you do now, Maria?" Cagalli asked. "It looks like the doctors think you're well enough to go out again."

"Well, since you have control of Grendizer, I'm going to fight alongside you! Let me use one of the Spazers!"

"But, Maria, I couldn't..."

"Hey, no buts, mister!" Maria replied angrily. "There's no way I'm letting you bear all the burden of fighting Vega!"

As Daisuke and Maria went back and forth, Cagalli sighed.

_It must be nice having a sibling. Now I wish I had one..._

* * *

Jeremiah reached the train platform, where he at last had him cornered - the boy who was giving V.V. and Charles so much trouble.

"A mechanical body...a Geass Canceler...your tenacity is top-class, Orange Boy," Lelouch said, panting a lot from the long chase.

"Tenacity, perhaps," Jeremiah chuckled. "But more than that, it is loyalty!"

"Loyalty..." Lelouch growled. "What makes that emperor so worthy of loyalty at all?"

Lelouch pressed a button on the small trigger device in his hand. But this time, it didn't set off any bombs or set off more smoke. It opened hatches on top of each of the adjacent train cars, and extended numerous unusual devices, which began emitting an all-too-familiar energy wave.

Jeremiah suddenly ceased moving, the mechanical components of his body creaking to a stop.

"Hmph, just as I thought. Your body uses sakuradite as an energy source."

"A...Gefjun...Disturber..."

"So, you did your homework, Orange. Then you must know that when this sakuradite disruption system is complete...it will paralyze every important city function in the train's route...in short, the Tokyo Settlement will grind to a halt - just like you have."

Jeremiah twitched a bit.

"Thank you, my friend, for serving as my guinea pig. But now, I must ask something else of you..."

_No...for His Majesty's sake...for her sake...I must..._

"Where is the location of the Geass Order?! Where is V.V.?!"

"No...it...is YOU...who will talk!" Jeremiah grunted. Out of sheer force of will, the cyborg suddenly began to move again, even though the Gefjun Disturbers should have kept him paralyzed. Even though he was moving slowly, the sheer determination in his eyes sent chills of awe and fear down Lelouch's spine.

But Jeremiah's forced approach was still taking a toll on his organic parts. With every step he took, blood began to flow out of his Geass Canceler like tears, as well as down his arm.

"After all..." the cyborg grunted, using every ounce of strength just to move. "I have...my reasons...to maintain...my loyalty..."

_That's impossible! He shouldn't be able to move! Is this...is this more of the power of the human heart?_

"I must know the truth...Lelouch...why did you...take up the role...of Zero? Why turn against your homeland and your own father?!"

Lelouch figured that if he was going to go down, the least he could do is give the man the information he came for.

"Because I am Lelouch vi Britannia."

Jeremiah stopped moving when he recognized the name.

"My father, the Emperor of Britannia, let my mother be killed...and in doing so, robbed my little sister Nunnally of her sight and her legs! That man took our futures from us!"

Jeremiah couldn't believe his ears. This was him...Lady Marianne's young son.

"I...understand your pain...because I...was there..."

"With my mother?" Lelouch gasped. This was news to him.

"Yes...it was my first assignment as a royal guard," Jeremiah gasped as he struggled just to stay upright; "To guard Lady Marianne, whom I loved and respected with all my heart...but I failed!"

Jeremiah's legs couldn't hold him up any longer and he dropped onto his hands and knees. Yet still he moved forward, even though he had to crawl.

"I couldn't protect her! I failed to show the full extent of my loyalty to her!"

Suddenly, Jeremiah finally put two and two together.

"Master Lelouch...you became Zero for Lady Marianne's sake...didn't you?"

Lelouch wasn't sure what to make of this.

"You...didn't come here...to kill me?"

"My loyalty is not to V.V..." Jeremiah said weakly, "But to Lady Marianne..." Tears of joy streamed out of Jeremiah's right eye as his body was about ready to completely give out.

Lelouch couldn't possibly let this man, who held such love and respect for his mother die. He pressed the button again, retracting the Gefjun Disturbers. Instantly, the sakuradite engine in Jeremiah's body started up again, revitalizing the man.

He looked up at Marianne's son, awestruck as his Geass Canceler eye opened again. Lelouch realized that he just may have a chance to set everything right...to get Suzaku back on his side. He bent down and placed his hands on the cyborg's shoulders.

"Jeremiah Gottwald, your loyalty is still needed."

Jeremiah smiled, his heart filled with joy.

"Yes...Your Majesty!"

* * *

"I love Lulu. What about you?" Shirley said sincerely, her voice echoing through the building, even as she gripped the gun she had found, her finger perched on the trigger. She had run into Rolo as she was going up the building, while he was coming down.

"I love him too," Rolo replied. "He's my only brother."

"Then you're on his side, aren't you?" Shirley said excitedly as she removed her finger from the trigger. "Please, let me join you! I...I want to protect him too! I want him to be happy again, and so he can be with his sister Nunnally, and Miss Euphemia as well!"

Rolo leered a bit, too focused on Shirley to hear someone running up the stopped escalators. His facade of being an innocent, shy student fell away for a moment, revealing that of the cold-hearted killer.

_No...I'm the one who's going to do it. No one else_.

But as he raised his own gun and prepared to pull the trigger, he heard Tahra call out to Shirley and turned around.

_The Knight of Eleven...she's here too?!_

"Rolo!"

Tahra launched herself at Lelouch's "little brother", twin knives drawn. Rolo fired a few times, but the Knight was able to avoid the bullets, though just barely. She came down on Rolo, who dodged as well. He didn't want to risk using his Geass again so soon, lest she be immune to it as well.

"Shirley, what are you doing here? Run!"

Shirley nodded and rushed down the stairs, leaving the Knight and the assassin to duke it out.

As she descended down a floor, she saw Lelouch come up the escalator nearby. He stopped, shocked at seeing her again.

"Shirley, what are you doing here?" Lelouch exclaimed, fearful for the girl's safety. "You need to get out!"

But to his surprise, she started tearing up, and then tackled him, holding him tightly.

"Oh, Lulu...I'm so glad I found you! There's...so much...I need to talk about."

"Shirley, let's get out of here..."

"Ever since my memories returned...I've been so scared...everywhere I looked, I saw things that weren't right. A fake teacher, classmates without memories...I felt like the whole world was lying to me; like it was watching my every move."

She opened her eyes and gazed into Lelouch's.

"But now I understand. That's the kind of world you've been fighting against, all alone, hasn't it?"

Lelouch felt like this would be the sort of speech one would make as one lay dying, and yet she was very much alive.

"Yes...all alone. That's why...why I want to be the one person you could be honest with. That's because...I...I..."

"Shirley?"

"I love you, Lulu. Even if you did get my father caught up in all this, I can't hate you. Even when you erased and tampered with my memories, I just...fell in love with you again, I guess."

Lelouch saw Rolo coming down the stairs, bleeding from several knife wounds. Tahra soon followed, her outfit torn up somewhat. However, she stared in dismay at Shirley embracing Lelouch.

"Shirley...why are you..."

She stared angrily at Lelouch and bared her knives. To her further shock, Shirley got off of Lelouch and pointed her gun at the Knight.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on Lulu!" she cried. "You may be my friend, Tahra, but I'll shoot you if I have to! I swear, I'll shoot you to protect him!"

Tahra, however, couldn't bring herself to attack Shirley. She had already saved her from the now-wounded Rolo, and it was obvious to her that Lelouch was controlling her with Geass.

And to make things worse still, Jeremiah came back up the stairs, following Lelouch closely.

"Your Majesty, we must..."

"Don't tell me..." Tahra said with a small chuckle. "You're on his side now too, Jeremiah Gottwald?"

"I am only on his side because he wishes to avenge Lady Marianne, his mother, who was taken from him by the machinations of scheming men!"

Tahra, after a moment's pause, put her weapons away.

"I see. If you're not on HIS side, then you can't be all bad. Maybe you're all just victims of his work, like I am."

She turned away and started down the escalator.

"Wait, Tahra!" Shirley called out. "Where are you going?!"

"Where else? I'm going to destroy the Geass Order...I'll destroy it, their sins and the very existence of Geass itself! It's a power no one should have! I'll avenge my family, Lady Marianne, and everyone who has ever suffered under it!"

Rolo trembled a bit.

"Oh, by the way, Lelouch..." the Knight of Eleven said without turning back toward him; "Just because you and I have a common enemy doesn't mean I'm going to play nice with you. You're still His Majesty's enemy, and as a Knight of the Round, that makes you my enemy. Stay out of my way or else."

Without another word, she continued downward.

* * *

"What?!" Yurika exclaimed after hearing the Earth Alliance's demands in a conference room inside the Orb Union base. She was joined by Lord Uzumi, Simon, Ruri, Ohgi, Diethard, Murrue and numerous Orb politicians. "They'll invade Orb unless you disarm all of your forces, disband your government and surrender DREAM to their military authorities...ALL within 72 hours?!"

"It's just like with the Jovians," Murrue said grimly. "They intend to simply subjugate your nation whether through force or by threat of it."

"What a joke...they're not even bothering to keep up appearances after losing Panama," Uzumi sighed. "That damned Atlantic Federation...they're no different than ZAFT and the Britannian Empire."

"I take it you're not going to budge?" Diethard asked.

"Indeed...our stance remains the same - Orb will not help the Alliance, nor will we hand your group over to them."

"Yep...once again we wholeheartedly throw ourselves into a battle against a military superpower," Ruri said, rolling her eyes. "To be honest, the fact we've survived this long is nothing short of a miracle...or rather, a long string of miracles."

"Ruri's right," Ohgi said. "We don't know how much longer our luck will hold out."

"C'mon guys, have a little more faith in yourselves!" Simon said. "As long as we give it our all and believe in ourselves, we'll come out on top for sure!"

"Your optimism is admirable, Simon," Uzumi said with a small smile. "But I do not think victory is possible, even with your help. I have long ago planned for this situation, and it's time to put tha plan into action."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Murrue asked. "It's the least we can do to repay you for your hospitality?"

"Yes, there is," Cagalli's father replied. "I suggest you take notes, though."

* * *

Lelouch was positively beside himself with joy and excitement. Knowing that Shirley's memories, rewritten and sealed by Charles' Geass power, were restored, he now had an incredibly powerful tool...a tool capable of countering even his father's fearsome gaze. With Jeremiah Gottwald and his Geass Canceler on his side, Lelouch now had the means to restore Suzaku's memories.

But now that Shirley was willing to stand by his side, Lelouch felt it was time that she learned the truth. He told her everything - about Geass, about C.C., about how he was Zero, and finally, about how his father had indeed manipulated the entire student council's memories, including Suzaku.

"And it was Jeremiah who restored my memories, right, Lulu?"

"Yes, but it was inadvertent," the former Geass Order assassin replied. "As you passed by, my Geass Canceler just happened to activate on its own. It seems a great number of happy coincidences have brought all this to pass... it's as if something or someone is trying to steer history in a particular direction."

"I know," Rolo said. "If the Knight of Eleven hadn't shown up, I might have done something horrible...and who knows how you might have reacted, big brother?"

Lelouch nodded, but had something else on his mind. He dialed his old friend's number and waited.

"Hello?"

"Suzaku, it's me. I wanted to meet with you, just the two of us."

Jeremiah quickly sensed what Marianne's son was up to, and smiled broadly.

"Where? By the Kururugi Shrine," Lelouch continued. "How about tomorrow afternoon, after class? Great! I'll see you then!"

With that, Lelouch hung up, satisfied and excited. He was so happy, he even felt like hugging Rolo for a moment.

"Jeremiah...tomorrow afternoon, we're getting Suzaku back..."

* * *

_Next time...the battle of Orb, a whole mess of upgrades, and the plot of Code Geass takes a huge left turn!_


	84. Chapter 59

_Ladies and gentlemen, Code Geass R2 is about to go completely off the rails, far enough off that we'll be heading back to the Ruined World in a few chapters!_

* * *

**Chapter 59 – Decisive Fire! The Taste of Redemption! **

DREAM's forces, including mech pilots and flagship crew members all gathered in the hangar as the commanders prepared to brief them on the situation.

"I know that many of you are tired from your battle at the Chinese Federation," Tohdoh began, "But right now, we must go to battle again. Captain Ramius will give you the details."

Murrue stepped in front of the crowd, sighed, and began her explanation...

* * *

_As we speak, a large Earth Alliance fleet is preparing to head for Orb. Their reason for doing is that unless Orb joins forces with the Alliance against the PLANTs, they will consider it to be an ally of ZAFT._

_The government of Orb continues to remind them of its status as a neutral nation and advocate for a peaceful solution. Unfortunately, based on the Alliance's last reaction, we're operating under the assumption that they will attack at 0900 hours two days after tomorrow. As such, the citizens have been ordered to evacuate the city and any areas near military facilities. Meanwhile, the Orb military is taking up a defensive position and preparing for the worst._

_As things stand, DREAM is a military force that answers to no nation. Thus, no authority outside our own can give us orders over what to do in this situation, and even we commanders cannot exert any authority over you without your consent. You are individuals that are free to decide for yourselves whether you will fight or not._

_Therefore, you must now choose whether to fight for Orb or not. Those who wish to leave DREAM should depart as soon as possible and follow the evacuation orders given out by Orb's government..._

* * *

Once Murrue was finished, she watched to see how they would react. To no one's surprise (except hers), not a single soul appeared to be in any hurry to leave. Even Kuzzey, who was understandably champing at the bit to get to safety, didn't want to show it. They all stood firm, ready to prepare for the Earth Alliance's attack.

"Thank you, all. Thank you for believing in us...a-as unreliable as we may be!"

* * *

"Oh man, top of the world, baby!"

"I FEEL...ALIIIIVE!"

"I'M READY TO KICKASS AND CHEW BUBBLEGUM AND I'M ALL OUT OF BUBBLEGUM! WOOO!"

The three young pilots were in absolute ecstasy as the doctors aboard the Earth Alliance ship stuck needles containing some sort of drug into their systems. What was more, they had been rolling around in pain moments ago.

These three Natural mobile suit pilots that were hooked on Gamma Glipheptin, a highly addictive performance-enhancing drug that radically increased their piloting skill and aggression at the cost of their mental stability - as such were referred to in the whispers of the Earth Alliance front-line troops as "The Druggies". However, Gamma Glipheptin's effects also lasted a very short time, and left the three with incredibly painful withdrawal symptoms afterward, rendering them utterly dependent on it to even function.

Each of the Druggies piloted a powerful mobile suit, derived from the original X-Numbers:

The leader of the trio, Orga Sabnak, piloted the Calamity Gundam, a dark teal mobile suit derived from the Buster Gundam. With two large beam cannons on its shoulders, two much smaller ones on a handheld shield, and a beam bazooka in its free hand, it was a machine built for long range combat. The pilot himself was a sturdy fellow with green-tinted blonde hair and teal eyes.

The second member, Shani Andras, piloted the Forbidden Gundam, a pale green mobile suit derived from the Blitz Gundam. It had a green backpack with two huge shields, where a pair of rail guns and a plasma cannon were stored, while its melee weapon of choice was a large scythe. Shani himself was less well-built than Orga, and had light green hair, that covered the left side of his face, showing only a single vivid purple eye, the same color as Tara's hair.

The third and final member of the trio, Clotho Buer, piloted the Raider Gundam, a black mobile suit with a red flight pack, a pair of cannons on its right arm, and a dense mace hanging at its hip. The pilot himself was a young man with light red hair and blue eyes that were focused to an unnatural intensity.

Officially, the Druggies did not exist, for no records of them existed in any Alliance military system. Of course, there was good reason to hide their existence:

The three pilots were living weapons created by the criminal organization BioNet for Blue Cosmos.

* * *

Pigeons flew overhead as Lelouch and Suzaku met at the Kururugi Shrine. It was a sunny day, with only a few puffy white clouds to break up the blue sky.

"You came alone?" Lelouch asked as he leaned against one of the posts at the bottom of the long stairway leading up to the shrine.

"As I promised," Suzaku replied, leering a bit. "You have some nerve asking me to come here, especially considering what you've done. To be honest, I stopped trusting you the moment you tried to kill Euphemia - your own sister."

"And yet you still came alone anyway," the Britannia prince said with a small chuckle. "You could have easily had someone like Schneizel's servant follow you."

Suzaku huffed and leered at him. "Because unlike you, I don't break my promises."

Lelouch smiled. Victory was in his grasp.

"Typical Suzaku. However, there is a promise I made that I will fulfill right now."

Suzaku got into a defensive stance.

"What kind of promise?"

"To bring you back."

At that moment, Jeremiah stepped from out of hiding behind a nearby pile of rocks and activated his Geass Canceler. As soon as the cyborg was close enough, the seal on the Japanese Knight's memories crumbled like dust in the wind. The truth came back to Suzaku as he dropped to his knees, dumbstruck. After a few moments of silence, he looked at his friend.

"Lelouch...I..."

"Suzaku, do you remember who nearly killed Euphie and ordered the slaughter of thousands of Japanese?" Lelouch asked calmly, making sure that his friend really did regain his memories.

"...Shapiro Keats. But...he's dead now, isn't he?"

"Yes," Lelouch replied with a nod. "He died at the hands of the Cyber Beast Force, after being abandoned by Britannia."

"Is Euphie safe? Where is she?"

"She's in the Orb Union for the time being," the prince answered.

"What about Nunnally?"

Lelouch's expression shifted a bit, but that was all Suzaku needed. He knew Lelouch couldn't possibly be to blame for whatever Nunnally's current state was. He cared for his sister far too strongly to let anyone even touch her without his permission.

"I assume you're going to Orb, then?" Suzaku asked, standing up.

"Yes...what about you?" his friend replied. "You're probably not going to remain a Knight of the Round for much longer."

"I'll go with you. I left the Lancelot nearby."

It was like a dream come true. Suzaku was back, for real, this time. And with the two of them working together, there was nothing they could not achieve.

But then Lelouch realized something. If Jeremiah had negated Charles' Geass, then his "Live" command was also negated...

"Suzaku, do me a favor," Lelouch requested as he turned back to his friend.

"...Sure. We're best friends, after all."

"For the sake of a better world...live."

Lelouch's Geass took hold of Suzaku's mind once more. The flip side of having a Geass dispelled, in the case of Lelouch's version of the power, meant that the person could be affected again.

"I certainly will," the Japanese soldier replied.

* * *

The 72 hours leading up to the Earth Alliance's attack dragged on. Even though they had faced down the Z-Master, a monstrosity capable of turning all life in the universe into Zonder, and come out on top, many members of DREAM still worried about the upcoming battle.

For Athrun, however, it came as a surprise. Mirallia had appeared at the door of the cell where he was being kept.

"What? Is this an interrogation or a transfer?" Athrun asked.

"We're going out to battle again," the girl replied; "Kira and Nicol really insisted that you wanted to help, so...we're letting you help." She tossed Athrun his pilot suit and walked out, with the Coordinator following her.

Athrun soon realized it - this was the girlfriend of the Skygrasper pilot he had killed during the Black Rebellion. He felt he had to say something.

"Listen...I didn't mean to..."

"Don't worry, I don't have any thoughts of revenge," Mirallia replied, having heard about Athrun from Kira and the others. "Killing you won't bring Tolle back, so there's really no point in me trying. But if you want my forgiveness, you can start by fighting to protect Orb with all of your strength."

"I already planned to do that anyway," the Coordinator replied.

* * *

"Ah, welcome back, my friend," Rau le Creuset said as Clovis, having taken a shuttle to a ZAFT base in secret, was with him in a submarine that was watching the battle carefully. "It seems things are getting very interesting around these parts."

"Yes. Your little stooge is moving to invade Orb," Clovis replied with a chuckle. "It just so happens that the legged ship and the rest of DREAM are there as well. It seems Orb's insistence on being neutral has backfired."

"By the way, I heard you are married now." Rau said, opening a bag of Gekigan Passion Chips and popping one into his mouth. "I'm not sure whether to congratulate you or pity you; you never did seem one to stick with a particular woman for very long."

"What can I say?" Rau's friend said, shrugging his shoulders; "My father is completely head over heels for her, and when I returned, he insisted I have her. Of course, she is quite the firework, if you know what I mean."

Rau smirked. He had considered making love to that Alster girl he was keeping around from time to time - she was getting awfully attached to him. But to him, the plan was everything, and he didn't have time for such base things.

"Speaking of fireworks," Clovis then said, remembering something; "Did you get the plans?"

"Indeed," Rau said as he stood up and walked over to his desk; "It seems our friends at Zohar have a genuine interest in seeing our ambition through, and took great pains to secure what we needed."

The masked man opened a drawer and pulled out a disk similar to the one that stored the data for FLEIJA, then handed it to Clovis.

"The Neutron Jammer Canceler," Rau explained, "is a device that negates the effects of Neutron Jammers in a limited area, allowing nuclear fission to occur normally, in the area that an individual Neutron Jammer affects. A few ZAFT mobile suits, as well as your Knightmare, are equipped with them."

"Ah, yes," the prince said with a bit of excitement in his voice, holding the disk between his thumb and index finger. "This is exactly what my brother needs for his new weapon. You're giving this to me?"

"Call it a wedding present," Rau answered, smiling wryly.

* * *

"You all set, Xemmey?" Tara said as she leaned back in the pilot seat, having just finished setting up her machine's new and improved backup system.

"Beginning system backup now. Estimated time for completion: One hour, fifty-four minutes and ten seconds."

_Huh...I don't remember it taking that long before, _Tara thought._ Oh well. The attack isn't due for another four hours yet anyway._

Tara stood up and exited Lifthrasir Titania through the portal she always used. As she stepped out, she saw Janus, Kallen and Boss chatting about something. Janus noticed her, and she approached.

"Hey Tara, I hear you have an ex."

Tara felt a chill go down her spine. This was something she had long hoped to forget. Janus quickly sensed that she wasn't too keen about this.

"C'mon, nerd queen!" Boss quipped. "Lover boy's waiting!"

"Boss, quit it. She doesn't look like she's comfortable talking about it," Kallen said.

"No," Tara replied with a sigh. "No sense in keeping it bottled up..."

"So, go on!" Janus replied, wrapping his arm around her body and holding her against him. "I won't judge."

Janus' touch made her feel better, giving her the strength to tell her tale.

"It was about two years ago, before I got Lifthrasir and met everyone in DREAM. There was this guy in the manga club who, really, really, REALLY liked me. Every time we ran into each other he would try to flirt with me or ask me out on a date. Eventually, I caved. It turned out he wasn't quite so bad, at least at first."

"What happened?" Janus asked. "Obviously, something made you break up."

"About a month into the relationship, I went into his room. Thinking he wouldn't mind if I looked around, I peeked into his closet. I don't remember exactly what was in there, but all I know is that I took one look at it and called the police, and he was later arrested."

"That was the crazed rapist student?!" Boss exclaimed. "He was after YOU?! Man, if I had known it was him, I would have knocked his lights out for ya!"

"Thanks, Boss. But he's in jail now, and hopefully I'll never see him again."

"What was his name?"

"I don't remember his first name, but I think his family name was Buer..."

* * *

"Ruri, can you determine what kind of foes we'll be up against, in terms of mobile weapons?" Yurika said as the _Nadesico _rose up from the hangar.

Ruri typed in a few commands, then began to look over the data. "Omoikane estimated that there are at between 1,800 to 2,000 Panzer-Hummel Knightmare Frames, 1,000 to 1,500 GAT-01 Strike Daggers and F-7D Spearheads, 250 to 300 mass-produced Great Mazingers, and three unknown mobile suit models. All are confirmed to have human pilots."

"The Earth Alliance has Great Mazingers now?!" Akito exclaimed from the inside of his Aestivalis. "And how did they make so many?"

"Man, I knew war sucked," Kei said from within Shin Getter. "But I don't know how much more I'll be able to keep this up. We've all tried so hard to avoiding killing human pilots..."

"At this point, we may not have a choice but to kill," Gai Murakumo replied as his upgraded Astray Blue Frame prepared for launch. "We can't hold on to the moral high ground forever."

"Hey, here's something to consider, guys," Mu said from inside the rebuilt Strike Gundam, which was now using a Striker pack that was a mix of the three original packs - the Sword, the Launcher and the Aile; "There are thousands, or even millions of civilian lives at stake. If we don't protect Orb long enough for them to escape, those six thousand Earth Alliance soldiers, who are willing to fight to the death, are going to dye the ocean red with the blood of the people of Orb. Do you want that to happen? I certainly don't."

"Zero has a saying," Kallen said. "He said that only those who are prepared to fire should be fired at. We shouldn't be afraid to kill if it's absolutely necessary, but we should only use it as a last resort."

"Enough with the philosophical bullcrap, they're attacking!" Viral called out.

The Strike Daggers were the first troops to reach the shore. They stormed up the beach, and also began parachuting down from the sky, while DREAM sortied as quickly as they could.

Of course, Orb wasn't relying entirely on DREAM to defend it. Several hundred M1 Astrays, the mass-produced copies of the Astrays used by Lowe and Gai Murakumo, moved in to defend as well.

"Gai, try out the Tactical Arms!"

The Astray Blue Frame's new sword flipped and refolded, forming into a gatling cannon that Gai fired. It peppered the enemies with bullets. Unlike the rest of DREAM, the hardened mercenary had no qualms about killing in war.

"Concentrate your battle strength on the Great Mazingers!" Yurika ordered. "They're far more dangerous!"

"Koji, let's go!" Tetsuya said, angered by the arrival of the mass-produced copies of his machine as his superior Great took off. "Let's teach these pretenders the true strength of the Kabuto family's genius!"

"Right! Just don't aim for their heads!" Koji replied; "PHOTON BEEEEEAAAAM!"

Mazinkaiser unleashed a blast of yellow energy from its eyes, cutting the Great Mazinger copies in twain (which allowed the enemy pilots to eject).

"GREAT TYPHOOOOON!" Tetsuya yelled. A great cyclone shot out of its mouth. Unlike Mazinger Z's Rust Hurricane or Mazinkaiser's Rust Tornado, it wasn't capable of eating at metal. But it did blow several enemy Great Mazingers away and into the water.

However, several of them stopped and raised their fingers skyward to use Thunder Break, only to be shot down by a pair of pink beams.

"Tetsuya, we'll help too." Go said.

"Yeah, I had to take on a thousand Getter Robo G once," Ryoma added. "And in a regular Getter Robo, no less. This is gonna be cake."

* * *

"Orb's under attack by the Earth Alliance?!" Zero exclaimed when he heard the news from Diethard. He was flying aboard a Black Knights' transport vessel with Suzaku, Rolo, and Jeremiah. The Shinkiro, the Vincent, the Lancelot Conquista, and an orange-accented Sutherland equipped with an Air Glide system were also on board.

"Yes. Right now we are fighting with all our strength just to keep them from advancing - their numbers are overwhelming, not to mention that our friend Muruta Azrael has probably obtained the plans for the mass-produced Great Mazinger."

"I see. Are the citizens being evacuated?"

"As we speak, Commander. It seems the government of Orb anticipated this possibility and had an evacuation plan ready for just such an occasion; in fact, our whole objective is to stall the Earth Alliance forces until the citizens have all safely evacuated. Oddly, though, the representatives have chosen to stay behind."

Lelouch nodded a bit. He was right to choose Orb as an ally - Their officials could be trusted to do the right and just thing for the people, even if it was to their own personal detriment. But even so, to lose such great men was going to make things difficult.

"Good. Continue with their plan, but prioritize the safety of Lady Kaguya, Princess Euphemia and Tianzi. I'll be there as soon as possible."

With that, Lelouch put his communicator away.

"Don't worry, Lelouch," Suzaku reassured his friend with a friendly touch on the shoulder. "We'll protect Nunnally, Euphie AND the people of Orb...right, Jeremiah?"

"Indeed! I, the Knight of Orange, and you, the White Knight, shall make our blades dance for the cause of justice that Master Lelouch so strongly adheres to! We shall be known as the Creamsicle of Justice!"

_I guess Jeremiah needs a few more adjustments, _Lelouch thought.

* * *

"HA-HA, YES! DIE, GODDAMNED BATS, DIE!" Clotho Buer cackled as he obliterated several more M1 Astrays. He was having a grand old time in this battle, completely uncaring about the lives he was snuffing out left and right.

But suddenly, he caught sight of something at the edge of his vision - the Lifthrasir Titania and the Freedom Gundam. He remembered the name and face of the former's pilot even though he only saw her machine...

Tara Zifell.

Something within Clotho stirred, even in the midst of his drug-induced euphoria, and he turned the Raider Gundam toward her, whirling its spiked mace, and laughing his head off.

That voice. It was him.

"C'MERE, YOU! I'M GONNA RIP YOUR HEAD OFF AND TAKE A DUMP DOWN YOUR NECK!"

"He's spouting video game references," Tara mumbled, trying her best to stay focused and not let Clotho's presence intimidate her as she dodged; "You really have gone off the deep end."

"TIME TO REDECORATE ORB...IN BRAIN MATTER GREY!"

"And terrible ones at that," she sighed.

"Tara, the enemy pilot's brain waves seem to indicate that he is under the influence of some sort of mind-altering, performance-enhancing drug. His combat ability is beyond my own ability to avoid his attacks."

"Fine, then I'll finish him in one shot before he hits us!"

Lifthrasir Titania rocketed away and pulled out both rifles as Raider Gundam charged forward.

"Get out of my life, and stay out of it, Buer...LIFTHRA DIVIDER!"

The twin beam rifles fired, and numerous beams came out of the portals. But to Tahra's dismay, not a single one managed to land. The drugged up pilot was able to dodge them all.

"HA-HA-HA! HAIL TO THE KING, BABY!"

_Man, this guy is fast...guess I need to..._

But before Tara could do much else, a purple streak zipped by, smashing into Raider Gundam and sending it spiraling away. Tara looked in the direction it had just gone, and saw the Justice Gundam, wielding a double-bladed beam saber.

"Are you okay? My name is Athrun Zala, and I'm here to help!"

"Hey, you saved me even though we never met," Tara replied. "That's good enough for me."

"Athrun!" Kira said excitedly. "You made it after all!" But the moment was cut short as the other two Druggies quickly approached in their own Gundams.

"Tara, we should leave them to Kira and his friend," Xemmey suggested. "However, I'm detecting a squadron of Strike Daggers heading for a hangar that seems to emitting a G-Stone reading."

"That's right - Lowe said that GGG is here too! Let's hurry!"

* * *

"Yurika...I'm picking up the Shinkiro and Vincent's signal approaching from the northeast," Ruri said as the _Nadesico _asan enemy Great Mazinger struck it with a Thunder Break, causing the ship to rumble; "Along with an unknown Sutherland and..."

The girl blinked, then rubbed her eyes to make sure she was reading the data right.

"Ruri? Finish your sentence, please?" the _Nadesico_'s captain asked.

"...And the Lancelot Conquista," Ruri said, still not fully believing what she was seeing. "It's the Knightmare Frame of Suzaku Kururugi."

"Zero is entering contact range," Minato chimed in. "Opening a connection now." Zero's masked face appeared onscreen.

"Hey, Zero...what are you and Kururugi doing together?" Yurika yelled over the contact. "Isn't he our enemy?"

Suddenly, Suzaku's image appeared also.

"Captain Misumaru, I still need to repay you for saving Princess Euphemia's life," the former Knight of Seven answered; "Please, allow me to rejoin as a member of DREAM."

"Okay then," Jun said sternly; "Show us you mean it."

Suzaku didn't need any more prompting. He turned away from Zero and his two other associates, speeding towards a trio of Strike Daggers that were targeting what appeared to be a family of civilians that neared one of the emergency shelters.

The Lancelot swooped down, and disabled each mech in a carefully placed hit, sending heads and limbs flying, but never once targeting the cockpit. Once they were safely disabled, the Knight turned back to the family he had just saved.

"Please, hurry on inside," Suzaku said with concern, seeing more enemies approach.

The husband and wife nodded and entered the shelter, but a teenage boy with black hair and red eyes stayed behind.

"Thanks! I was sure we were done for," the teen said gratefully; "I never thought one of Britannia's Knights of the Round would come and save us."

"No problem...mind if I ask what your name is, kid?" Suzaku asked.

"Shinn Asuka," the boy replied.

"Well, Shinn, take care of yourself."

With that, Suzaku took off, feeling good about truly doing what was right. He tried not to imagine what kind of suffering that boy would have undergone if he hadn't intervened_..._

* * *

Muruta Azrael grumbled with annoyance. Those drug-addled Living CPUs (the official name for the Druggies) had suddenly turned on each other - and with Orb mounting a stronger defense than previously anticipated, it was clear that they would waste too many resources if they kept up the attack now.

And then he saw the Raider, Calamity and Forbidden Gundams turn tail and run. That could only mean one thing - the Gamma Glipheptin had worn off, and the painful withdrawal symptoms had begun.

"Order a temporary retreat," he told the captain of the ship he was in; "And retrieve the Living CPUs. Those idiots have a lot of explaining to do."

* * *

While the Earth Alliance forces had retreated, DREAM knew they would be back soon enough. Thus, the pilots and maintenance crews hurried as quickly as they could to repair the damage done to their units and resupply them.

But the DREAM members who knew Suzaku from Ashford Academy felt compelled to meet with him again, to see if he was for real this time. While he really wanted to see Euphie, he felt obligated to explain what had happened.

"So, Kururugi, you got brainwashed too?" Koji said with a little skepticism.

"More like I had my memories sealed and rewritten. Because of that, I followed Britannia on my own free will. But as Princess Euphemia's Knight, I am sworn to protect her from anyone who would harm her - even her own family. As long as DREAM has the same vision as Euphie, consider me an ally."

"Good to know. But, aren't you a Knight of the Round or something?" Kallen replied. "I can only assume that they're going to be wondering why you changed sides."

"Oh, I left them a note," the Knight replied.

_Yeah_, _I can practically see the look on Charles' face right now_, Kallen thought, grinning a bit.

* * *

"WHAAAAAT?!" Charles roared when he heard of the news of Kururugi's sudden betrayal from a member of the Geass Order. "DO NOT JOKE WITH ME!" His face was twisted and contorted with rage and frustration.

"I fear this is no joke, Your Holiness," the Order member replied humbly, trembling before his leader. "It seems that the Geass you placed on the Knight of Seven's memory has been removed. Even now he is fighting alongside DREAM in defense of Orb, using the Lancelot to do so."

Charles turned to V.V., eyes full of fury.

"Elder brother, I demand an explanation...NOW!"

"Don't get your knickers in a knot, little brother," the long-haired boy replied. "The truth is that I underestimated the power of the Geass Canceler...it seems it is even capable of dispelling a perfect Geass such as yours. It also seems that your wayward boy is even more cunning than I had anticipated, since he somehow coaxed our little experiment to his side. Of course, all we need to do is capture them once more...or better yet, let them come to us instead of going out looking for them."

"And have them destroy all of our hard work?!" the Emperor exclaimed indignantly. "Have you lost your mind?

"We have THEM on our side, little brother," V.V. chuckled, popping an animal cracker into his mouth. "You of all people should know about the power of Eden Vital..."

* * *

_Suzaku's not a douche anymore, Jeremiah is still awesome, and Shinn of Gundam SEED Destiny isn't emo due to being an orphan! What else can go right? Stay tuned, ladies and germs! Until next time!  
_


	85. Chapter 60

_A few nice things came out of this chapter, but I'm still not terribly proud of it. Hope you all still like it. Also, today we finally introduce THE Big Bad of our tale..._

* * *

**Chapter 60 – Lion's of Orb's Final Roar! The Menace of BioNet!**

The damage done to Orb's forces was immense - even their M1 Astrays couldn't withstand the combined strength of the Strike Daggers, Knightmare Frames and Great Mazinger copies for much longer, especially without DREAM's help.

"What?! They're going to blow the place up?!" Simon exclaimed when he heard this from DREAM's commanders. "That's stupid! We have to keep fighting! As long as we believe in ourselves, we can protect Orb! We took on a monster that was larger than the Earth itself and won!"

"I hate to break it to you, Simon, but our universe doesn't quite have the same fundamental laws as yours," Ruri replied bluntly. "Besides, will this war really be over if every last one of our enemies is destroyed? That only leads to more death and destruction."

Simon remembered what had happened what seemed like an eternity ago now - the day he inadvertently killed all those people in Kamina City. His insistence on fighting to the very end had cost countless lives.

"...You're probably right," Gurren Lagann's pilot sighed. "But still..."

"We all feel the same way," Mu said. "But our mission was not to save the base, but stall the Earth Alliance forces while the people evacuated...and it won't be long till the latter is be completed."

"Yes; and since there are no reports of civilian casualties so far, that means we've been doing our job," Yurika added. "Of course, Lord Uzumi has been sending many requests to talk things over, but I think even he knows that it's pointless."

"All we can do now is move forward," Zero said grimly. "As soon as we receive word that all the citizens are safe, we'll clear out. Notify our troops."

* * *

Lord Uzumi had not seen Lacus since her father's death - Uzumi and Siegel were old friends in spite of ruling completely different parts of the Earth Sphere. But seeing her again in this state made the man worry.

"Lacus Clyne, I've never seen you like this. You're usually so confident, so assured in your abilities. Did something happen?"

"Lord Uzumi...am I just a tool for my father's agenda?" the singer asked nervously. "Am I...nothing more than his mouthpiece?"

Uzumi sighed. "Lacus, I've known your father for a very long time. He is not one to think of people as tools or pawns. Would it not be the height of hypocrisy to speak of unity and understanding through negotiation, only to treat others as if they were mere pieces on a chessboard?"

"But..."

"Lacus...do you believe in your father's vision?"

"Yes, with all my heart! But...that's what bothers me. Have I been manipulated into believing it? Memories can be twisted and manipulated by others to create a certain belief, so I don't know if it was my choice."

"The very fact that you are doubting your beliefs in the first place means that it was your choice, and that you turned out just like your father hoped anyway."

"What?!"

"Extremists follow their beliefs unquestioningly, so deeply do they believe they are right - and that is why I will not let the Earth Alliance have the Kaguya mass driver. But you...you are willing to question, to doubt, to accept the possibility that you might be wrong, and to consider options beyond that which is immediately obvious. And you do all that without forgetting the core of your beliefs either."

Lacus felt the weight of her doubts fall from her almost instantaneously. Just then, numerous men wearing similar purple and gray outfits to Lord Uzumi's stepped into the room.

"Preparations are complete, Chief Representative," said one, a fat, balding man.

"The last of the citizens have been evacuated as well." said another.

"Very good," Uzumi replied. "Lacus, your shuttle is waiting for you in Hangar 5G. I will be sending my daughter Cagalli there as well."

"And you? Will you be coming?" the songstress asked.

"No..." the ruler of Orb said; "I will see all this through to the end." He then reached into his pocket and took out two things: a handwritten note and a photo and gave it to Lacus.

"When you see Zero again, tell him to read this note at the first meeting of his U.F.N.. As for the photo, give it to my daughter Cagalli, and tell her that even though she has parted with her father, she will not be alone - she'll be with her brother."

Lacus looked down at the photo. It was a woman holding two newborn babies - one with wisps of brown hair wrapped in a blue blanket, and one with wisps of blonde swathed in a pink one. And when she turned it around, there were two names scribbled on the bottom right corner:

Kira and Cagalli.

* * *

"Did you bring them, Guy Shishioh?" Alouette said as she typed away at a computer rapidly, her genius-level brain working at incredibly high speed.

"I did. Try not to talk too long, we're going to be evacuating in about an hour."

Guy stepped aside, allowing a very confused Gai Murakumo and Ruri to enter the room. They wondered who would want to see them, seemingly unrelated people. Of course, they both recognized Alouette on the spot.

"Big sis Ruri, big brother Gai."

"Well, I never thought I'd see you again," Gai chuckled. "I couldn't believe it when Lowe told me..."

"I'm sorry, Mister Murakumo," Ruri interrupted. "But how do we know this girl?"

"I don't know if you remember, but the three of us were raised by BioNet from birth," Gai answered; "You and Alouette were actually pretty close."

"Oh yes, they were one of Nergal's business rivals before the Britannian invasion," Ruri said with a nod. "But they're technically a criminal organization now, aren't they?"

"Mm-hm. Big brother Gai was raised to be a Combat Coordinator for Blue Cosmos," Alouette answered. "But he escaped the people who bought him before his mental conditioning could be completed, and founded the mercenary group Serpent Tail some time after escaping."

"Heh, you know your stuff, Alouette," the Coordinator said with a smirk.

"GGG's information network is vast, rivaling that of the Earth Alliance, PLANT and Britannia," Alouette said bluntly. "It knows just about everything about everyone in DREAM, except those who come from the other..."

"Let's stay on topic. What did you bring us here for?"

"I just wanted to see my big sis and big brother again. Is that so wrong?"

_So, Ruri Hoshino and Gai Murakumo were also created and sold by BioNet_, Guy thought as he listened. _BioNet...I will not allow you to use children to create your weapons anymore._

* * *

"Let me go!" Cagalli cried out as Kisaka, a middle-aged man with dark grey hair and deeply tanned skin dragged her. Her father had ordered the man to take his daughter to the shuttle where Lacus was waiting, but she refused to leave without her father.

"Stop it! Your father has his responsibilities, and you have yours!" Kisaka said loudly, having heard plenty of this from the crying girl. "If there's no one left to carry out our hopes, then all is lost! Don't you understand that?!"

They arrived at the shuttle where Lacus was sitting there, looking worried - at least until she spotted Cagalli. The girl and her designated guardian stepped into the shuttle, whose doors immediately closed behind them.

"Pilot, go now!" the man yelled. The shuttle slowly started to move.

"No! My father's still in there!" Cagalli screamed, banging on the door while sobbing uncontrollably. "Don't leave him!"

"Cagalli," Lacus said gently, knowing all too well what the daughter of the Lion of Orb was going through. "Please, sit down. My father wanted me to give you something."

Still sobbing, but try her best to compose herself, she walked back to the seat row where Lacus was and sat down next to her. Immediately, Lacus pulled out the photo and gave it to her.

"You may be parting with your father...but you're not alone. You'll be with your brother...that's what he wanted to tell you."

Cagalli looked at the photo for a few seconds, then flipped it over, and saw the two names written on the back. The next thing Lacus knew, the Lion of Orb's daughter had buried her face in her chest, sobbing and weeping for her father. The songstress began to softly sing a melody to ease her grief, even as the shuttle rocketed toward the end of the mass driver...

* * *

Lord Uzumi and the other representatives of Orb watched as the shuttle carrying Lacus and Cagalli, the _Ikaruga_, _Nadesico_ and _Archangel_ all soared into the heavens. Covered by the combination of the _Nadesico_'s Distortion Field and the _Ikaruga_'s Radiant Wave Shielding, the Earth Alliance's troops couldn't shoot them down easily.

"Gentlemen...the seeds have flown," Uzumi said. "We've done all we can...it's in their hands now."

The leader of Orb looked down at the console, where a key and a large red button silently awaited the moment for their purpose to be fulfilled. With hope in his heart, Uzumi turned the key and pressed the button, causing alarms to go off all over the place.

"Muruta Azrael...Charles zi Britannia...Patrick Zala...I shall not allow Orb and this world fall into your hands!"

* * *

Everything began to shake and tremble, even the very sea itself. Suddenly, the entire base, as well as the mass driver began to crumble and explode catastrophically. The face of Blue Cosmos' leader suddenly turned from smugness to absolutely horror. Before his very eyes, their entire objective was being destroyed. As he watched everything he had hoped to gain go up in flames, the only sound the blond man could muster was a gurgle of frustration.

"Please, calm down, sir," the captain begged. "We had no way of anticipating..."

"First...those idiotic Living CPUs mess up...then I find that Gai Murakumo of all people was with DREAM the whole time, and now THIS happens! You're expecting ME to CALM DOWN?!"

"Sir, I understand your frustration..."

Azrael grabbed the medals on the captain's uniform and tore them off.

"As of this moment, YOU are no longer Captain! Get down below decks and start scrubbing the toilets!"

"Sir, please..." the former captain pleaded.

"One more word out of you, scrub monkey, and you'll be SWIMMING home!"

The captain scrambled away, fearing what else the leader of the Earth Alliance would do. With no one else around, Azrael, feeling much better after letting out his rage, opened up his cell phone and dialed a number.

"Hello, Laplace? It's Azrael. I'm just calling to let you know that I've spotted one of my escaped purchases near Orb. I'd send men after him myself, but I'm such a busy man nowadays...you'll do that? Personally? Wonderful! That's what I like about your company - you're more than willing to go the extra mile for your customers..."

* * *

The three ships reentered the atmosphere, but the damage from the battle, escape and reentry was going to delay them somewhat.

"Captain," Mirallia said, "There's a large island below us. It should be able to accommodate all three ships. Shall we land there and make some repairs before returning to Giga Float?"

"Zero, Captain Misumaru, is that all right?" Murrue asked.

"Actually, I was thinking of touching down for some quick repairs as well," Zero said. "The _Ikaruga _still needs work in the atmospheric entry department and needs some repairs. Besides, its dangerous to leave you alone out here."

"We're fine here, thanks to the Distortion Field," Yurika replied.

"Very well. You go on ahead," Murrue said, giving a quick salute.

* * *

Suzaku had to see what had happened to Nunnally for himself. Lelouch and Euphemia both showed great unease in speaking about her, only saying that she had practically become a different person, a person known as Nemo. Suzaku soon found her in one of the _Ikaruga_'s lounges, looking bored out of her mind.

"Nun...I mean...Nemo."

"Oh. Suzaku. You really did come back."

"Can it, witch. I want to speak to Nunnally."

"So, you're rejecting me as well?" Nemo sighed, standing up. It was almost surreal for Suzaku to see Nunnally (or at least, someone who closely resembled her) standing on her own two feet.

"I'm not surprised," she continued. "Everyone here seems to hate me, even if they trust me in combat. Unfortunately, she isn't terribly interested in talking with anyone. But, I suppose I can try."

Nemo closed her eyes and attempted to force Nunnally to come out. The girl suddenly falling down as her legs went limp again and her hair color shifting back to normal indicated that she had succeeded.

"Nunnally!" Suzaku exclaimed.

"Suzaku...you came back."

"Yeah. I'm happy to see you're okay. That witch Nemo was surprisingly..."

"That 'witch' is better than I will ever be!"

"What?"

"I can't do anything without her! But she can do so much...she can walk and see, and even fight or pilot a Knightmare! All I do is hold everyone back! If it wasn't for me, my big brother could..."

Suzaku couldn't believe what he was hearing. The Nunnally he knew was never like this. She was always hopeful and cheerful and optimistic. He quickly realized that Nemo was telling the truth.

"Nunnally, I don't know if anyone else has said this, but the reason people liked you was not out of pity. It was because you were a genuinely kind and loving person. I know you think you're doing the right thing by letting Nemo do all the work, but degrading yourself like this is really going to make people hate you."

"But..."

"In fact, I think Nemo will agree with me when I say you don't deserve her help. I know you don't deserve mine or Lelouch's if you're going to be like that."

"No, wait!"

But without answering, Suzaku walked away, leaving the crippled Nunnally reaching out into the dark.

* * *

"Commander, we've got an unknown force approaching from all directions...they're converging on the island, and have it completely surrounded!"

"Is it the Earth Alliance?"

"I'm not sure. It's a mix of Strike Daggers AND Britannian Knightmare Frames."

"It has to be BioNet," Suzaku said with a leer. "It looks like Azrael has friends there."

"BioNet?" Kallen said, surprised. "Why are they using Britannian weapons? I thought they hated Britannia and supported Japan's independence."

"They're nothing more than a criminal organization," Lelouch replied; "They care nothing for the people of Japan, only for their own growing profits."

"I've been chasing them on and off now ever since I joined the Knights of the Round." Suzaku added. "Their vendetta against Britannia is only because the company was driven underground by their military, with assistance from GGG."

"Oh, I remember that!" Diethard said, almost nostalgically. "The scientists Freres Cardiff and Haruhi Zifell had defected, and exposed every last skeleton in BioNet's closet in an interview! Every news outlet across the globe raved about it for weeks and weeks!"

"That was the past," Zero said, grim as ever. "We can't allow these maniacs to run free, nor can we allow them to kick us while we're down...what units are available to sortie? I know the Shinkiro is ready."

"My Lancelot's fine," Suzaku said. "Even though I'm no longer a Knight of the Round, it's still my mission to bring them to justice once and for all."

"Both Astrays are in good shape, right, Gai?" Lowe quipped. "Count me in."

"Yeah...I've got a bone to pick with them too," Gai said grimly. "I'll lend my power this time."

"You can count ol' Lifthrasir in, too." I'll finish what my mother started."

"We can send out the Freedom and Justice Gundams," Murrue said with some worry, "But the Harmony is still running a system check. Everyone else is either with the _Nadesico _or still undergoing maintenance."

"It will have to do."

Nemo, who happened to be present, raised her hand to volunteer, but Zero preempted her.

"Nemo, I can't risk you going outside. You'll have to stay here."

Suzaku was about to protest, but then thought it would be better if she understood what it would be like to be rejected by her own brother.

* * *

The Lancelot Conquista, the Astray Blue Second L, the Shinkiro, Astray Red Frame, Lifthrasir Titania, Freedom Gundam and Justice Gundam. They would have to take on the forces of BioNet that were approaching from every direction.

"Suzaku!" Tara called out. For a moment, the Knight mistook the voice for his former fellow Knight, then realized who it was.

"What's up, Tara?"

"Welcome back...oh, and try not to get shot down in ten seconds like last time, okay?"

"Sure," Suzaku said with a groan, remembering all too well about how Shapiro had easily defeated him.

Soon enough, a small but still sizable force of Strike Daggers on subflight lifters came into view, alongside a mix of Knightmares ranging from obsolete Glasgows to a pair of squads consisting of new models – one type appeared to be a mass-produced version of Rolo's Knightmare, while the other looked like a bulkier but smaller version of the old Gawain. Each and every Frame was equipped with one of the two versions of Knightmare-equipped flight packs.

_So, looks like BioNet took more than just the plans for F.L.E.I.J.A., _Suzaku thought. _They've even got Vincent Wards and Gareths._

However, there was one additional surprise - hovering just above the water's surface was a very unusual machine. It was a squat, bulky robot with pointed, elfin feet, a wide, tiered pelvic area, a barrel chest, thin mechanical arms with pincers on the end of them, and a hemispherical head. Tara couldn't help but wonder if this was some demented attempt to copy and improve on Boss Borot.

"Oh-ho-ho-ho!" the bulky, squat machine chuckled. "How fitting that every last one of the annoying insects our company has to deal with have gathered in one place!"

"Nice to see you too, Laplace," Gai said grimly.

"You know this creep, Murakumo?" Suzaku exclaimed. "And isn't he supposed to be dead?"

"Thanks to my brilliance and the profits from BioNet, I, Professor Laplace, have defeated death by transcending humanity and becoming the ultimate fusion of man and machine! Of course, if it wasn't for that traitorous Haruhi Zifell and Freres Cardiff, I would have not had to take such drastic measures! But enough talk...I'll take back what belongs to us, as well as YOUR machines! CHAAAARGE!"

The army of enemies swarmed toward the two grounded ships and its six defenders. The best they could do was step back and try to take the enemies out several at a time. Meanwhile, Laplace stood at the rear, content to let his minions soften them up first...

* * *

On a GGG transport ship, Guy and the other members who had come to Orb to finish up GaoFar flew in the direction of Giga Float.

"Hey, the scanner's picking up some activity going on in an island directly north of us," Liger said as he adjusted the monitor. "It looks like the _Ikaruga _and the _Archangel_. Looks like they're fighting something. Looks like Britannian troops."

"Uncle, those are BioNet robots!" Guy exclaimed.

"And it looks like Professor Laplace is leading them," Leo said grimly.

Alouette immediately sensed what Guy wanted to do. "If you're thinking about going after them using GaoFighGar..."

"No! They helped us so much; I won't allow BioNet to do them in when GaoFighGar's construction is complete! Alouette, prepare PhantomGao and the new GaoMachines!"

Nunnally lay in her quarters, having been forced to stay behind.

_I gave you the power to see the lines of the future so that you could protect those you love. When you were losing your light again, you hid yourself away to wallow in your own depression. _

"What was I supposed to do? I couldn't do anything without you!"

_You refused to even try to help yourself. But if you really wanted to help, all you had to do was accept me._

"Accept you?"

_Have you forgotten, Nunnally? I am you...I am made of the emotions you sealed away out of fear when Mother was killed._

"But..."

_And because of that, Lelouch has taken those emotions and added them to his own, and used it to forge the Black Knights!_

"What?"

_That's right. Our big brother is Zero. Everything he is doing is for ours and Euphemia's sake. _

"Big brother..."

_If you truly love our brother, accept me and the power I possess! Only then can the contract be fulfilled by the both of us! _

"I will...I'll accept you...my hatred, my sadness and my anger... all of the emotions I sealed away. I...I won't hide in darkness anymore!"

Nunnally opened her heart and allowed Nemo to join her there. But in that moment, the emotions that Nemo was made of changed - the hatred, sadness and anger all melded into the desire and the will to make things right.

And then, the princess' eyes opened up once more.

"My light...I can see again..." Nunnally gasped.

_Now, let's help big brother and everyone else._

"Yes!"

Allowing Nemo to be her legs, she got back to her feet and made a mad dash for the hangar...

* * *

Tahra couldn't believe how easily she had been defeated.

She wielded every resource she could obtain as a Knight of the Round, the girl finally managed to triangulate the current location of the Geass Order. It was there, she knew, that she would find V.V., the monster responsible for Geass: the twisted power that had taken nearly everything from her. But in her haste, Tahra neglected to consider the difficulty she would have taking on this group all alone. Like a fool, she charged in weapons drawn, only to be overwhelmed by the Order's own army of Knightmare Frames.

Now she sat in a cell with a strong but transparent wall in front of her, wondering what fate had in store, and whether she would see Clovis ever again.

Soon enough, the object of her hatred, V.V., came sauntering in, the tips of his obscenely long hair dragging along the cavern floor. Like always, he had a box of animal crackers in his hand, though they seemed to have no effect on his figure.

"Hello again," V.V. said.

"Are you going to kill me?" Tahra said spitefully; "Or are you going to control me with Geass? If you're going to do it, just get it over with already."

"You're something, you know?" V.V. said. "You have almost limitless authority over an empire that takes up a third of the world, and a wonderful prince as a husband, yet you're willing to it all up for the sake of your family. I don't get how anyone could be like that."

"Am I supposed to feel bad for you or something?" Tahra said derisively. "Because if I am, you REALLY need to try harder."

"No, I'm merely stating the facts."

Suddenly, another voice spoke, one that Tahra had never heard before yet somehow felt incredibly familiar. It echoed throughout the chamber,

"V.V. that's enough. She's suffered far more than necessary."

As suddenly as the voice had come forth, a new person appeared in the room, entering via Threshold. It was another winged being, a member of Atik Yomin. But unlike the others, this being was nothing like a statue. It had six rainbow wings of light, pale skin, silvery-white hair, and golden eyes.

And it resembled Janus in just about every other fashion.

"You also defied my orders when you erased her memories," the being continued. "You were supposed to hand her over to me as soon as she was captured. Instead, you go behind my back and turn her into your little brother's personal guard."

_Brother's personal guard?! _Tahra thought, baffled by all this. _This kid is His Majesty's OLDER brother?!_

V.V., somehow unimpressed by this imposing figure, simply stuck another animal cracker into his mouth.

"I had every intention of giving her to you once Charles did his thing, Metatron. Unfortunately, he had his own ideas. It must be because he's so attached to HER."

_No...His Majesty couldn't have destroyed my memories. It was V.V.! It HAS to have been him!_

"But now her memories have taken physical form are running around free," Metatron replied, "And she's ruining everything we're working towards. Her memories cannot be restored if they were never destroyed in the first place."

_My memories...they're...in physical form? So then that means..._

Finally, Metatron turned to the imprisoned Knight, and gave her a sideways glance. But even that glance seemed to pierce into the deepest recesses of her being. And in the depths of her mind, she heard his voice:

_Don't worry, my love. We'll get your memories back, and then we can be together once more..._

* * *

_Eh, not the best place for a cliffhanger, eh? I hope you all still like it.  
_


	86. Chapter 61

_I thought I'd take this opportunity to check up on the members of DREAM left behind in the Ruined World, because there's plot points of G Gundam, Turn A Gundam and Char's Counterattack that I need to cover!_

* * *

**Chapter 61 – King of Braves Reborn! Humanity Approaches Sunset!**

Domon Kasshu stood out on a cliff, looking at the city from afar. He had come very far in the Gundam Fight Finals since his friends returned to the other world. He had already achieved enough victories to secure his place in the Battle Royale, even if he were to lose his next match.

But his thoughts were interrupted when he heard a familiar neighing sound, and the clopping of hooves.

Domon looked up and saw a very familiar looking horse - a white stallion with a red mark on its muzzle.

"Fuunsaiki...what are you doing out here?" Domon said kindly as he approached the horse. "And where's your owner?"

The horse allowed Domon to stroke its face, then turned to its side and neighed again. The martial artist understood exactly what Fuunsaiki, smart horse that it was, wanted him to do.

"All right," Domon said as he climbed onto the horse's back; "I'll ride you."

As soon as Fuunsaiki felt the weight of Domon on his back, he galloped back down the hill, forcing Domon to desperately hold on to the reins for a moment. But the Gundam Fighter quickly steadied himself and allowed the horse to take him where it wanted to go...

* * *

The BioNet grunts all lay as scrap across the island, while its six defenders, having pushed themselves to their limits, still remained standing. But Professor Laplace wasn't worried. He had barely expended any energy at all, and could easily thrash these six, especially in their current state. He set his sights on the Lancelot first, which no longer had the energy to stay in the air or put up a shield.

"You've been quite the thorn in our side, Knight of Seven. But now our revenge against Britannia begins! Die, Suzaku Kururugi!"

Laplace's mech pulled back its fist as it prepared to smash the Knightmare Frame into the ground.

"LAPLACE THUNDER FIST!"

"Suzaku!"

Lelouch spurred the Shinkiro forward, and got in between Laplace and Suzaku, activating the Absolute Protection Territory, causing the BioNet robot's fist to bounce off, even though the force was great enough to force Zero's robot backwards.

"What?! You would defend the enemy of Japan, this Knight of Britannia?!" Laplace exclaimed. "I thought better of you, Zero. Very well...no barrier is unassailable...it's simply a matter of overloading it!"

As Laplace readied another Laplace Thunder Fist, something dropped in from out of the sky with a flying kick, knocking the scientist aside.

That something was a dark grey and teal-green robot that greatly resembled GaiGar, barring a few cosmetic differences.

"Nice timing, Shishioh!" Lowe quipped, recognizing the robot instantly even though it was only his first time seeing it. "Looks like GaoFar's in perfect working order!"

"Nice entrance, too!" Tara added as Lifthrasir Titania got to its feet.

"So, you've manufactured a new King of Braves, have you?" Laplace grunted as his robot got to its feet. "But how well will it fight without the GaoMachines?!"

"Xemmey, let's lend Guy a hand. Can you give the TZUM a quick recharge? I don't know if he can beat this thing without the GaoMachines..."

"No! All you, return to the ships and get going! Leave Laplace to me!"

"Captain Ramius, can the _Archangel_ get back in the air?!" Zero called out over his communicator.

"Yeah, we should be able to get back to Giga Float...or at least close enough that we can have them pick us up after a water landing."

"Everyone, we're leaving!"

The six defenders returned to the ships as they prepared to take off. Meanwhile, Laplace turned his full attention to GaoFar.

"Guy Shishioh. How noble of you to throw yourself before me for the sake of your companions," the BioNet scientist chuckled. "But you are a far greater prize to us than the Black Knights. As we speak, satellites are recording this battle. Once the world sees BioNet defeating a GGG robot, all of the warring powers in the Earth Sphere will be clamoring for our products!"

"No! I won't let that happen...GAOMACHINES!"

As the transport vessel flew high above, new versions of the GaoMachines dropped in from the air. The drill tank nearly struck Laplace as it fell, but burrowed into the soft ground as it landed.

"Alouette, do it!" Guy called out over his communicator.

"Are you sure?" Alouette replied uneasily, "I still need to..."

"There's no time!" Liger cried. "We'll have to test it now! Initiate Final Fusion!"

Alouette sighed, and typed a bit while GaoFar leaped high into the air. Nervously, she prepared to click the button that would start the program.

"Final Fusion...Program...Drive!"

The GaoMachines, receiving the invisible signal, began to orbit GaoFar.

"FINAL...FUUUUSIOOOOOOON!"

Just as before, a massive green energy tornado surrounded the main robot as both it and the GaoMachines reconfigured themselves so they would fit together.

"Grr...blasted energy..." Laplace growled as he stood firm against the howling wind. Meanwhile, the _Ikaruga _and _Archangel _started to take off.

"GAO...FIGH...GAAAAAAAR!"

"GaoFighGar...Final Fusion successful..." Alouette sighed with relief. Everyone else on board cheered loudly at the success.

Nunnally, using the form of Nemo so that she could use her legs, reached the hangar just as Suzaku and Zero landed in their frames. The sounds of Laplace and GaoFighGar exchanging blows could be heard outside.

* * *

"Suzaku! Bi...Zero!" Nunnally called out as the two got out of their Knightmares, almost revealing her brother's identity inadvertently. To her surprise, they only glanced at her, and didn't even bother to respond, even though they were headed her way.

"Suzaku...Zero...please!"

"Stop trying to act like Nunnally," Suzaku said coldly. "We both know who you really are."

"No, Suzaku!" the girl cried. "I remembered what you said! Look, it's really me!"

The girl switched back to her "normal" self, and almost immediately her legs faltered, unable to support even her small body. However, her eyes were still closed. Even so, Nunnally tried to grab hold of the railing and pull herself up.

Lelouch, moved by her determination, immediately realized that this was his sister, and turned to Suzaku.

"Suzaku, take Nunnally back to her room. I'll be there shortly."

"Yes, my lord," Suzaku replied, convinced of the truth as well. He swept Nunnally up into his arms and started to carry her back to her quarters. As they walked, Suzaku looked down, and saw her open her eyes.

"Suzaku..."

"Nunnally...you..."

"I'm not going to hide behind Nemo anymore..." the princess said as her large purple eyes gazed into Suzaku's for the first time. "Thank you for showing me how stupid I was. To be honest, I was hoping to save you and big brother just now, but it looks like Guy Shishioh took care of that today."

"We're just glad to have you back, Nunnally," the Knight replied with a smile.

* * *

Fuunsaiki suddenly came to a stop on the end of a peninsula northeast of Neo Hong Kong. As Domon looked out, he couldn't believe his eyes: it was a ruined city much like the one he had encountered the last time he had fought his master. Yet to find a place like this near Neo Hong Kong was a great shock.

But then he sensed someone's presence nearby. It was one he knew all too well."

"Undefeated of the East! I know you're here!"

"Ha, so you're not as hot-headed as you used to be! It wasn't a waste of time to have Fuunsaiki bring you here after all."

"What do you want with me?"

"Look around, Domon. It's like this everywhere on Earth. For every thriving metropolis, there are at least two places like this, headed for certain disaster. But everyone gets all worked up about the Gundam Fight and the conflicts with Zeon, while ignoring the problems that stare them in the face.

"We humans are detestable, aren't they, Domon? We're parasites, just like the Invaders that came after the Getter Ray Armageddon. That's why I...I must..."

Suddenly, the wet, muddy ground began to tremble as something began to erupt from beneath their feet. Up from out of the mud came, of all things...a Gundam Head, the green serpentine minions of the Devil Gundam.

_What?! A Gundam Head?! _Domon thought as it lunged at him; _Was it waiting here in ambush?!_

However, several more Gundam Heads soon rose violently out of the mud and began to attack both Domon and Master Asia. One of them ended up rising right below Domon, and flung him high into the air before following it, hoping to swallow it whole.

"Oh no, you don't!" Master Asia bellowed. He leaped, removed the sash from his uniform and whipped it out in mid-air, snagging his student by the leg. With a sharp pull, he saved Domon from being consumed by the Devil Gundam's servant.

But when the martial artist landed, he landed on one foot at a rather awkward angle, and he felt a sharp pain in his ankle. He clenched his teeth to keep himself from crying out.

"Undefeated of the East...you saved me. But why?" Domon exclaimed as the Gundam Heads began to circle around,

"I wouldn't allow you to be defeated...by a mere Gundam Head!" the old martial artist replied, grunting a bit. "Not until we've...settled this once and...for all!"

"Master, your foot..."

"It's nothing. I can still fight."

The old man looked around, and started chuckling a bit.

"What's so funny?" Domon said, wondering why the old man was doing this in the middle of a fight.

"Do you remember a situation similar to this from the past?"

"Yes...that pack of wolves...I was so scared that I couldn't fight back. You had to bail me out."

"Indeed...and I had to use the Tohou Fuhai's ultimate secret technique...Sekiha Tenkyoken. It's the one technique I never taught you. But I suppose it's now or never."

"Yeah...RISE, GUNDAAAAAM!"

God Gundam burst out from the water nearby. Meanwhile, the sound of neighing could be heard from afar.

"I'M RIGHT HERE, FUUNSAIKI! BECOME MY LEGS AS WE FIGHT TOGETHER!"

Master Gundam also rose forth from the ocean on a white platform. Said platform, however, wasn't just for show - it began to change its form, until it became a gigantic robotic horse that Master Gundam could ride - controlled from within by the horse itself.

A pair of Gundam Heads rushed at God and Master Gundams, but were quickly dealt with by the two martial artists using their beam saber and beam cloth, cutting the heads to ribbons with a blazing-fast series of slashes.

"Nice moves!" Domon said with a slight bit of disdain.

"Keep your guard up, and don't let your mind wander away from your fists!" the old martial artist called back as he slashed another Gundam Head in half. Suddenly, the three remaining Gundam Heads launched themselves at Domon, sending him flying upward.

_Keep my mind on my fists, huh? _Domon thought. He took a deep breath and entered his state of _meikyo shisui_, awakening God Gundam's full power.

"THE SCHOOL OF THE UNDEFEATED OF THE EAST'S...ULTIMATE SECRET TECHNIQUE!"

Energy began to form into a ball in God Gundam's hands, while the robot itself began to turn gold.

"SEKIHA...TENKYOKEN!"

A massive blast of energy and fighting spirit burst forth from the Neo-Japanese Gundam's hands, incinerating all three Gundam Heads in one shot.

"Well done, Domon...you've successfully performed the Sekiha Tenkyoken. Work to master this technique, for it will allow you to fight on even terms with Schwarz Bruder."

_Schwarz is my next opponent? _Domon thought; _Well, now that I have this technique, I can beat him._

"Before you leave, engrave the image of this ruined city into your mind," Master Asia said grimly; "This remnant is testament to the final sunset of mankind!" With that, the martial artist flew off, still astride his mighty steed.

"Master, wait!" his student cried out. "There's still things I have to know!"

"Domon...I'll see you at the Battle Royale!" Master Asia called back.

* * *

"LAPLACE LIGHTNING RAID!"

"PROTECT WAAAALLL!"

Even as the ships flew out into the distance, GaoFighGar and Laplace continued to duke it out. Both sides had landed powerful blows, but neither was able to score that decisive hit that would settle it all. As numerous lightning bolts shot out of the spikes on the BioNet mech, GaoFighGar held up its left hand to deflect the shots.

"It seems we are equally matched, GaoFighGar," Laplace laughed. "But I tire of this. I'll finish you with my supreme technique!"

The BioNet robot began to charge energy on the tallest spike on its back.

"Now, King of Braves, face your demise at the hands of the Max-Charge Laplace Thunder Cannon!"

"I see - then I'll counter with...HELL...AND...HEAVEN!"

"PERISH, GUY SHISHIOH! MAX-CHARGE LAPLACE THUNDER CANNON!"

The spike shot a massive blast of electrical energy. Just as this happened, GaoFighGar began to charge forward as well, hands clasped and ready to smash into Laplace. Both attacks struck either with immense force, covering the entire island in a dome of light.

When the light faded, GaoFighGar had its hands buried in the BioNet robot's chest, clasping the cockpit. It seemed that GaoFighGar had won. But when the Super Robot tried to pull it out, the arms suddenly refused to move.

_The arm joints...why did they get stuck NOW?! _Guy thought. _The fingers still seem to work fine, though._

"Guy, what's wrong?" Leo said.

"Something happened with the arm joints," the cyborg replied; "I can't pull him out!"

"His fingers still work," Alouette said. "He could crush Laplace in there if he wanted."

Guy felt unsure of what to do. On the one hand, he didn't want to kill Laplace – he had to stand trial for his crimes. On the other hand, his crimes were known all too well.

"Commander, I have Laplace in my grip," Guy said, contacting Orbit Base, "But I can't pull him out. My only option is to..."

"...Do it," Taiga replied.

"But he's..." Guy protested.

"I know you swore never to take a human life, and this is not a decision I would make lightly. However, Laplace is an extremely dangerous criminal that threw away his humanity long ago. He's no better than the 31 Machine Primevals."

Guy closed his eyes and clenched his hands into fists, causing GaoFighGar to do the same. Laplace let out a muffled scream as GaoFighGar crushed the cockpit with him inside...

* * *

"Milady, look," Harry Ord said grimly as he looked out the window of Queen Dianna's bedchamber. The queen got up and joined Harry. They could make out a huge asteroid approaching the moon, though not directly at it.

"That's Axis, isn't it?" Dianna said in a worried manner.

"It is, Your Majesty. That means it won't be long now until Char, Gym and the Anti-Spiral attack Earth. Judging by its pace, it won't be for a few days yet."

"If the moon falls, the kingdom will surely be destroyed along with the rest of life on Earth. We must evacuate now."

Harry, however, smirked a bit, very unusual for a serious individual like him, which made Dianna wonder what her top general knew.

"Harry, do you have another idea?"

"Let's just say our fair kingdom has its share of secrets besides the Turn A and Turn X. But for now, I'll notify Londo Bell of their enemy's approach."

* * *

"Zero..." Nunnally said when she heard her brother entered the room with Rolo and Jeremiah.

"Or should I say...big brother..."

Lelouch paused.

_So, Nemo must have told her after all, _he thought; _No sense in wearing this anymore._

Nunnally watched as Zero removed his helmet, to reveal the face of her older brother for the first time.

"You're as handsome as I knew you were," she said with a smile. It was the first time since her mother's death that she had actually seen her brother's face.

_This must be Nemo's power_, Jeremiah thought, remembering the C.C. copy that V.V. had discussed. _She must have integrated her essence with that of Lady Marianne's daughter._

Rolo, however, felt quite nervous. Now that Nunnally was back to normal, would Lelouch neglect him? Would his big brother toss him aside, now that his purpose was fulfilled?

"Oh, Rolo," the princess then said, turning his attention to the boy who had posed as Lelouch's sibling. "Thank you for helping my big brother when I couldn't."

Rolo blushed heavily as he fingered the locket attached to his cell phone. He had realized some time ago that Lelouch wanted to give it to her. He took his phone out of his pocket and gently removed the locket before holding it out to the princess.

"Here...Lelouch wanted you to have this. He..."

"That's okay. You keep it," Nunnally said, gently pushing it away before turning back to Lelouch. "Big brother, from now on, Rolo's a part of the family, okay?"

Lelouch knew that no matter how hard he wanted to, he could never go against his sister's wishes, and it was clear she was grateful to his false sibling.

"Fine, I suppose I can do that..."

* * *

_Sorry that this one was super-short. I didn't want to draw this out longer than necessary, but you could easily call this Chapter 60.5 or something. I liked how that last scene came out, though._


	87. Interlude 6

_I wasn't quite planning on making this an interlude, but I decided that Code Geass R2 has gone far enough off the rails __that I could skip an arc._

* * *

**Interlude 6 - The Third Option Divided! Trouble On Both Ends!**

Nunnally was filled with curiosity and confusion as she sat with Rolo, Akito, Koji, Jiro, Hikaru Amano and Tara while she watched an episode of _Gekiganger 3 _for the first time. Soon, the episode was over, and the six fans turned to the princess to hear her thoughts.

"Oh...it was...um...very interesting." she said awkwardly; "But why do they have to overact so much? Are they being serious at all?"

"Overacting?!" Jiro exclaimed as he quickly jumped to his feet; "They aren't overacting, milady, they're just filled to the brim with PASSION! Now that you mention it, I think Zero is exactly the same way when he makes a speech!"

"Yeah, he does a thing for theatrics, that guy," Koji said with a small laugh.

"Speaking of Zero, I heard that he's gonna announce something really big tomorrow," Akito chimed in; "Rolo, you know anything? You're practically his sidekick."

"I heard it was something about forming a new international political body," the ex-assassin replied. "I think he wants to unite all of the countries that aren't directly controlled by the three ruling powers under a single banner."

"So, it'll like the Earth Alliance, except not?" Tara quipped. "Well, it's not like he's doing it alone. He's got a lot of people helping him with the details."

"Yeah...all those exiled government officials converging here on Giga Float," Rolo added. "It's probably got the Alliance and Empire on edge. I dunno about ZAFT, though..."

* * *

Simon sat outside on the edge of Giga Float, letting the ocean breeze run through his hair, and the smell of the salty water permeate his nostrils.

"Hey, Simon," a voice called out to him. He turned around and saw Suzaku approaching him.

"Well, if it isn't Zero's new buddy. Enjoying the breeze?"

"You were looking kinda down today, so I thought I'd keep you company. " Suzaku replied as he sat down next to Gurren Lagann's pilot.

"So, what will you do now that you've turned away from Britannia?"

"I've only turned away because Princess Euphemia has. As her Knight, it's my duty to be her shield and help her however I can."

"C'mon, there's more to it than that," Simon said, giving him a light slap on the back. "You care for her more than anything else in the world, don't you?"

Suzaku chuckled nervously.

"How could you NOT love her?" Simon continued, surprised that Suzaku was being so coy about it; "Not only is she beautiful, but she's kind, sweet, gentle, loving, brave, and thoughtful...she actually reminds me a lot of someone else I know."

"Who?" the Knight asked.

"A girl named Nia," the digger replied as he took a small ring with a green gem on it. "I was actually going to propose to her, but..."

"But...what?" Suzaku said, wondering what could have ruined the relationship.

"Things happened. A LOT of things," Simon replied with a sigh as he put the ring away. "But I will say this - she and I still care about each other. Heck, I'd go anywhere for her...I'd shatter the walls of time and space if I had to."

"And with Gurren Lagann, I bet you could," the Knight replied with a laugh, seeming to get Simon's drift.

"...Speaking of the walls of time and space," Gurren Lagann's pilot suddenly said, changing the subject; "DREAM will be splitting up again the day after tomorrow."

"Splitting up again?" Suzaku said, unsure of how that was relevant to the walls of time and space.

"Yeah. One group goes to my home universe, while another stays here in yours. We use the Thresholds created by Granlif and Lifthrasir to cross between universes. Ironically, I was the one who suggested that we do it now."

"You're itching to get Nia back that much, aren't you?"

"It's not just her," Simon said, getting to his feet. "There's an Earth Sphere to protect on that side as well."

"Well, I'll be rooting for you, Simon."

"Same here, Suzaku."

* * *

Schneizel, Kanon, Nina, Lloyd, Cecile and the remaining Knights of the Round all watched the television aboard the _Avalon _with great interest as Milly Ashford, a recently anointed TV journalist, delivered an emergency Britannian news broadcast.

"We now bring you live coverage of the ratification ceremony of the new UFN charter. If this new charter is successfully ratified, it will create a federation of nations to rival that of both the Earth Alliance and our own in size. Since parts of the now broken European Union and Eurasian Federation will be joining, it will possess great power on the international stage..."

"This isn't good for us, is it, Lord Schneizel?" Lloyd quipped. "In all likelihood, DREAM will form the core of their military might. They're not to be trifled with."

"It is likely that the rogue paramilitary organization DREAM convinced the delegates to go along with their plan," Milly continued, "Which makes Zero, the leader of the Black Knights, the head of this new union. As such, it is likely that it will be an enemy of Britannia..."

"You were right, Earl," Kanon said as Milly announced that Britannian troops were being moved into different parts of Area 11 and the broadcast continued. The delegates, which hailed from Orb Union, the former European Union and Eurasian Federation, and even Macross, made up a total of nearly forty countries, and each one had successfully ratified it.

"Indeed..." Schneizel added, shaking his head. "It makes me wonder why His Majesty chose to side with ZAFT."

Various members of DREAM's political core began to read off the articles of the charter, including Kaguya, Cagalli, Lacus, Milia, and others.

"But even so, they'll have difficulty getting their military forces to work together," Bismarck quipped. "It'll be nothing more than an unruly mob."

"No...there is one good option for them..." Schneizel replied.

"Article 17: All ratifying nations of this charter..." Kaguya began, "Are to hereby forswear native military power forever."

"Madness...sheer madness..." Bismarck said, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Abandon military power? That'll never work," Luciano Bradley, the Knight of Ten, said mockingly.

"To ensure the security of each and every member nation," the Japanese girl continued; "We shall instead contract that to DREAM, a fighting force that is not affiliated with any one country!"

Zero, standing outside atop the Shinkiro, then began to speak.

"We accept this contract. We shall utilize funding and personnel from the members of the UFN - in return, we shall serve as sword and shield for every member nation, defending and opposing any aggressive external foe!"

"Just as I thought," Schneizel said. "Well-played, Zero...well-played."

"The source of disturbances to peace is the existence of military power possessed by disparate nations, especially when said nations led by leaders with extremist, aggressive agendas," Tianzi said, reading out of a book containing the charter. "The UFN shall only use military force according to a resolution by the supreme council."

"Before we put forward our first motion," Kaguya said; "I'd like to introduce a guest who has been vital to our efforts. Her willingness to pursue peace, in spite of being an official from an aggressive power, is truly admirable."

Euphemia, with Suzaku silently remaining by her side, approached the platform from one of the seats in the rear of the delegates. Everyone in the room was shocked, though Nina was especially distressed.

"Suzaku?!" Gino exclaimed. "He really DID join up with those guys!"

"Princess Euphemia has shirked her duties as Viceroy of Area 11," Anya added. "The world truly is turning upside down."

"Everyone, thank you for allowing me to be a part of this amazing new group," the princess began; "I hope one day that my home nation will see the truth and embrace this new future rather than choosing a side in the pointless conflict between Naturals and Coordinators..."

_Euphemia...why?! _Nina thought, horrified by this sight._ Why are you siding with THEM?!_

* * *

Sivil flew over the city of Macross silently, suppressing her aura to hide from anyone who was looking up. She still had to capture the Anima Spiritia so that her master's plan could move forward.

She soon found the penthouse where he was staying and peeked in.

Basara was smiling from ear to ear as he watched the events of the ratification ceremony from his band's penthouse with Mylene, where he had remained since returning from Jupiter. As someone who hated war, he and the rest of the band could completely go along with the principles of the UFN.

Unlike the Earth Alliance, whose espousal of those ideals was almost like a running joke across the Earth Sphere now, the musician felt that this new group would truly be able to embody their values, especially with so many women at the helm. After all, Milia was a testament to the ability of women to rule fairly and justly.

But then she saw his eyes turn in her direction, and she moved down, just out of view. Foolishly, Basara approached the window, opened it and looked around. Seeing her chance, Sivil reached up and grabbed the rock star, then started to carry him off.

She heard Mylene screaming out his name as she carried him away.

_Basara...Anima Spiritia is named Basara..._she thought. _Basara._

As she neared the edge of the colony, a Threshold opened up, which she entered. The two immediately reappeared in a great ice cavern, which Basara quickly realized was all the way on Mars. Sivil then gently placed the musician on the floor as he spotted not one, but two figures standing there.

"I have returned, Lord Gepelnitch."

The leader of the Protodevlin turned and gazed down at Basara.

"Well done, Sivil," Gepelnitch said. The other figure was none other than Metatron.

"See? That was all you had to do," the angel said; "No great battle fleets, no elaborate plans. All it required was a little timing and stealth."

_Janus?! _Basara thought, shocked to see who he assumed was his ally standing there._ What's he doing with the Protodevlin?!_

"You have been much help, Metatron of Arubboth," Gepelnitch said to the leader of Atik Yomin. "As promised, we will lend you the Anima Spiritia for a time. But remember that we need him alive..."

* * *

The day had come for DREAM to once again divide up. However, none of the ships would be joining the group traveling to the Ruined World, as they all had their own duties in their home universe to attend to. Instead, those traveling back to their own world would rendezvous with the _Ra Calium. _

However, Tara was surprised to see both Koji, Kouji and Tetsuya approach her.

"Hey, Tara, you mind if Tetsuya and I go with the other me?" Koji asked.

"I promised my mom that I'd introduce her to Tetsuya," Kouji explained. "Jan told you the story, right?"

"I don't think so," Tara replied, "But that's okay. Besides, you helped us with our Dr. Hell, so it's only fair that we return the favor."

"Man, I can already see the look on Dr. Hell's face when he gets a load of Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger AND Mazinkaiser together!" Koji quipped with a slightly sinister grin, rubbing his hands together.

"I can't wait to see how my mom reacts to meeting you, Tetsuya!" Mazinger Z's pilot added. "Seeing everyone back at Kurogane House is also gonna be great too, not to mention Londo Bell and the Shuffle Alliance."

"Hey, blockheads!" Kei yelled as she prepared to enter Shin Jaguar. "Get your asses in your robots if you don't want to get left behind!"

"Guess this is goodbye, then...at least for now," Tara sighed. With a nod, the three Mazinger pilots began to walk away, heading for their respective machines.

"Don't worry, guys!" Tara called back. "I'll kick some Vega Empire tail for ya!"

* * *

The Ruined World half of DREAM reappeared in a surprisingly convenient place - on an island about twenty miles off of the coast of Neo Hong Kong. It was a few hours after dark, and the skies were almost unnaturally clear, revealing a tapestry of stars overhead.

The first thing Simon did was look up at the moon. It was somewhat larger than he remembered since the last time they were here...but this really meant that the moon was approaching the Earth.

"Guys, let's head for Kurogane House," Janus said after getting his bearings. "Hopefully they won't mind some new guests." Granlif Yggdrasil flew off in that direction, with the rest of the crew in tow.

"I wonder how Judau, Christina and the others are doing," Koji said. "Man, I can't wait to see them again!"

Suddenly, Go began to groan and moan a bit, as if suffering, which caused Shin Eagle to waver and wobble a bit.

"Go, you okay, man?" Kittan said.

"I-I'm fine," Go said as he shook off the sick feeling that had taken over him momentarily. But the young man was still left with the sensation that something horrible was happening to Shin Dragon...

* * *

"You're serious about going back to PLANT?!" Cagalli said in confused dismay as she watched Athrun board a small shuttle craft, with Kira, Mu and Nicol close by. "If your father finds out you've been fighting alongside us..."

"I'm aware of that possibility," Athrun replied. "Nicol, I want you to pilot the Justice Gundam if that happens."

"It's your machine, not mine," the green-haired Coordinator replied. "I already have my hands full with the Harmony."

"But why? Why are you going at all?" Cagalli then said, shaking her head in continued disbelief, begging him not to go. "You already know what you want, right?!"

"Yeah...but still, I have to go. I'm sorry."

Without another word, Athrun closed the hatch and began to maneuver his vehicle toward the mass driver.

"Don't worry, princess," Mu reassured her. "Everything's going to be fine. He'll be accompanied by our allies on Macross, after all; And if worse comes to worse, our little band will probably end up storming PLANT to bust him out."

_Why do I feel like that he's not completely joking? _Cagalli thought. _Please be careful, Athrun._

* * *

Koji nervously entered Kurogane House and immediately heard the sounds of people in a heated argument coming from down the hall. Sitting at the front desk as always was Tsubasa, though she didn't immediately see her son's doppelganger come in.

"Excuse me ma'am, I think two of your customers are..."

"If you're here to complain, I'm afraid I can't throw them out, especially at this hour. They're Neo Japan's Gundam Fight team."

Just then Kouji came in and stood next to Koji, just as Tsubasa turned to face them. Her usually calm and collected expression turned to one of befuddlement when the two Mazinger pilots side by side, dressed in similar outfits.

"Aye-yi-yi...I need to get to bed..." Tsubasa sighed.

"No, you're not seeing double, Mom," Kouji said with a grin. "There really ARE two of me here. I'd like you to meet my twin from the other world."

"We can talk in the morning, Kouji," the woman said wearily as she started to walk around the desk and up the stairs to her room. "Your room's been kept nice and...tidy..."

_I wonder if my mom was like this at all_, Koji wondered.

* * *

Ryoma hadn't been to Neo Hong Kong in years. Though he was technically a Neo-Japanese citizen, he had spent much of his time here prior to joining the Getter Ray Laboratory. But it wasn't time well spent - he was part of a violent street gang that caused all sorts of mayhem, particularly in the lower-income neighborhoods. And it was during that bleak time in his life that he earned his nickname - "Tomahawk".

As he walked down the sidewalk, hands in his pockets, he saw a familiar face stepping out of a small drugstore - Rain. Before he could say anything, she continued in the same direction he was going, and was almost immediately grabbed by a large, beefy hand from a nearby alleyway.

_You better thank me for this, Domon Kasshu_, he thought as he hurried toward the alleyway where Rain was taken. Following the sounds of Rain's cries and complaints, he tracked the kidnapper through the streets, staying out of sight as best he could.

Finally, he found a group of other thugs gathered around a flaming oil barrel. Before they could start with the usual sort of thug claptrap of treating Rain nice and whatnot, someone else suddenly appeared from out of the shadows and stepped out into the open, attracting their attention...Neo-Germany's Gundam Fighter.

"Geez, could ya at least give us ten seconds before you try and play hero, ya bum?!" the large thug growled. "And if you're gonna ask...NO, we ain't giving her back!"

_Schwarz Bruder?! _Rain exclaimed. She watched as two dozen slightly smaller, but still brutish thugs gathered, surrounding Schwarz from all sides. Most of them were unarmed, but a few were wielding crowbars, baseball bats, and one even had a fireman's ax. Ryoma recognized many of these fellows from his gang days. Age had not treated them well.

"Well, it seems you're used to this sort of thing, then," Schwarz said, subtly sensing Ryoma's presence. "Very well, I suppose I'll just have to thrash the lot of you."

"Oh yeah? You and what army?!" the leader thug laughed. As if that phrase had served as some sort of signal, Ryoma eagerly bolted out into the open, targeting the thug with the fireman's ax, knocked him down with one punch and picked up his weapon. The gang members turned to look at Ryoma. Black Getter's pilot smirked, and began to twirl and swing the weapon in a threatening manner with one hand.

"Good gravy, it's Tomahawk Nagare!" one of the smaller gang members cried out. "Run for your lives!"

Like a pack of wolves from a great flame, the thugs retreated into the night in terror at the sight of Ryoma's ax prowess.

"Tomahawk Nagare?" Schwarz said with some surprise. "You must quite have a reputation to send them running like that. I take it you came to save Miss Rain here."

"Yeah. Domon's probably worried sick about you."

Rain sighed and shook her head.

"Typical Domon," Schwarz said, shaking his head in disappointment. "I would have thought he'd be better than this by now. But like always, he's acting like a child, only seeing what's in front of him and not considering for the feelings of those around him."

Ryoma was about to say something, but Schwarz seemed to sense it.

"Before you go punching sense into him, Nagare," the German ninja said; "Perhaps I should give Rain a look at how Domon fights from the other side of the ring..."

* * *

_DREAM believes they can defy human nature. _

_They do not know just what they are dealing with. We of SELEE, who have guided humanity towards its ultimate goal since time immemorial, should not tolerate this UFN nonsense. _

_True peace is impossible if the walls around their souls remain, even if you remove international borders. It is time for us to put an end to their farce before it gets off the ground._

_There is still the matter of their affairs of the war with PLANT, as well as the aliens that plague Earth, not to mention the forces they are in conflict with in the other world. They have no choice but to divide their strength, and with the Evangelions back in our sphere of influence, we can easily..._

_No. For now, we must remain on the defensive. The body of Iophiel is in our safekeeping, and DREAM will most likely target the Order directly in the near future. Summon the acolytes of Eden Vital to the Order's defense._

_I see the wisdom in your plans, 00. You plan to let the memories of Iophiel and the two Keys come to us. _

_Exactly. V.V.'s little experiments, in spite of their rebellion, will still be doing exactly what we wanted them to do. And when the ships arrive, you shall unleash upon them the gift I gave to you..._

* * *

_I was hoping to avoid doing this as a route split, but with so many huge events coming up, I figured it would be best to split it up. This will probably be the second-to-last route split of the story and should be pretty short in terms number of chapters, so, here we go:_

_**Tara**__: Code Geass, Evangelion, Gundam SEED, Dancougar, Grendizer, GaoGaiGar FINAL, Combattler V, Voltes V, Nadesico, Macross 7 _

_**Janus: **__UC Gundam, Turn A Gundam, G Gundam, Gurren Lagann, Getter Robo Armageddon, Mazinkaiser, Shin Mazinger, Raideen, Zeorymer_


	88. Chapter 62 Tara

_Okay, so I changed my mind...we WON'T be skipping the next Code Geass arc. Anyway, enjoy!  
_

* * *

**Chapter 62 (Tara) - DREAM's New Duty! Assault on the Geass Order!**

Based on a unanimous vote on the first Resolution by the delegates of the infant UFN, DREAM was now authorized to combat any, and all aggressive powers with agendas that threaten the citizens of any member nation in any significant way. Furthermore, DREAM was granted powers up to and including removing the radical elements from the enemy government and replacing them with officials that would be more open to peace talks.

In essence, DREAM's entire reason for existence had just been granted political legitimacy. At the same time, the UFN had just declared war on the Atlantic Federation, ZAFT and Britannia simultaneously.

Britannia, unsurprisingly, was Zero's first target, and getting Rolo and Jeremiah onto his side proved to be extremely important for this - they revealed the current location for the base of the Geass Order. Of course, he couldn't tell those outside his circle of trusted allies of the true nature of Geass yet. All they knew was that they had located a Britannia-run cult conducting twisted experiments on innocent children, in the hopes of harnessing a power that would threaten the Earth Sphere.

But it was to be a relatively small operation. Only the _Ikaruga _and _Archangel _would take the journey, guided by Jeremiah and Rolo's memories. Meanwhile, the _Nadesico _would remain behind to protect Giga Float from any attacks.

Accompanying them were C.C., Suzaku, Tohdoh, Rolo, Kallen, Daisuke, Tara, Kira, Gai Murakumo, Mu, Jeremiah, and the Cyber Beast Force. Also joining in were several veterans of the Black Knights' early battles. Jeremiah, always the nostalgic type, opted to use an Air-Glide equipped Sutherland as his Knightmare of choice, while C.C. piloted a dark pink Akatsuki Jikisan.

Of course, they needed the element of surprise, and both Zero and Yurika came up with a surprising idea...

* * *

The underground base of the Geass Order was more like a city than a base. Its streets, covered in an eternal purple twilight, wove through a grid of tall, apartment-like buildings arranged in an organized, yet chaotic sort of way. In the chamber furthest away from the entrance, several cloaked Geass Order members stood in a vast chamber, where V.V. sat, a box of animal crackers on the floor next to his throne.

"Tell us, Lord V.V.," one of the Order members said. "What shall we do about the Knight of Eleven? Shouldn't we at least contact His Holiness?"

The long-haired boy pondered for a moment. He wasn't sure if his brother knew that Tahra was being held here, and for what reason she was here. But he was interrupted with the video screen above him suddenly turned on.

_I wonder what it is now, _V.V. thought. _Jeremiah was never one to report unannounced. _To his surprise, he saw Lelouch sitting there, in his room at Ashford. It was also the first time that Lelouch had gotten a good look at V.V.

"How do you do?" Lelouch said cordially but coldly as he sat in a chair, resting his head on his fingertips; "So you're V.V."

"Lelouch!" V.V. said with some surprise. "It seems you're able to tap into Jeremiah's private communication frequency."

"I see there's no need for introductions. That said, I would ask you a question."

V.V. signaled his subordinates to begin preparations for the attack that he had long anticipated.

"Was it you when kidnapped Tara Zifell," Lelouch asked; "And used the Muge Zolbados Empire to render Suzaku and I helpless?"

"Yes, I did," V.V. answered frankly. "But the fact that you're even asking that question indicates that you've regained your memories, doesn't it?"

"It's true," Lelouch said. "I am Zero."

"Then I'd appreciate it if you would return C.C. to us," the Geass Order's director said politely. "In exchange, we're willing to leave you alone."

"It's too late for that!" Lelouch said defiantly. "We of DREAM have already waged war upon you!"

V.V. smirked. "You fool - by the time you get here, we'll be long go..."

Suddenly, the cavern began to rumble as something burst through the ceiling.

"Director...enemies!" one of the cultists exclaimed. "We think it might be DREAM!"

Sure enough, C.C.'s personal Akatsuki , along with several Black Knight rank-and-file troops, landed on the cavern floor below.

"V.V.'s current location has been verified!" C.C. ordered; "All units, encircle point Alpha-7!"

"Thank you so much for your time," Lelouch said with a smirk. "All I needed to do was make you drop your guard for a little bit. By pretending to still be in Area 11, you believed you still had time to mount a defense to cover your escape."

The room Lelouch was in, as it turned out, was an elaborately constructed fake. Behind him were Kallen, Jeremiah, Rolo, and the other members of DREAM who had joined in on the battle. It was then that the signal was cut.

"Load all the project data into the Eject Dart, scramble the troops and prep the weapon for me," V.V.

"You plan to confront them yourself?!"

"Of course. Marianne's child needs to be disciplined. Oh, and while you're at, start rounding up the test subjects, and kill any of those you think aren't far enough along to be of use."

"Yes, my lord!"

* * *

An explosion nearby awoke Tahra from her sleep, with just enough time to dodge a flying piece of rubble that broke her cell door open.

_What the hell is going on, _she wondered; _it sounds like there's a battle going on outside. I guess DREAM found this place - better clear out before it falls apart._

She climbed out of her cell and started down the passageway. However, she soon ran into some Geass Order members who were heading in her direction, pausing at every cell. She gasped when she saw one of them pull out a machine gun and fire a dozen or so rounds into one – and the sounds of a child crying out in pain issued forth from the cell.

Tahra's emotions took over for a moment, and she rushed at the guard, in spite of lacking her weapons. She managed to knock one out with a flying kick, grab his gun and fire on the rest, killing them all. But when she turned to the prisoners, she gasped in horror, and then averted her eyes.

_Geass...all of these people...they have Geass powers._

She had sworn to wipe out the very existence of that dark power, for her family's and friends' sakes. Yet now the Knight wondered if these people were victims of V.V.'s experiments, having powers forced upon them that they never wished for - the very idea of leaving them here to die like this left a bad taste in Tahra's mouth.

But even so, she continued onward and up the stairs, trying to forget their sad eyes and to convince herself that for them, death would be a release.

As Tahra reached the top of the stairs, she looked around, and spotted someone standing at a pair of gigantic double doors at the end of the hallway: her emperor and father-in-law, Charles zi Britannia.

"Your Majesty?!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?! This place is under attack!"

"It seems those meddling Black Knights and their allies have found him out," Charles said rather bluntly, yet without much concern in his voice. "It serves that fool right for defying my orders."

"Defying your orders?"

"As you know, the Church of Eden Vital is the religion of choice in Britannia. I am its Pope along with being ruler of the Holy Britannian Empire. The Geass Order is a separate sect. But it is my brother, V.V. who oversees the Geass Order...and I am very angry at how much he has LIED to me as of late."

"So you..."

"I regret that I did not realize that he had consorted with the Demon King of Lies to bring you to me until it was too late. Come with me and I shall explain everything, as you seem to be confused. We will be safe within the Thought Elevator."

* * *

"It figures they'd try this," Mu sighed as he flew the Perfect Strike over the city. All over the city were Gloucesters, Gareths, Vincent Wards and Sutherlands firing at him, his allies, and the panicking civilians.

"...They're so desperate to keep their little science experiment a secret that they'd slaughter their test subjects," Gai Murakumo said grimly as he targeted a Vincent Ward and took it out with the Astray Blue's beam rifle.

"And to think I willingly worked for such people," Suzaku said shamefully as he fired a few hadron blaster shots at an enemy Gloucester. "Zero, let's split into two groups. C.C. and I will handle the rescue of the civilians; your group can go after V.V."

"Good idea. Anyone who wishes to confront the leader, come with me. Otherwise, you follow Suzaku and C.C.'s orders!"

"Yes, sir!"

Rolo, Kallen, Jeremiah, Tara, Kira and Mu followed after the Shinkiro.

* * *

The strike team (which consisted of everyone except the Black Knights grunts, Suzaku and C.C.) entered another massive cavern chamber beyond the city center. It appeared to be some sort of palace with a monstrously huge set of doors that stretched all the way to the vaulted ceiling.

Just as they entered, they spotted an unusual looking machine hovering in the center of the room - it was a vaguely spherical, orange and green machine with five huge spikes on it. While it was designed using the same technology as Knightmare Frames, it was much larger than any other, and even rivaled some Super Robots in size.

"What is that thing?!" Mu exclaimed. Jeremiah, however, recognized it.

"The Knight Giga Fortress Siegfried...it was intended for my use. Since it works via electrical pulses directly from the pilot's nervous system, there's only one other person capable of using it..."

"Well, well, everything went exactly as he said it would...all that we needed came right to our doorstep."

Tara recognized the voice, but everyone else was surprised to hear that a child was speaking to them.

"You surprise me, V.V.," Lelouch barked as he, too recognized who had addressed them. "I did not expect the puppet-master to come out on stage!"

"Everyone...V.V. may seem like a kid," Tara said angrily; "But don't be fooled...he's a soulless monster!"

"Says the girl broken in two," V.V. replied snidely. The ceiling opened up, and the Siegfried began to fly upwards.

"After him!"

The Siegfried fired two of its green spikes (which were actually oversized slash harkens) at Tara and Lelouch. Tara quickly put up her wing barrier to stop the spike, while Lelouch raised the Absolute Protection Territory for the same purpose.

"Hmph. I actually liked you a little, Lelouch," V.V. said, speaking directly to him. "You reminded me of Charles. Unfortunately, you have a few things we need."

As if on cue, several Virtues, Powers and Cherubs appeared from Thresholds. Flanking the Siegfried were two of a new type of Atik Yomin troop - black-skinned humanoids as big as mobile suits. They were dressed in a dark-colored robe; said humanoid was somehow attached to a great flaming gear-like wheel with eyes at the ends of each of the wheels' spokes.

"So...you have Atik Yomin on your side as well..." Kallen said with a scowl.

"Yes. And I have its most powerful front line troops here. These Thrones, in tandem with my Siegfried, will wipe you all out."

"Pft, we've been through worse," Mu chuckled as the Strike drew its anti-ship sword. "Zero, let's give this brat a spanking he won't soon forget!"

"I concur...all units, commence attack!" Lelouch ordered. "Tear him out of his cockpit!"

But V.V.'s machine possessed incredible agility. It spun like a top and created an electromagnetic barrier around itself, deflecting both bullets and beams. The Geass Order's director let out an unnerving laugh as every attack glanced off of it or missed it entirely. This caused the Atik Yomin troops to charge in and keep DREAM's forces busy.

"Electromagnetic shielding?!" Kira exclaimed when he saw that his attacks weren't working.

"That and the spinning doesn't leave us with a whole lot of other options," Mu said as he dodged a lightning bolt from a Virtue.

"Damn you, V.V.!" Jeremiah roared as his Sutherland fired a bazooka round. "That machine was meant for me to show my loyalty!"

"Jeremiah, I thought you hated Zero?" V.V. replied sardonically.

"I did! I thought he had denied me the right to do my duty!" the cyborg replied as he fired his slash harkens at an incoming Cherub; "But when I learned his true identity, I realized that I should serve him, for Lady Marianne's sake!"

V.V. scowled. He was sick of hearing that name.

"Marianne, Marianne, MARIANNE!" V.V. cried as he fired more of his harkens. "Why is everyone obsessed with that cursed woman?! Don't you dare speak that name in front of me!" The Siegfried was struck suddenly by a beam saber from Mu.

"Temper, temper..." the ace pilot chuckled.

"You...you're Al La Flaga's boy, aren't you?"

"Yeah, and I'm gonna be the one to take you DOWN!"

The Strike Gundam lunged at its foe with its beam saber, but it was deflected by another spinning maneuver. V.V. fired another slash harken, which smashed into the Strike's right arm, knocking it clean off.

"Cripes, there goes my arm..." the ace grunted. "That's what I get for getting overconfident."

"Mu, please retreat!" Kira called out as he readied to take out one of the Thrones with his full set of beam armaments. "I'll cover you!" He unleashed the blast, wiping out the angel in a matter of seconds.

"Rolo, Jeremiah...you know any of that thing's weak points?" Tara said as he blasted a pair of Powers into dust.

"Yes...there's a generator on the bottom that powers its barrier," Jeremiah replied. "But you'll need a beam saber to penetrate the barrier, just as Mu did. Physical bullets and beam shots have little effect."

"Tara, there seems to be a maximum interval to how long the command unit can keep spinning," Xemmey said. "We may be able to take advantage of it if the pilot's attention is divided."

"Rolo, get V.V.'s attention when you get a chance. I've got a plan."

The Vincent rushed in, which caught the Geass Order director's attention.

"And you too, Rolo?" V.V. quipped as he fired a harken at the Vincent. "A failed project like you doesn't have any chance of defeating me...it's a miracle you don't die of a heart attack every time you use your Geass!"

Instead of retracting the harken immediately, the Siegfried began to spin again, the thick cable smashing off the Vincent's legs.

"Damn it...I'll have to jettison them...make this shot count, Tara..."

Rolo's effort wasn't in vain. The Lifthrasir Titania managed to sneak in and smash the generator just as the Knight Giga Fortress stopped spinning.

"I did it!" the ex-assassin exclaimed.

"Good work, Rolo!" Lelouch said, even though he had half-hoped that V.V. would kill him. Just because Nunnally accepted the boy as a member of their family doesn't mean he would. "Now, we can finish him off!"

Tara didn't need to be told twice, even though everyone else was occupied with the remaining Atik Yomin troops. Pulling out both rifles, she prepared to unleash a Lifthra Divider, while Lelouch charged up the Shinkiro's main cannon.

"For my family's vengeance...perish here!" Tara and Lelouch cried at the same time. The Siegfried was blasted from all directions, dealing massive damage to it.

"Damn it..." V.V. scowled as he felt his mech fall out of the sky. "Lelouch, you cursed prince..."

The Knight Giga Fortress slammed into the mountain the city sat beneath, creating a catastrophic explosion. Upon seeing their summoner fall, the remaining Atik Yomin troops disappeared.

"He's...he's dead..." Tara panted. "Mom...Dad...it's all over..."

"No, it isn't," Lelouch said grimly. "He's immortal and can regenerate his body, just like C.C. can." He then turned to the others, as Tara looked down. The Siegfried's exterior was heavily damaged, almost to the point of being beyond repair; however, the cockpit itself appeared to be just fine. And its pilot wasn't in the seat.

"C.C. here," the immortal witch said. "We've gathered as many survivors as we could. Unfortunately, it seems the cultists got away as a result."

"We can track them down later," Lelouch replied. "Everyone, listen up! The target has fled somewhere into the facility. I'll search on the lowest level; Rolo, take the highest; The rest of you, take the middle levels!"

* * *

Unsurprisingly, V.V. was on the lowest level of the facility, crawling on his belly toward a pair of gigantic double doors similar to the ones in his throne room. His forehead was bleeding profusely and many of his bones were broken, forcing him to use his elbows to move forward...even if he could not be killed, he could still be made to bleed.

The ageless boy stopped short of the gate when he saw the silhouette of his brother Charles standing in the gap between the two slightly ajar doors.

"Oh...there you are, Charles," V.V. said weakly. "I'm glad you came. I guess siblings are the only people one can depend on, huh?"

"Elder brother..." the Emperor asked ominously; "Was it you who sent the assassins after Lelouch?"

"Yes...and it seems I've paid a price for it," V.V. replied. "Of course, the vital data is safe and sound."

"And was it you who conspired with HIM to win the Black Rebellion and bring me my Knight of Eleven?" the emperor then asked.

"What are you talking about?" V.V. exclaimed. "You think I would conspire with Muge Zolbados?"

"You have lied to me again, elder brother..." Charles said, genuinely sad to hear his brother lie like this.

Just then, Tahra stepped out from behind Charles, who towered over her. V.V. scowled at the girl whom Charles was so obsessed with, this so-called reincarnation of Marianne.

"And you continue to be deceived by that woman," V.V. retorted, even as Charles approached. "Besides, is she not a part of Eden Vit..."

The Emperor removed his right glove and grabbed V.V.'s head once he got close enough, while pressing his palm against his forehead and lifting his younger brother up.

"I would not expect one who has worked willingly with the Demon King of Lies to understand."

V.V. was overcome with an indescribably painful sensation as the power that kept him frozen in time and unable to die was leeched from him, even as the room seemed to fill with light. After a few moments of this, Charles unceremoniously dropped V.V., then turned back to Tahra and gave a small nod.

Without so much as breaking eye contact, she pulled out one of her knives and threw it in V.V.'s direction.

The blade buried itself in V.V.'s forehead.

"Little brother...help me," the ageless boy gasped as he felt a darkness blacker than anything he had ever imagined fill him.

"You who have wallowed in lies do not deserve to return to Eden Vital," Charles answered spitefully as he turned away while Tahra walked toward him to retrieve her weapon.

V.V. let out a cry as his body dissolved into black dust, which was then sucked into a small black Threshold that formed out of the air, causing the knife to hit the floor with a loud, resonating clang. She picked up the knife and walked back towards the gate, her heart finally at peace.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Suddenly, the Shinkiro appeared from a nearby hole in the wall...and the Emperor grinned.

* * *

Lelouch looked around and saw Charles standing at the gate with the girl who looked like the Lifthrasir's pilot. But before he could do anything, numerous snaking bolts of energy poured from the gate and lashed out at his mind.

The next thing he knew, the prince found himself on a platform hanging over a endless sky, outside the Shinkiro. Two staircases, connected by a smaller platform with a pair of columns topped with large orange gems to another area surrounded by similar columns topped with stones. The entire area, clearly some sort of ancient ruin, seemed to be covered in a perpetual dawn, with the sun constantly hovering in front of him.

"What am I doing outside the Shinkiro...and where am I, anyway? This definitely isn't a hologram..."

"You are correct!" the Emperor bellowed as he stood at the far end of the structure. "Knightmares, Super Robots and mobile suits...all are such inelegant things, especially in the face of the Sword of Akasha! Come, Lelouch, my lying son, and face me!"

He looked over at Tahra, who was standing next to him. If he couldn't Geass him, he'd just Geass someone else to do the job...

"You there! Lelouch vi Britannia commands you...kill Emperor Charles!"

Tahra, however, stood fast against the gaze, and took it head-on.

"As you command, my lord," she said. With one fluid motion, she turned to Charles, pulled out one of her knives, still stained with V.V.'s blood, and jammed it right into the Emperor's heart. He staggered back a few steps, then fell down on his back, causing a gun to fall out of his coat pocket.

Lelouch stared stupefied for several seconds, then hurried to the top of the stairs.

He had done it. Charles zi Britannia, the man who had made him and Nunnally suffer for so many years, was dead!

And yet, this victory left him empty. It had been far too easy. What was more, Tahra didn't seem to be terribly upset, even though she had completed her assigned task.

"No...there are so many things I needed to know," Lelouch thought out loud; "So many people I wanted you to beg for forgiveness from..."

"Oh? To whom?" his father suddenly said, his eyes opening while he grinned sadistically. "You're such an impudent child, LELOUCH!"

"Impossible...you're supposed to be dead!" the prince exclaimed, terrified at seeing this. "She stabbed you in the heart!"

"Schemes, plots, surprise attacks...did you truly think you could defeat the likes of me with such cheap tricks?!" the Emperor replied as he sat up and pulled the knife from his heart. "Cease your reliance on deception, child...and face me like a true emperor! Only then will you have the right to inherit the power of the king!"

Lelouch realized that Charles wasn't using his Geass this time, and desperately decided to Geass the man directly.

"DIEEE!"

The power lashed out at Charles' mind...only to fizzle out. Tahra could only smirk at Zero's growing desperation. While she had been Geassed by Lelouch, the Knight had allowed it to work on her, knowing that her sovereign was now immortal...and now she was immune to that power.

"You call THAT the path of royalty?!" Charles bellowed.

Lelouch frantically looked around, and saw the gun that fell out of Charles' coat. He ran past them, picked it up, turned and fired several shots. All three landed on target, but this time Charles remained steadfast like the colossus he was.

"You still don't understand, do you?" Charles laughed. "I am beyond the power of blades and bullets now! Nothing you can do will defeat me! NOTHING!"

With a dramatic flair, he removed his right glove, revealing the Geass symbol now etched into it...the Code he had taken from V.V.

Lelouch felt a despair and terror he had not felt since the day he had faced Muge Zolbados in his heart - and this almost completely paralyzed him.

_He's immortal now, too?! _Lelouch thought, mortified beyond belief as he dropped to his knees. _I-I can't win...there's no way to beat him now!_

"I have gained a new power to replace my Geass. And now, Lelouch, I shall show you the true nature of this world!"With a dramatic stamping of his foot, the entire space was consumed in a blinding white darkness...

* * *

Nina trembled with excitement as she stepped back and examined the warhead she had just finished working on. Thanks to Prince Clovis, the F.L.E.I.J.A. could finally have a live test. Schneizel's brother had brought Invogue the plans for the N-Jammer Canceler, which would allow the weapon to work properly.

At that moment, a tall, classically handsome, but slightly scruffy Britannian scientist, one of Nina's colleagues, stepped inside.

"Oh, hello there, Nina. Am I interrupting anything?"

"Sam...no, I just finished installing the N-Jammer Canceler into the warhead. It seems to be working properly, so I'll got see if we can set a live test either this afternoon or tomorrow."

Sam smiled.

_Yes, my little puppet, _he chuckled to himself; _tomorrow, you shall set the wheels of madness that will consume the human race in motion. Kushiel and Raziel shall eat their words when F.L.E.I.J.A. goes off for the first time, and Lord Metatron makes ME, Samael the Reaper, the head of Zohar._

"Sam...are we doing the right thing?" Nina said with a sigh. "Will this truly make the Earth Sphere peaceful?"

"Of course. War itself will be changed forever..."

* * *

_So, how will it all turn out? You won't find out until after Chapter 62 (Janus)! Stay tuned until next time, mecha fans!  
_


	89. Chapter 62 Janus

_Okay, folkies, it's time for some more G Gundam plot, but it's also FINALLY time for some more Getter Robo Armageddon plot, which we haven't touched since Black Getter showed up in Chapter 35!_

* * *

**Chapter 62 (Janus) - Evil God's Advent! Schwarz's Might Unveiled!**

"It's finally come down to this, Bro!" Sai Saici said excitedly as he and the other Shuffle Alliance members, along with Shiro, Lorelei and Puru, watched Domon do his daily practice of his martial arts technique. Any fighter worth their salt, even one as hot-headed as Domon, knew that daily practice was required to ensure that they could remain in top form - and tomorrow he would need it._  
_

"Yeah, your claim to win all your matches might actually come true!" Shiro quipped. "Of course, you're guaranteed a spot in the Battle Royale even if you lose this match."

"Well, there's no way he's going to beat Schwarz Bruder!" Lorelei proclaimed. "He's the best there is!"

"Yeah," George said with a hint of embarrassment; "He had no trouble beating all of us. That man is truly something else."

"What's more, there are going to be deathmatch rules," Argo said grimly. "which means there has to be a clear winner."

"Yep...only one of us is going to walk out of that ring," Domon replied. Lorelei, not having heard this part, suddenly felt a little sad. She looked up and saw someone of the Neo Japan fight crew on a high platform, and quickly noticed something was amiss, as did Sai Saici.

"Hey, who's that lady?" Lorelei asked, looking at an unfamiliar woman with brown hair. "I've never seen her before."

"Yeah, where's Rain?" Puru added. Domon huffed, picked up his scarf and threw it on.

"She's no longer part of my crew," the Neo-Japanese Gundam Fighter answered with a small frown. Unsurprisingly, everyone in that little group was shocked.

"Whoa, whoa, back up, bro!" Sai Saici exclaimed. "When did that happen?!"

"I suspect it was after that argument he and Rain had last night," Chibodee said. "I haven't seen her since she stormed out."

"Who needs her?" Domon said disdainfully. "I can do this on my own."

For reasons none of them could explain, a great waterspout shot out from below, with a familiar face standing on top of it - Schwarz Bruder.

""Have you learned NOTHING from your previous battles?!" he taunted. "As long as you keep deluding yourself like that, you won't stand a chance against me!"

"Schwarz! Schwarz is here!" Lorelei cheered.

"What the heck's HE doing here?!" Domon exclaimed.

"It seems people like you who don't listen to words," the German ninja continued; "Need to learn things the hard way. If you can't defeat me, what hope do you have against the Devil Gundam?"

"He's got a point, bro," Sai Saici said uneasily.

"Yeah...he was able to defeat each of us individually," George added. "If you lose, we might as well pack it in as members of the Shuffle Alliance."

"Hey, no need to twist my arm..." Domon replied confidently as he assumed a fighting pose. "I'll fight until the VERY END!"

"I like that resolve you've got there," Schwarz said with a chuckle. "Then perhaps you won't mind knowing that I found myself a new partner last night."

"What do you mean?!" Domon shouted back as Lorelei approached him wide-eyed. Puru and Shiro, however, instantly got what the Neo-German Gundam Fighter was alluding to.

"You can either wait until tomorrow, or go ask your buddy Tomahawk Nagare!" Schwarz replied. "Regardless, I'll see you in the ring!" With that, he bounded back into the water, and the waterspout subsided as quickly as it had formed.

"Bye, Schwarz!" Lorelei called out as he dove in.

"Who the heck is Tomahawk Nagare?" Domon wondered out loud.

"Beats me," George said, shaking his head and shrugging.

"Hey, I bet he means Ryoma, that Getter Robo pilot!" Chibodee said, remembering Ryoma's old nickname. "He returned last night with our pals in DREAM that left after Domon's match against Allenby!"

"The question is...how would he know?" Argo added.

"It doesn't matter. Let's head back to Kurogane House," Domon replied with a slight sulk. He would find Ryoma and get the answer from him, even though deep down, he probably knew who the masked fighter was referring to...

* * *

Tetsuya, finding a moment to himself, sought out the mistress of Kurogane House, who Kouji said was his mother. He found Tsubasa in her usual place, sitting around at the front desk.

"Excuse me, Mistress?"

Tsubasa looked up, not noticing his resemblance to her dead brother immediately.

"What do you want?"

"Your son said that you wished to meet me."

"Huh?" Tsubasa replied before realizing who was speaking to her. "Oh...you're..."

"Tetsuya Tsurugi...the one from the other world."

Tsubasa tried her hardest to maintain her calm, collected attitude as she listend to the doppelganger of her brother, who was supposed to be dead.

"I was adopted by Kenzo Kabuto when I lost my birth family. Apparently he, after losing his wife, began working on a successor to Mazinger Z, which Juzo had drawn up plans for. I was trained to pilot it for the inevitable day that Mycenae would return. But so far, they have not."

"The Mycenaeans existed in your world as well?" Tsubasa said with some surprise.

"Possibly. We did have a Baron Ashura in our world, but the Koji in my world killed him. What's more, Dr. Hell is rotting in a jail cell on the Moon."

Things had turned out much better on the other side, it seemed. But Tsubasa wondered if it was because HER counterpart was dead, rather than Tetsuya being the one who perished. It was a lot to consider...

* * *

"Hey, I thought _Tower _was scrapped!" Kei exclaimed when she saw a battleship that looked just like the old one outside of a hangar at Neo Hong Kong's main aerospace hub. Kei, Gai, Hayato, Benkei and Michiru were here to pick up a replacement for the ship scrapped by the DG Cell Gurren Lagann a long time ago. Leeron of Team Dai-Gurren was present as well, eager to show off his handiwork.

"I didn't think you could just order a new one," Benkei added. "Is it the same design?"

"More or less," Hayato said as he gave it a quick once-over; "Apparently our government has newer models, and wanted to get this one off its hands."

"Of course, they took their sweet time getting it to Kamina City," Leeron sighed. "Bureaucrats...go figure...anyway, there's also a few other things in the hangar but I thought I'd save them for later."

"At least now we don't have to rely entirely on the _Ra Calium _to get around," Michiru commented; "In the Earth's atmosphere, anyway. But we should get going now - Domon's match is starting in an hour!"

* * *

_"Rain did WHAT?!"_

_"You heard me, Kasshu. Your gal just joined Schwarz's crew, since she resigned as a member of yours. That's what you get for taking her for granted..."_

Domon tried not let Ryoma's words get to him as God Gundam entered the ring for his final match against Schwarz Bruder. He would defeat him without Rain's help, or from anyone else. He had the Sekiha Tenkyoken...as long as he could use that, Domon knew he could win.

But as he spied his childhood friend on the platform behind Gundam Spiegel. Even from this great distance, and the fact that she was sporting an outfit similar to Schwarz's, the Neo-Japanese Gundam Fighter could see her, and the sadness in her eyes.

"Alrighty then," Wong declared; "...GUNDAM FIGHT!"

"Ready..."

"GO!"

God Gundam and Gundam Spiegel collided with stupendous force and began to a push and shove contest of strength. Janus, Kouji, Judau, Go, Amuro, Lorelei and Yoko sat in the stands.

"C'mon, Domon!" Janus cheered.

"Kick his ass!" Kouji called out.

"Yeah! Show that ninja-wannabe why it's called God Gundam!" Judau whooped.

Lorelei opted to support her homeland's Fighter by remaining silent while Yoko contentedly munched on some snacks and Amuro kept glancing up at the sky for any sign of Axis. Go, however, was starting to become visibly more ill with each passing second.

However, Domon's resolve had been weakened by the sight of Rain on the other side, especially as he continued to try and convince himself that he was capable of winning. As a result, it wasn't long before Schwarz obtained the upper hand.

"C'mon, Domon, what's the matter?!" Schwarz taunted as he repeatedly slashed his opponent with Gundam Spiegel's blades. "Don't tell me this is all you can do on your own!"

_Damn it...if only I could get a chance to use the God Finger_, Domon said to himself in frustration.

Even when Domon tried to counterattack, Gundam Spiegel was able to dodge gracefully before continuing its relentless assault. Lorelei was smiling with an almost impish glee, knowing full well that Schwarz was going to win.

But suddenly, she heard Go grunt and groan, and clutch his head in pain.

"Go...what's wrong? You don't look well."

"It's...coming..." Go said, his eyes shut tight.

Amuro heard this and suddenly turned to him, wondering what he was muttering about.

"What's coming?" Amuro asked worriedly. "Tell us!"

"No," Go muttered. "What happened...this wasn't..."

Amuro suddenly understood what Go meant as he felt a tremendous psychic pressure coming from out in the distance...

Shin Dragon.

* * *

"Now, Shin Dragon, take in my cells," Saotome cackled; "And let your evil shout make the world tremble!"

Saotome extended tentacles from his body and began injecting Invader cells into Shin Dragon, a process that would serve to evolve it further. Stinger and Cohen did the same thing, with twisted grins on their faces as they eagerly awaited the monstrosity's next stage of evolution.

"Awaken, and herald the beginning of the true Armageddon!"

Shin Dragon, now a slave to the Invader-possessed Saotome's will, slowly pulled the scientist into the floor, allowing him to fuse with it. Moments after the mad scientist completely disappeared, a long sharp tentacle shot out of the floor and impaled Saotome's two colleagues. But instead of being killed, green, crack-like veins began to forming around them, as Getter Rays rushed into them.

"I-I-I can feel your genes flowing into me!" Cohen stammered as the power coursed through him. "Evolution is truly amazing, isn't it, Mr. Stinger?"

"Yes, Mr C-Cohen! Evolution f-feels wonderful!" his colleague replied.

* * *

Suddenly, Neo Hong Kong began to quake and tremor as the earth's crust heaved and groaned. The entire ring shook, knocking Schwarz off his balance, while Domon was already on the ground, unable to move.

Then, an entire volcanic island began to rise out of the ocean about ten miles out to sea, a process that normally takes thousands of years occurring in the span of mere moments. This sent a series of powerful waves right toward the great city, rushing in at a substantial clip. Watching all this were Wong and Master Asia, who had been viewing the Gundam Fight.

"Well, well, it seems we have another uninvited guest, Master Asia," Wong said jokingly, confident that his perch could not be swept away by the rushing tide, even as it approached. "But it looks like the match-up between Neo-Japan and Neo-Germany turned out to be a real...wash-out!"

"This is no time for jokes, Prime Minister," the old martial artist growled. "If that thing finds the Devil Gundam before its regeneration is complete, the Earth will be..."

"Now, now, why don't we let our dear friends in Londo Bell...or rather, DREAM handle it?" Wong replied dismissively. "They've been so eager to protect this city every time someone attacked it. Of course, if old man Saotome and his pet Invaders finally do them in, so much the better. Either way, we will have one less set of foes to deal with before today is over..."

* * *

The waves swept through the city's downtown, flooding everything near sea level within a thousand yards of the shore with a minimum of three feet of water. Kurogane House, however, was safe from the danger of the tsunami, as it was on the edge of town and high on a hill. However, they weren't exactly safe from the forces of Invaders that was gathering around the newly formed island. And it was here that DREAM frantically prepared for the imminent battle within the _Ra Calium _and the reborn _Tower_.

Domon, however, was in no condition to fight at the moment. God Gundam had received a sound thrashing from Gundam Spiegel, and likely would have lost had not disaster struck in the middle of the match. Indeed, it was Schwarz who carried Domon out of the ring as the waves drew close to shore.

"I hope you've learned your lesson, Domon," Schwarz scolded him in a somewhat kinder voice as Rain patched him up. "Rain, I trust that my fine opponent is in good hands?"

"Yes. I may not be much of a fighter, but I can still support him in other ways."

"Actually, Rain," Leeron interrupted; "You maaaaay want to rethink that first part."

"Oh, Leeron. Do you need me for something? I'll just finish bandaging Domon...there. Now try not to move too much, all right?" Domon grumbled with resentment as he watched the two leave.

Leeron lead Rain down to _Tower_'s hangar, and over to a mobile fighter that resembled Shining Gundam. However, its body was more red and white, as opposed to the white and blue that had dominated Shining's design. Its shoulder armor was also somewhat wider.

"This Gundam...where did you get it? And why are you showing it to me?"

"Rising Gundam here used to belong to Ulube Ishikawa," the engineer said, "But now it's yours, Miss Mikamura. Now you can support Domon on the battlefield as well as off!"

"But I don't know any martial arts," Rain said, unsure about taking such a gift. "It'd be of no use to me."

"Au contraire! This baby is perfectly suited for someone like you! It comes equipped with a beam naginata and a beam bow - both of which I heard you are formally trained in. I even took the liberty of adding some repair equipment to it so you can patch up allies on the go! So, still think it will be useless?"

"I...guess not," the doctor replied awkwardly.

"It's settled then! Get out there and kick some Invader tail, milady!"

* * *

"Excuse me, Janus," an old scientist with one eye and a deformed face said to Janus as he was heading towards the hangar inside _Tower _where Granlif Yggdrasil was being kept to prepare for the coming battle. Its pilot paused and turned. Janus remembered seeing the old man now and again when he had first joined the _Tower _crew back when his journey began, but he had never spoken with him.

"Huh? Oh...um..."

"I have seen you many times before," the old scientist said, "But I never got the chance to speak with you until now. My name is Dr. Shikishima...but let me get to the point. I'd like to take a look at your machine if you would be so kind."

Janus didn't see the harm, as much as the scientist's face bothered him. After all, why would Hayato have allowed him on the ship if he wasn't trustworthy? The two continued down the hall toward the hangar.

"I understand your machine has undergone some sort of...evolution," Dr. Shikishima said with a wheezing chuckle.

"Evolution?" Janus replied as they approached the hangar door. "Well, its form changed since the last time I was here, and it is more powerful. But why do you think it evolved, and wasn't just, you know, upgraded?"

"Dr. Saotome and I were once colleagues, and we studied Getter Rays for many years," he said as they walked along the catwalk leading downward to the hangar. "We believe there is a very strong link between the evolution of life and that strange energy."

"Okay, so why are you so interested in my machine?" Janus asked as he spotted Xengar down below.

"I believe it may answer a question that has plagued me for years since I began my studies."

"Xengar, you mind if Dr. Shikishima here pokes around Granlif a bit?"

"Very well. But only for a few minutes. Booting up the TZIM System's combat functions takes time, which we don't have much of."

The scientist perked up when he heard the name of the system.

"TZIM System? The Transitional Zone Interpolation and Manipulation System?"

"Huh? How do you know about it?" Janus asked. "Unless you peeked at my data logs..."

"Tell me," the scientist said, his one eye glittering with anticipation; "Is there a machine you know that possesses a system called the TZUM System?"

"Yeah...Lifthrasir does have the TZUM," Xengar said. "It's in the other world now but..."

"Tzim...tzum...tzim...tzum...tzimtzum...yes...it makes sense now! Janus, Xengar, my question is one step closer to being answered! You have my deepest gratitude! Now, if you'll excuse me, I am needed on the bridge!"

The old man walked away, constantly muttering the word "tzimtzum" over and over again in between unnerving giggles of excitement.

* * *

Considering the size of the enemy force, DREAM had to field much of its force as both ships flew toward the newly made island.

However, they would also have new equipment on their side besides Rising Gundam.

"Kouji Kabuto, are you prepared?" Lorelei said, speaking through the face on the torso of the rebuilt Danube Alpha-1. Unlike before, the android girl was now free to enter and leave the machine as she pleased, rather than being permanently fused to it like Schtroheim's original design.

"It's just a bunch of Invaders, at least right now," Kouji replied as Mazinger Z stood there, waiting for the crane to manually attach God Scrander to its back. "I've fought my fair share of them."

"I wouldn't be too sure it's just them," Amuro said grimly; "After all, I can only think of one thing that could form an island like this while associating with Invaders." The leader of Londo Bell was riding in a new machine of his own: the Hi-Nu Gundam. It was a white-and-violet-colored Gundam that resembled a cross between the Nu Gundam and the Freedom Gundam from the Flourishing World. The wings, however, were actually powerful funnels.

"Yeah, it's gotta be Shin Dragon," Judau added. "I haven't felt psychic pressure this strong since we took on EI-01."

"Not to mention that Ryoma's all worked up," Four then said as final preparations on the Psyco Gundam mk III continued. "He was like this when he fought Invaders, but not to this degree."

Suddenly, the call to scramble went out - the enemy was on the move.

* * *

"There's those lighter gray Invaders," Ryoma said when he noticed the unusual-looking Invaders as Black Getter flew alongside Shin Getter and other members of DREAM toward the island. "Looks like the old man got all buddy-buddy with Muge Zolbados."

But soon another mech appeared among the mass of Invaders that had gathered around the new volcano.

"Lumber Gundam..." Argo scowled. "I wonder if those two creeps Stinger and Cohen are in control of it..."

"Listen up, everyone," Hayato ordered; "We've confirmed Shin Dragon's presence to be on this new island. Unfortunately, it looks like we'll have to bait it out. It's likely that we'll have to reduce the enemy numbers first. But once Shin Dragon appears, focus only on it."

"Roger that, El Capitan!" Koji quipped from within Mazinkaiser. "C'mon, Kaiser, let's show them how we do things in OUR world!"

* * *

_So this is how far you've fallen, Andrew_, Argo thought as he fought hand to hand with the Invader-possessed Lumber Gundam; _Reduced to this pale shadow of your former self, your body usurped by an inhuman creature._

The ex-pirate felt the Shuffle Crest on his hand pulse and throb, as if trying to tell him something.

It wanted him to kill Andrew - but not out of malice, but as an act of mercy. Unlike those infected with DG Cells, it was beyond the power of that Crest to restore those who had lost their souls to the Invaders.

"Very well then," Argo sighed. He concentrated, drawing upon the power of his crest to draw out his machine's full power. Bolt Gundam began to glow gold as the Black Joker crest shone on his hand.

Lumber Gundam rushed at its opponent, claws bared to kill, but Bolt Gundam's Super Mode, obtained in the Guyana Highlands, allowed the ex-pirate to stand fast.

"Andrew! Your wife is waiting for you!"

He slammed his fist into the ground, causing a column of volcanic to shoot out, and send the Invader-possessed Gundam flying skyward. As it came down, Bolt Gundam caught its foe in a bear hug and began to squeeze hard.

"GAIA...CRUSHEEEERRR!"

Argo squeezed one final time, causing Lumber Gundam to break in two and explode. The Invaders within popped like balloons due to the influx of energy. But Andrew himself lasted a moment longer, just long enough to see the image of his wife reaching out to him.

The Neo-Russian Gundam Fighter had only a few moments to think on his act before another Invader pounced at him, forcing him back into the melee.

* * *

"Bothersome freaks!" Masaki growled as Zeorymer fired an energy blast from one of its orbs at an Invader. Ever since returning to this world, Masato was having more and more trouble staying the dominant personality, even outside of Zeorymer.

"Sir, I'm detecting a massive influx of Getter Rays coming from beneath the island," Miku said in a robotic voice.

"Ah, so my old colleague finally decides to show himself," the scientist said with a smirk. "Set the DCS to anti-radiation mode. It's time for Zeorymer of the Heavens to meet his other sibling."

Suddenly, the island began to shake, and an order from the _Ra Calium _came.

"All units, withdraw from the crater!" Bright commanded. "I repeat, all forces, withdraw from the crater!"

A massive green blast of Getter Rays poured out from the mouth of the volcano, annihilating some Invaders that were foolishly positioned directly over it. The blast went straight up, a single blazing green pillar reaching into the heavens themselves.

But the source of said beam was hardly DREAM's benefactor - crawling from out of the volcano mouth came the very being that Go had been fearing would come:

Shin Dragon.

However, its shape had changed significantly since its last appearance - its body was much smoother and sleeker than before, and possessed an almost metallic sheen; on its back had a pair of red wings that seemed vestigial, in spite of their size; its chest had a pair of snake-like eyes on it; Meanwhile, more horns could be seen on its back, and everything below its torso was like a gigantic iron snake.

The abomination reared up, stretching nearly a quarter mile in height, and let out an unearthly roar before facing its opponents again.

Simon frowned when he saw its most noticeable facial feature - a red face-mask of sorts.

"What?! Did Shin Dragon SERIOUSLY rip off my bro's sunglasses style?! Man, as if I needed another reason for this thing to bug me!"

Meanwhile, on the bridge, Hayato and Dr. Shikishima gazed out at the menacing abomination.

"What on Earth..." Hayato gasped.

"Oh, so this is evolution!" Shikishima said, awe-struck by Shin Dragon's new form. "Truly incredible! And yet...somehow this does not seem it should be its true form...it has become a god of destruction!"

"That old man must have regained control over it thanks to Muge;" Hayato said grimly. "But it doesn't matter. We can't allow this thing to exist any longer. All units, concentrate your attacks on Shin Dragon!"

"The bonfire has been lit," Saotome declared, "Soon this planet will become a home where we Invaders can live and prosper!" Stinger and Cohen had somehow visibly fused with Shin Dragon, manifesting within it as gargantuan copies of their faces.

"The time has come to show you our power!" the three crazed scientists declared in unison; "GETTER BEAM!"

Shin Dragon opened its mouth, and fired a massive green blast of Getter Rays at _Tower _and the _Ra Calium_.

However, the attack completely missed DREAM's mechs as they dodged in different direction to avoid the attack. The two ships nearly got away, but the beam managed to clip them, searing some non-vital parts. The beam, amazingly, managed to completely miss the city.

"Saotome!" Janus roared as he righted Granlif Yggdrasil and charged at the looming monstrosity, changing to his winged form to give his machine a major power boost, which allowed it to plow through numerous Invaders.

"Oh, it's you," Stinger chuckled, not intimidated by this foe in the least.

"The boy who stood against us recently," Cohen added.

"It seems your machine has undergone evolution as well," Saotome declared; "But it will not be enough to defeat the god-like Shin Dragon!"

"Oh yeah?" Janus replied as he charged up his machine close to its current maximum. "Then how about some of this?!"

Granlif raised its sword, which became wreathed in white flame that grew to nearly the same height Shin Dragon had reared up to when it appeared from the volcano.

"SAAIIIINT...INFERNOOOOOO!"

Janus brought the sword down on Shin Dragon, consuming the entire island in a bright flash of light.

He smirked, content in his victory.

"Janus," Xengar interrupted. "Our attack did not seem to have much effect."

Sure enough, when the light faded, Shin Dragon was still there - and other than a few burn marks that it quickly healed, was completely TZIM's automatic power dispersal function kicked in, powering Janus down again.

"That was quite a flash, Mr. Cohen," Stinger said mockingly.

"Yes, I actually had to close my eyes, Mr. Stinger," Cohen replied. "One shouldn't stare into the sun!"Both men started laughing.

_Damn it_, Janus thought; _Why did I actually think I had destroyed it so easily?_

"A commendable effort," Saotome bellowed; "But meaningless all the same!"

"Be consumed by Getter Rays and perish," the three said in unison as Shin Dragon opened its mouth again; "...GETTER BEAM!" Reflexively, Janus raised Granlif's shield wings, hoping they would hold out against the powerful blast. But a hot-blooded cry made them stop their attack.

"GETTER TOMAHAWWWK!"

Black Getter and Shin Getter had managed to sneak up behind the monstrosity, which allowed Ryoma a chance to strike it. He slashed with his machine's axe, digging the weapon's blade into Shin Dragon's thick body. Go, however, was having difficulty controlling Shin Getter, his mind somehow being affected by Shin Dragon's corruption.

"You're still alive?" Saotome said, somewhat casually as Shin Dragon tried to swat the red Getter Robo away. His attention was fully on Ryoma now. The monstrosity shook and wiggled its body to try and throw Black Getter off. But Ryoma held on for dear life, determined to find the mad scientist and tear him to pieces.

Watching all this was Michiru, piloting Getter Q as always. Even though she trembled in the face of this behemoth, she refused to back down - not with Ryoma in danger.

_Ryoma...I lost you and Hayato once...I won't lose either of you again!_

"GETTER BEEEAAAM!"

Getter Q fired the beam at Shin Dragon's left arm, which, to everyone's amazement, left a large hole in its hand.

"What?!" Saotome exclaimed as Shin Dragon turned toward its attacker. "Impossible! There's no way anyone could..."

But when he laid eyes on Getter Q, Saotome and Shin Dragon froze up.

"Impossible...you...how are you..." he gasped, his old self momentarily regaining control of his body. "Michiru...how can you still live?!"

"Father, I don't know if you can hear me, but please, stop! You promised to never use Getter Rays this way! They were supposed to make the world prosper, not die!"

"Something is happening to Saotome, Mr. Stinger," Cohen grumbled as Shin Dragon reached out to touch Getter Q with its right hand.

"Yes, we must remind him who he is," Stinger said. The two faces strained a bit, using their energy to silence Saotome's old self. With a wicked grin, Saotome reached out and grabbed Michiru's mech.

"Fool! Why should we Invaders care about the wishes of a human?" Saotome laughed. "This world no longer belongs to you! Today is the day of...AAAAAGH!"

Getter Q unleashed another Getter Beam, burning another hole in Shin Dragon. Ryoma, seeing that Michiru's attacks were working, decided to try a Getter Beam of his own.

"GETTER! BEEEEAM!"

But this time, the beam had the exact opposite effect. The beast was quickly covered in glowing pink lines.

"Holy cow, is it ABSORBING Black Getter's beam?!" Koji exclaimed. "Kaiser, let's stop this thing! FIRE BLASTER!"

Mazinkaiser launched a blast of energy from its chest, but it had no visible effect on Shin Dragon.

But then things got weirder - Ryoma's beam began to bend like a tentacle as the energy funneled out of Black Getter. The machine's reactor started to go haywire, unable to manage the forced increase in output.

"RYOMA!" Michiru screamed, spurring Getter Q in the direction of the doomed Black Getter. But surprisingly, the machine DIDN'T explode. It did began to sprout leaks everywhere, causing oil to spew out like blood. The irises and pupils in its eyes faded, and the black robot tumbled toward earth, its reactor completely sucked dry. Unfortunately, Getter Q wasn't as agile as it could be, and the machine hit the water, though Michiru was close behind it.

With that, Shin Dragon turned its attention to Shin Getter, which was now hovering on the spot, a result of Go being virtually paralyzed.

"Now for you!" Saotome declared as Shin Dragon charged up yet another Getter Beam. Kei, realizing that Go was in no condition to be fighting anymore, yanked her Open Get lever, allowing the machine to divide into its component parts once more. Shin Eagle immediately went into a nosedive, doomed to share the same watery fate as Black Getter.

But Kei, in a daring maneuver, attached Shin Jaguar to the back, and assumed control, and began to fly back toward Tower, with Shin Bear following closely. As they flew over it, Getter Q resurfaced, clutching a waterlogged but alive Ryoma in its hands. She too began to fly back toward _Tower_.

Saotome let out a cackling victory cry.

"Come, fools! We shall bring your final judgment upon you all!"

"Geez, this thing's WAY tougher than it was before," Judau grunted as he slashed an Invader in half with his beam saber. "And back then it was pretty tough already..."

"We can't give up!" Simon called out. "Everyone, hit 'em with everything you've got, and don't let up! This thing CAN'T be invincible!"

* * *

Go's eyes stared blankly at the ceiling as he was rushed to _Tower_'s medical bay. The corruption of Shin Dragon had dealt severe damage to his mind, and was starting to take a toll on his body as well. Kei and Gai wanted to stay by their friend's side, leaving Shin Getter without pilots.

That was something Ryoma wouldn't have. He, Benkei, and Michiru approached Hayato on the bridge, and which the former pilot of Getter 2 sadly declined doing.

"What do you mean, you can't pilot the Getter?!" Ryoma exclaimed in angry shock.

"I told you already," Hayato replied coldly. "I have my duties as commander here."

"He's right, Ryoma...come on," Benkei said, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. Michiru, to their surprise, stepped in.

"If you won't pilot Shin Jaguar, then I will!"she said. This statement shocked all three Getter pilots.

"Michiru?!"Ryoma exclaimed in horror, memories of that traumatic day replaying in his mind.

"I've piloted Liger before," the daughter of Saotome continued. "It can't be much different from those controls."

Hayato, also seeing those memories in his mind's eye, suddenly rethought his choice. He had a plan all set up, but he couldn't do it if he wasn't on the bridge. But he wasn't going to lose Michiru again.

"No...I'll go," the commander said. "Michiru, stay here. Yamazaki, take command!"

The scientist's daughter smiled as she watched the three leave together. She knew that it was the only way to convince him to go, even though she was perfectly capable of piloting the white Getter machine. In her heart, Michiru knew it was better this way.

Suddenly, more alarms started going off.

"Commander!" one of the operators cried.

"Commander Jin is going out to fight, and I'm captain in his stead;" the blonde officer said; "What's the situation?"

"We're getting unusual readings coming from Lantau Island!" the operator replied anxiously; "Something's bursting out from beneath it!"

"What is?!"

Another unearthly roar, different from Shin Dragon's, came from the direction of the nearby Lantau Island, where the Battle Royale was to take place.

"It's...it's the Devil Gundam!" the operator cried.

* * *

_Yes, ladies and germs! Next time, it's time for a three-way rumble between the forces of DREAM, the Devil Gundam and Shin Dragon! And this time, only one will be left standing! How will this epic battle play out! Find out next time!_


	90. Chapter 63 Tara

_It's time for yet more Code Geass and Gundam SEED plot. This one's got a lot of plot dumping involved, so grab some popcorn! Also, an event that some of you have been bugging me out will finally be happening!_

* * *

**Chapter 63 (Tara) – Sinister Revelations Abound! Two Become One!**

Lelouch saw numerous masks etched with with red lines appear from out of the white void he was surrounded by.

Soon the white disappeared, revealing that each mask was worn by one of a number of Thrones. The rest of the chamber was surrounded with constantly turning gears of all shapes and sizes, working to power some unknown machine.

Lelouch regained his composure and stood up.

"Tell me...tell me what Geass is! What are you planning?!"

"Is it not amusing, my daughter-in-law?" Charles laughed. "A child who covers himself in lies desires the truth!"

Lelouch could only scowl.

"Tell me then, my boy..." the Emperor continued; "What has the mask of Zero gotten you?"

"It's gotten me plenty!" Lelouch replied defiantly. "I've gained an army which an ordinary student could never have! Followers! Territory! Allies more powerful and reliable than any other!"

"You deceive them, and use your so-called 'allies' to achieve your own ends," said one of the Thrones.

"In the name of freedom and peace, you enslave others to your will," spoke another. "You do nothing but bathe in lies and hypocrisy daily."

"Shut up!" the prince yelled. "People lie to everyone in order to live! I only did what everyone else does!"

"Why do you lie when you desire others to know your true self?" said a third.

Their words resonated with Lelouch, and the fact that they did terrified him.

"You seek to expose yourself, yet you cannot...instead you hide behind a mask. Do you fear others knowing your true nature?!"

"That's not true!" Lelouch screamed.

"There is no need to keep lying," Charles said as the masks disappeared, exposing the mouth-less faces of their wearers. "That is because you are me, and I am you."

Tahra's smug expression suddenly changed to one of confusion. This was something she had not heard before.

"You see, my boy," Charles continued there is really only a single entity. From past to future, throughout the history of this world and all others, only ONE."

"One? What are you going on about?!" Lelouch exclaimed.

"That's enough, Charles," a voice that the prince recognized echoed. "You've had your fun. Besides, I already exist in this world."

The gears parted, revealing, of all people, C.C..

_What?! His Majesty knows Zero's second-in-command?! _Tahra thought, truly confused now.

"C.C.?!" Lelouch said weakly, driven even further into horrified disbelief.

"Yes...you are quite correct, C.C.. While I am still missing the other Key, I can still grant you your wish, and through it, the new world shall be realized!"

"You...know C.C.'s wish?!" Lelouch exclaimed. "And what do you mean by a Key?!"

"Lelouch...it's time I told you the terms of our contract and what I wished from you..."

Both Tahra and Lelouch listened with bated breath.

"My wish...is to die," the green-haired woman said. "To be released from my endless existence and return to the source of all souls: Eden Vital."

"You want...to die?!" Lelouch replied, unable to believe his ears. "That's..."

"In the final stages of Geass," C.C. explained, "The user inherits the power of the one who granted them Geass in the first place...in short, you gain the power to kill me and return my soul to the place where it came from."

"Kill you?!" the prince blurted out, still trying to process everything he was hearing. "Eden Vital?!"

"Unfortunately, not one of the individuals who I made contracts with got to that point," the immortal witch said with a small hint of disappointment in her voice. "However, Charles here has succeeded."

"You...made your contract with me...just to die?" the prince gasped, deeply disturbed by such an idea. "You were living for that sole reason?!"

"Of course. That's the way of things," C.C. replied. "Our souls separate from Eden Vital, take up a body, then returns when that body's limited lifespan is up, allowing them to begin a new, fresh existence. Life is defined by that limited period."

_Return to Eden Vital..._ Tahra thought. _That's what happens upon death?_

"No! You're wrong!" Lelouch yelled back. "It's called life because we are alive!"

"It's the same thing," the immortal witch replied. "Without death, there is no life."

"Then what's the reason are we born into this world?!" Lelouch cried; "what is the meaning of our existence?!"

"Meaning? Reason?" C.C. said with a small giggle and smile. "They're nothing but illusions people create for themselves."

Tahra couldn't explain it, but something about this was starting to piss her off.

"Even so, living just to die is no life at all!"Lelouch retorted.

_Yes...he's right...life is meant to be cherished and enjoyed, _Tahra thought;_ not treated like some sort of burden!_

"Neither is being trapped in a single endless life, denied the right to remain part of the natural cycle," C.C. said coldly; "But if you wish to have a reason for living, then kill me. Do that, and you will be able to overcome Charles."

Tahra wanted to shut up the immortal witch up, but when she tried to move, the Knight realized that she was unable to move...something in this strange dimension was keeping her from interfering.

C.C. sighed when she saw the look of pity and sadness in Lelouch's eyes.

"You've really let them rub off on you too much," the green-haired woman said; "Farewell, Lelouch."

A pedestal with a button on it rose from the floor, which C.C. pressed. A gaping void opened beneath the prince, into which he began to fall. In the next instant, numerous bolts of energy grabbed him and dragged him into the void. His cries echoed as he fell, but soon, all was silent again...

* * *

Athrun steeled himself as he was escorted by the two armed guards to his father's office on Jachin Due. When the ZAFT guards found that he had returned on an Alliance shuttle, he was immediately treated with suspicion, even though he was Patrick Zala's son.

As they approached the door, Athrun's Coordinator hearing could pick up the sounds of his father speaking with someone.

"...Yes, I look forward to working with your emperor as well, General Blaki. We'll hammer out the details later on."

The door opened, and Athrun saw his father press a button and then turn to him, frowning and leering. After dismissing the guards, father and son prepared for a confrontation neither was looking forward to.

"So...where's the Justice? What happened to the Freedom and Harmony? Answer me!"

Athrun paused, then asked his father the question whose answer would set his path in stone.

"Father. What do you really feel about this war?"

"What?!"

"How long must we continue fighting?"

"Why are you asking me this nonsense?!" Patrick yelled, already running low on patience for Athrun's words; "You're supposed to concentrate on your mission! Now tell me, where are those mobile suits?!"

"I returned because I felt the need to ask you that directly, that's all."

"Damn it, Athrun, cease this prattling and tell me where those Gundams are!"

"Alaska...Panama...Victoria...you attack the enemy because you're attacked, and then you're attacked again because you attacked! War and disaster are spreading like wildfire! There has to be another way!"

"Where did you get such crazy ideas? Is Lacus Clyne filling your head with these lies?!"

"Father, do you seriously think that meeting force with force is going to put an end to this war?! Do you think allying with ALIENS will achieve that?!"

"Of course they will! The war will end when every last damned Natural is obliterated! Athrun...tell me...where are the Justice, Freedom and Harmony?! If you don't answer, even you will not be forgiven!"

"Father...is it really what you want? To kill all Naturals?"

"OF COURSE IT IS, YOU DOLT! THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS WAR! THAT'S WHAT WE'VE FOUGHT FOR SINCE DAY ONE!"

ZAFT's leader violently tossed his son to the floor, marched over to his desk and pulled out a gun. Athrun watched as his father then approached him once more and aimed it at his head.

"I'm giving one last chance, Athrun. Tell me where the Justice, Freedom and Harmony are! If you don't, I'll have you arrested and thrown in prison as a traitor! I am your father, Athrun, as well as your superior! ANSWER ME!"

Athrun's answer was one that the leader of ZAFT wasn't quite expecting. Patrick's son let out a battle cry and rushed at his insane father. Without any hesitation, Patrick pulled the trigger, striking his only child on the shoulder with the bullet. He pressed a button on his desk, which summoned a bunch of armed guards.

"Take him into the prison," Patrick commanded, "And do whatever it takes to get information on the locations of the Justice and the two other stolen mobile suits, even if it means beating him."

Two of the guards restrained Patrick's son and escorted him away.

"I'm very disappointed in you, son."

"Same here," Athrun muttered.

As far as Athrun cared at this point, his father was dead...or rather, he had died in the Bloody Valentine over a year ago.

As Athrun was led out of the office, he spotted a vaguely familiar-looking soldier up on the balcony. But before he could process who it could be, the soldier slipped away...

* * *

Lelouch phased back into some form of existence after falling for seemingly forever. Everything around him was foggy and had very little color, but he could see that he was on a dirt road of some sort, probably in the countryside. A crude stone wall was to his right, and up ahead were some stone houses with roofs made of mud and straw.

But his attention was quickly turned to a young girl struggling to walk forward coming straight toward him. She was dressed in rags, had green hair, while one of her ankles dragged a heavy-looking metal chain along.

"Hey, wait!" Lelouch exclaimed, rushing toward the girl as exhaustion overcame her, causing her to fall forward.

But when the prince tried to catch her, she passed through him as if he wasn't even there. He stood there, frozen and confused as everything momentarily turned gray around him. Was he dead? A ghost?

"It's no use," the voice of C.C. said. He turned around and saw the figure of the C.C. he knew. The world started to turn more colorful, with the green of the grass and leaves, the blue of the water, and the brown of the dirt road becoming more vivid.

"These are memories of the past. You can't interfere with them."

"C.C.?" Lelouch said; "No...you're not C.C., are you?"

"Who are you?" the C.C. ghost asked.

"I'm Lelouch, your..."

Suddenly, the scenery started changing rapidly, too fast for the young man to get a grip on his surroundings, at least until the changing stopped.

Now he was inside a wooden building of some sort - a church based on the decor. He looked ahead of him and saw what must have been the young version of C.C. lying on her belly, looking up at a thin, beautiful nun in the traditional clothing. Light shone through the stained glass window, illuminating the two figures.

_Do you have a reason to live_? the nun asked the young C.C. in a kind, gentle voice.

_I don't know...but I don't want to die! _the ragged girl replied in anguish.

_Then let's make a contract with one another_, the nun then said; _I'll give you the power you need to survive. In return, would you grant me a single wish someday?_

Lelouch then noticed that the nun had the same mark of Geass that was on C.C. and V.V.'s foreheads, and on Charles' hand.

"Is this..."

"Yes. This is the woman who I made a contract with."

The scenery changed, showing moments where people were showing the young C.C. all sorts of kindness, and even affection.

"The nature of my Geass was that people would care for me," the C.C. ghost continued. "Because, that's all I wanted, deep down...to be cared for by someone...whether love or just friendship."

_Love, _Lelouch thought.

"And my wish was granted. Thanks to my Geass, everyone I ever came into contact with loved and cared for me. Unfortunately, I was subject to so much affection that I never understood what truly being cared for was like. As a result I ended up mistrusting everyone except that nun. Since she was immune to my Geass, she scolded me for abusing it all the time. But even so..."

The scenery changed back to the wooden church, which had changed little. On the other hand, the young version of C.C. now resembled the one Lelouch knew. However, she had Geass symbols over both eyes now, just like his father did. What was more, she was naked for some reason.

_Yes, yes, I gave back all the gifts I got, just like you said_, the memory-C.C. said, sounding much perkier and cheerful than the droning, near-emotionless version the prince was familiar with.

_That's good, _the nun replied.

_But I can't help it, _the green-haired girl then said;_ It's the Geass' fault...listen, I'm grateful for everything you've done, Sister, but this is really becoming troublesome for me as well. I'm tired of all the presents, favors and marriage proposals...and there's even someone trying to start a cult around me. _

_I see...then let's end this, shall we? _the nun said, suddenly dropping her kind facade. _I've finally found someone who can take my place and end this eternity for me...someone who possesses a sufficiently powerful Geass._

The green-haired girl looked up, confused.

_Do you have any idea of how much a nightmare it is, living on and on with no end in sight?! _the nun said.

_What are you talking about?_

The nun's serious expression suddenly turned to one of sheer psychosis.

_I'm sorry...but I'm afraid you've been had!_

* * *

"So, Charles...why did you take V.V.'s Code when you could easily have taken mine first?" C.C. asked. "Is it because of that girl?"

"It is because he consorted with the Demon King of Lies," Charles replied; "And as punishment, his soul has been devoured by him and completely destroyed. A fitting punishment, don't you think, my dear daughter-in-law?"

"I-I guess."

"But the time for questions has ended, C.C...the time has come for me to grant your wish...and by doing so, obtain the power to fulfill my obligation to Metatron."

At that moment, something awoke inside Tara, all on its own - it was a memory, but not one from her current lifetime...

_Please...you can't!_

_What do you mean? You and I both understood that there is no other way to prevent the destruction of the infinite realities! Besides, isn't this what everyone desires, deep down?_

_No...I...I..._

"I WON'T ACCEPT IT!" Tahra screamed as she lunged at Charles.

* * *

Tara froze up for a second when she saw it - the Knightmare Frame that looked like Lifthrasir's old form - the one that was piloted by the girl who had taken over her life. Next to her was Jeremiah, who also recognized the machine piloted by the Knight of Eleven.

"So, the Knight of Eleven really did try to siege this place," Jeremiah said. "I suspect she's still here as well."

"Wait...Orange...you once served Britiannia. Did you ever...meet her? The one who's pretending to be me?"

"As a matter of fact, I did," Jeremiah said thoughtfully, not minding that moniker in the least; "You and that girl, Tahra, are very similar in appearance and in demeanor...and she was much like Lady Marianne."

"Lady Marianne? You mean Lelouch's mother?"

"I heard stories of how His Majesty loved that Knight of Eleven in a manner unlike any of his biological children. If he hadn't given her to Clovis as a wife, he probably would have made her into his one-hundred-and-ninth consort."

_Is that why he was so interested in me back then? _Tara wondered.

"And that may also be why Master Lelouch has allowed you into his inner circle," the cyborg added; "Because you also remind him of his dearly departed mother."

Suddenly, Tara felt a violent pain in her gut, as if she had been hit there by a massive fist. The pain was great enough to make her fall to her knees.

Jeremiah, however, immediately realized what was going on.

_The two halves are starting to synchronize, _he thought; _If that's the case, then the Knight of Eleven must be close by...and perhaps it is there I will find Lady Marianne's dear son as well..._

"Jeremiah, come in!" Kira's voice came over the cyborg's communicator.

"This is Jeremiah. Go ahead, Yamato."

"We've swept every floor on the middle levels, and no sign of V.V. Any luck on your end?"

He gently picked the girl up and started carrying her downwards.

"No, but by process of elimination, that leaves the lowest level. Tell Rolo and Kozuki to meet me there. I am concerned for Commander Zero's safety."

* * *

Lelouch and C.C. appeared in a very unusual hallway, filled with floating paintings - the one they were looking at was of the naked C.C., face full of anguish, blood dripping from her mouth and pooling between her legs, while the nun was lying on her back, her expression peaceful and serene, while blood was pooling around her head, as if it had been cracked open. Other paintings depicted what must have been other parts of C.C.'s centuries-long existence.

"That's all I was to her - a tool to end her own existence," C.C.'s now fully visible shade, concluded with a small sigh. After a brief pause, she perked up a bit.

"You know...I just realized you're not in any of these pictures yet. That must mean you're not a person from my past, but from my present."

"It's hard to say at this point," Lelouch replied, shaking his head. He too, was wondering whether he was dead, asleep or having an extremely nasty reaction to Refrain or something.

"Something tells me you're very important to me," the C.C. shade then said, with a little smile.

"Tell me another joke," Lelouch said in a huff, surprised at this statement. It was pretty obvious to the prince that she had betrayed him.

"I'm not joking. Why else would you be here if I didn't want you to be? Maybe I needed to save you from something, if only for a moment?"

"Hm?"

"You see...all of the The people who were kind to me, or the ones who hated me...all have disappeared into the flow of time. And yet you...wait, there IS something that I think I want to show you."

C.C. led Lelouch over to another painting. It showed C.C., her body still as young as the day she had the Code forced on her, but now wearing the attire of a woman from the British colonies in the New World, gazing up at a glowing white figure with six rainbow-colored wings, arm extended as if to help her stand.

_It can't be...that's...Granlif's pilot?!_ Lelouch thought;

"After centuries of failing to make a successor," C.C. explained, "I was approached by one called Metatron, who claimed to be a servant of the great god. He told me that if I helped him grant all of mankind its deepest, most heartfelt desire, my eternity would end."

"Its greatest desire?" Lelouch said somewhat skeptically.

"Yes. He said that everyone wished to die, just like me...to return to Eden Vital."

"He sounds more like a servant of the devil than the servant of a god," Lelouch replied cynically. "Did he say what achieving that goal would involve?"

"I dared not question him too much, lest he abandon me. I'm sure Charles knows more about Metatron's plans than I do. All I know is that two Keys and a catalyst are required."

"But I take that since you're showing me this, you no longer see things his way."

"Like I said, your fellow DREAMers have truly rubbed off on you..."

* * *

As Athrun was led out of the building where his father's office was, hands in cuffs, he noticed that one of the guards was the same one he had seen before, and this soldier seemed to have something in mind.

Regardless, Athrun had to do something on his own. The Coordinator ace suddenly sprang into action as he kicked one of the guards, then tackled the other into the wall before taking off running. As a third soldier tried to stop him, but the soldier from before hit him with the butt of his gun, and followed after Athrun, trying to dodge the other soldiers' bullets as best as possible.

The man turned around as he ran, and tossed a grenade at the feet of a pair of black-suited government agents. But instead of exploding in a fireball and killing the two men, it emitted a bright flash and a cloud of smoke.

The two managed to duck into an alleyway, while Athrun caught his breath. After firing a few more rounds and another flash grenade, The man turned to Athrun.

"Turn your back to me. I'm going to fire at the handcuffs."

Athrun did so, and DaCosta used his gun to break the chains that bound the pilot's hands.

"Well, that was reckless of you," Martin said as he handed Athrun a gun of his own. "You ended up knocking out one of our own men."

"Sorry...who are you anyway?"

"Introductions can wait, but I will say that I'm a part of the so-called 'Clyne Faction'," the man said, lifting his helmet a bit. It was Martin DaCosta, the right-hand man of Andrew Waltfield. "Things aren't exactly going to plan at the moment, though. Let's hurry!"

DaCosta and another Clyne Faction soldier rushed back out into the open, fired several rounds, and hurried away, with Athrun hot at their heels, but wondering where he was exactly going...

* * *

Tahra crashed into a column as she was thrown into it, courtesy of a very angry Charles.

"Impudent girl! You dare attack me, the one who has been your friend and benefactor for so long?! I have treated you with nothing but kindness and generosity! I lavished you with titles, with gifts, and with love, just as I did my dear Marianne!"

"Benefactor, my foot...you're the one who warped my memory! You made me into your lackey, a pawn in HIS twisted game! Once I take care of you, I'll find my missing memory, and then stop him too!"

"Fool! I cannot be defeated by the likes of you!" the Emperor roared as he stomped toward her.

"I've heard that one a million...URGH!"

Charles smashed his huge fist into Tahra's gut, knocking the wind out of her entirely. Seeing that she had been subdued, he returned to C.C.'s side.

"Now...where were we before we so rudely..."

"C.C.!"

C.C. looked over at the Shinkiro. It was Lelouch...through the power of his own will, he had forced his way through the illusory trap set by Charles.

"Well...it seems you've opened the Thought Elevator, Lelouch," the Emperor said with a sneer. But then several pyramid shaped objects appeared and restrained the Knightmare Frame.

"Stay right where you are and watch, like a good little boy."

Charles leaned forward, and C.C. leaned back, as if the former was about to kiss her passionately or something...or perhaps bite her in the neck...Lelouch couldn't tell. But what he did know was he was about to lose his accomplice, and the human race would be that much closer to destruction.

"C.C., answer me!" the prince cried out. "Why didn't you try to die by making ME take your place?! You could have easily made me suffer the hell of eternal life!"

The immortal witch hesitated.

"Did you save me because you believed in me, or because you pitied me?!"

C.C. stopped as tears started to well up in her eyes.

"NO! Stop looking like that!" Lelouch screamed; "If you're going to die, then die happy, damn it! I promise I'd make you happy...so PLEASE!"

C.C. suddenly pushed Charles away, halting the transfer of her Code to him, just as Tahra got to her feet. C.C. pushed the button again, and caused the pyramid objects to retreat and disappear, allowing the Shinkiro to move again.

"C.C., what's the meaning of this?!" Charles bellowed.

"You won't steal anything else from me!" Lelouch growled. The Shinkiro fired a pair of hadron blasts, missing Charles, but striking the ruin.

"Does your foolishness know no bounds, Lelouch?!" the Emperor then roared. This gave Tahra an opportunity to attack him. She stabbed him in the chest with both knives, sliced his throat open and then kicked him down.

"You may be unable to die, but you can still bleed..." Tahra said as Charles writhed there, more in anger than in pain. Suddenly, the whole floor gave way as the structure plummeted into the bottomless void below.

Tahra felt herself fall for several moments before suddenly winking out of existence. But C.C. and Lelouch fell a little longer. The prince opened up his Frame's cockpit as he approached his falling accomplice.

"C.C.! I understand now! I understand it all...the nature of your Geass, and what your true wish is! Come on! Turn to me and take my hand!"

Lelouch reached out for his dear friend's hand...

* * *

Andrew Waltfield was not one to die easily. He had survived that fateful encounter with Evangelion Unit 01 by the skin of his teeth, and recovered thanks to the Junk Guild's timely arrival. Of course, he was short an arm and an eye now, but that didn't keep a man like him down for long.

Sitting in the chair above and behind him was Lacus Clyne. After the whole UFN ratification, she had managed to slip into Jachin Due for the purpose of commandeering another important asset - this warship, _Eternal. _

"So, how much longer are we going to wait, Miss Clyne?" Andrew asked. "It's entirely possible that..."

"We'll take off now."

"Sir, they've changed the hatch opening codes!" said one of the ship's operators.

"Heh, it looks like this is going to be a rougher exit than I thought," Andrew replied. "No problem. Fire the main cannon!"

The _Eternal_'s main beam cannon charged up and fired, blasting a hole in the thick wall. The ship then rocketed off at speeds unlike any other warship.

At the same moment, a small plane of sorts, shot out of a small passageway. Inside were DaCosta and Athrun, who had hijacked it for their escape. The _Eternal_'s rear hatch opened, and the escape vehicle landed inside.

As the ship flew away, Athrun and DaCosta made their way to the bridge. Lacus was there to greet him, much to his surprise.

"It's nice to see you again, Athrun," the pop idol said, giving him a friendly hug. "Next time, don't go running off like that, okay?"

"Yeah, you made things much more complicated than they needed to be," Andrew said before turning to see Athrun. "Regardless, welcome to the ship of the songstress. I'm Andrew Waltfield, and I'll be your captain this evening."

_The Desert Tiger?! _Athrun thought. _But, isn't he supposed to be dead?_

"Sir, mobile suits approaching dead ahead! Fifty of them!" an operator called out.

"Probably Jachin Due's defense force," Andrew said. "Get the main cannon ready! Prepare the CIWS!"

"Aren't there any mobile suits on this thing?"

"Sorry. Fresh out," Andrew said with a chuckle that concealed his concern about their situation. "This ship was built exclusively to support the Justice and Freedom Gundams."

Lacus decided to see if she could reason with these men. After all, she was still a powerful and popular voice among the PLANTs.

"Andrew, open a..."

"Incoming unknown at two o'clock! It's huge!" a third operator called out. Lacus and Andrew looked in that direction and saw something approaching - but only Athrun and Lacus recognized it...Glavil.

_It's that Protodevlin from GGG Orbit Base!_ Lacus exclaimed. _But why is it..._

"Sir, the unknown appears to be focusing on the mobile suits!" the same operator said. "It's attacking them!"

Lacus gasped. Those soldiers were going to be slaughtered!

"Please, help them!" she cried. "We can't let that thing..."

"No...we can't afford to risk combat," Andrew said regretfully. "We were hardly in a position to take on fifty mobile suits without help...and even if we could wouldn't last a second against that monstrosity."

Lacus threw herself into Athrun's embrace in despair, her heart and soul crying out in sorrow for each and every soldier's life. Even though they were no longer to be married, Athrun was the only one right now who could comfort her.

"Full speed ahead!" Andrew ordered.

The _Eternal _accelerated more, rocketing past the monstrous Glavil as it greedily fed upon the Spiritia of the Jachin Due defense force.

Even so, Athrun wasn't entirely sure whether the Protodevlin or his father was the greater monster...

* * *

Tahra and Lelouch reappeared back at the gate, which had since sealed shut. It happened that Rolo, Kallen and Jeremiah (carrying a heavily bruised and weakened Tara) were in the area, and rushed over to see if he was okay. But with the Knight of Eleven's back turned, they didn't recognize her at first.

"C.C., wake up...we're back," Lelouch said, shaking C.C. gently. But while she did not stir, her chest was moving up and down, which meant she still breathed.

"Lelouch, where did you go?!" Kallen exclaimed. "We were worried sick about you!"

"It's a long story, Kallen," Tahra said as he got to her feet and turned to face the group, much to everyone's (except Jeremiah and Lelouch's) shock. She turned and looked over at the unconscious Tara, who had succumbed to the damage inflicted by Charles' blows, due to the lack of the physical training her counterpart had.

"Lady Tahra," Jeremiah said. "I believe this is yours."

"Jeremiah...what do you mean by that?!" Rolo exclaimed.

At that moment, Tara opened her eyes, and finally met gazes with her other half, and at the same moment, all the hatred she had felt for this person disappeared. After all, she was but one of the Knight of Eleven's memories.

"Everyone, it's time I explained what's going on here, based on my limited knowledge."

"The Tara that you have been fighting alongside since the end of the Black Rebellion has been her most cherished memory somehow given material form."

"Okay, so then who's this chick?" Rolo then asked.

"She, the girl that became the Knight of Eleven is the REAL Tara Zifell."

_I knew it..._Tahra thought; _I KNEW I was the real one._

"That explains why I couldn't remember anything except Janus and the promise he made," Tara said with a small sigh. "That's all I ever was. Just a memory that somehow got a material body."

Tahra approached Jeremiah, who set Tara down onto her unsteady feet.

"But I guess now that we've found each other," Tahra said, helping to steady her memory; "You don't need that form anymore..."

"Yeah."

After a few moments of awkward silence, Tara looked deep into her original's eyes.

"Hey, before we join...there is one thing I've always wanted to do,"

"And what's that?" Tahra asked.

Suddenly, Tara threw herself into the embrace of her doppelganger and locked lips with her, much to everyone's shock, especially that of her original self. She began to disperse and fade away, clothes and all.

"Man, wait till I tell the guys from the manga club that I did THAT!" Tara quipped, a wide grin on her face, just as the last of her form disappeared. Tahra squinted as her last missing memory, as well as the memories accumulated during her other self's time apart, flowed into her.

She opened her eyes again...and they were dark blue once again. The girl blinked a few times, looked around, then started moving her various body parts around.

"Wow...all that Knight training really did wonders for me!" Tara quipped excitedly as she took stock of the changes that had happened to her since being separated. "I bet I could actually win a footrace against you now, Kallen!"

_Yep...it's Tara all right_, Kallen thought.

The flash of light from the union of the two pieces of Tara Zifell suddenly caused C.C. to stir from her unconscious state. With a small whimper, she sat up and opened her eyes.

"Welcome back, C.C.," Lelouch said with a friendly smile. To everyone's shock, the green-haired girl's expression was that of confusion and fear.

"W-who are you, s-sirs and madams?" C.C. asked, retreating a bit, still sitting on the floor.

"C.C., what's the meaning of this?" Lelouch said, astonished at his confidante's sudden change in behavior; "We have to talk about..."

"A-a-are you my new master?" she said, backing up towards the wall, trembling like a scared animal. "Ah...I can clean, and prepare food for cooking...I-I can fetch water and tend cows and sheep and sew...I can read a little a-a-and count to twenty...I can even move corpses, if you need that..."

As Lelouch and his friends listened to his once-calm, confident partner rattle off this list of menial chores she could do, they looked on with terrified pity.

* * *

_Two Taras become one, at long last. But how will she reconcile the two simultaneous but vastly differing existences she had undergone since the split? And what's next? Find out as the epic continues!_


	91. Chapter 63 Janus

_Yes, ladies and germs, it's time for THOSE events! First up, some Getter Robo Armageddon plot! A certain trio gets their old ride back, and unlocks THAT attack..._

* * *

**Chapter 63 (Janus) - Dragon & Devil Collide! The Nightmare Ends Now! (Part 1) **

Raziel smirked as he watched the Devil Gundam rise out of the ground. With Metatron's patience wearing thin and Shin Dragon out and about, the bookish agent of Atik Yomin had to move things along.

But now that the Devil Gundam's regeneration was complete, it could destroy both those meddlers in DREAM and the Invaders, who were just as much a danger to the infinite realities as mankind.

He disappeared, and reappeared on the platform where Wong was seated.

"Wong Yunfat. It is dangerous to remain here. Allow me to take you to a safer vantage point."

"Raziel...you're the one who awoke the Devil Gundam ahead of schedule, aren't you?"

"Yes. With Shin Dragon at your doorstep, I had no choice. And you, of course, must also survive."

"Your concern touches me, my dear Razzy. Very well - take me wherever you please. But do try and make it a good seat, because I am REALLY enjoying this show."

* * *

"This just isn't our day, is it?" Judau sighed as he looked at the risen Devil Gundam. "Now we have TWO humongous apocalyptic beasts to deal with, and we're short three Getters and one Domon!"

"Wait a sec," Simon said; "Remember back when the _Nadesico _was with us? The Invaders and Death Army actually fought each other! It's not like they're teaming up!"

"Hey, Simon's right!" Roux called out. "Look!"

Indeed, the Invaders had broken away from fighting DREAM and moving towards an approaching battalion of Death army grunts, led by a few Devil Gundam Jrs. Also accompanying them were a trio of DG Cell-infected Gundam Fighters, all of which the Shuffle Alliance recognized.

One of them was a Gundam with a red and black appearance, resembling the decorated guards that guarded the palace of the Neo-English royalty - John Bull Gundam, piloted by Neo-England's fighter, three-time-champion Gentle Chapman.

The second was Neros Gundam of Neo Italy, who had been Domon's first opponent in this year's Gundam Fight.

But it was the third that everyone recognized...Nobel Gundam, in the throes of its Berserker Mode.

"Well, well, lookie what we have here!" the pilot of Neros Gundam cackled. "Looks like we get to have extra fun today!" Unfortunately for DREAM, all three of the Gundam Fighters were making a beeline for them.

"Wow...he's as much of a jerk as I thought he was," Janus quipped, remembering watching Domon's first match. "But what the heck's Allenby doing with them?!"

"DOMON! WHERE ARE YOU, DOMON?!" Allenby roared. She noticed Rising Gundam nearby, and took off after it.

"Crap, not this again," Yoko exclaimed as she spurred her Gunman toward Rain. "Kittan, a little help?!"

"On my way!" Kittan called out.

"Hey, old man, what do you say we pound Neo-Italy's face in?" Sai Saici suggested. "I guess Domon didn't give him a hard enough beating last time! How about we show him how we Shuffle Alliance members do things!"

"I like the way you think, kid," Argo replied with a smirk. Bolt and Dragon Gundams moved to confront Neros Gundam.

"George, look - Chapman's back for another round! Let's you and me team up!"

"As unsportsmanlike as that seems, I highly doubt he would care at this point. I'll be more than happy to trounce him with you."

Gundam Rose and Gundam Maxter moved in to confront John Bull Gundam.

_"Ra Calium_! Help the Shuffle Alliance," Yamazaki's voice came over the communicators; "And leave Shin Dragon to the Super Robots!"

"Huh? Aren't you _Tower_'s XO?" Kamille exclaimed. "Where's Hayato?"

Suddenly, the three Shin Getter machines rocketed out of _Tower - _but they were now manned by Ryoma, Hayato and Benkei.

"Hey, what's the big idea, partying without us?!" Ryoma's voice came over everyone's communicators. "Hayato! Benkei! Let's do it!"

The three Shin Getter machines combined, forming Shin Getter 1.

"Ryoma! You're okay!" Simon cheered. "But where are Go and the others?"

"They're back on _Tower_," Benkei replied._ "_Go's out of commission for a while, it looks like."

"Hey Jan! You've got a bone to pick with old Saotome too, right?" Ryoma quipped; "You oughta come too!"

Shin Getter, Granlif, Gurren Lagann, Zeorymer and the three Mazingers all moved in on the somewhat weakened Shin Dragon, while Londo Bell and the Shuffle Alliance targeted the freshly arrived Devil Gundam...

* * *

Dr. Shikishima's hands trembled as he inserted the disk he had taken before the Getter Ray Armageddon. Until now, what the data meant plagued him to no end. But now that he understood the nature of Granlif's system, the scientist knew he had to go over Saotome's data one more time.

He feverishly began to scan the data with his eyes, his heart racing with excitement.

"This brain-wave pattern..." he thought out loud; "It closely resembles Go's hyper-active neural potential...but his potential was developed due to an abnormal development of his synapses - this is something piled up near the hippocampus, in the area of the temporal lobe's limbic system devoted to..."

Ten thousand light bulbs went on in the scientist's head.

"Memory..."

Shikishima began laughing ecstatically, the question that had been plaguing him for all these years having finally been answered. Indeed, it had been staring at him right in the face the whole time.

"Of course! I understand now, Saotome!" the scientist called out, dropping to his knees; "I understand everything about Go, Shin Dragon, and evolution itself!"

He removed the disk, and hurried down to the medical bay where Go was being kept. He had to show this to that young man's two fellow pilots...and he also needed to show Michiru...

"DOMON! WHERE'S DOMON?!" Allenby shrieked as she lashed out at Kittan.

"Geez, what's with this girl?!" Kittan exclaimed as he blocked the attack. "She wasn't NEARLY this crazy when her Berserker System went crazy last time!" Unfortunately, he couldn't do much else, since Allenby was Domon's friend, and he didn't want to risk killing her.

"Yoko, can't you stop the Berserker System like you did before?!"

"I'm trying..." Yoko said with frustration as her Gunman launched several more rounds, all of them missing Allenby entirely; "But she's moving way faster than before!"

Suddenly, the berserk Allenby turned her attention to Yoko and broke away from King Kittan as she let out a demonic cry.

"Get back here, you crazy twerp!" Kittan yelled. But to his amazement, Rain managed to get her first, and restrained Nobel Gundam, causing them both to plunge into the water.

"Hey! She's pretty good for someone who's fighting in combat for the first time!"

"C'mon, let's get down there and help Rain!" Yoko said; "We don't know how long she'll last!"

The two Gunmen dove under the water, only to see Rising Gundam get sent flying by what appeared to be some sort of volatile aura. King Kittan was able to catch Rain, just in time to see Nobel Gundam acting oddly.

It curled into a fetal position, and began to change. It was quickly surrounded by a shell shaped like a rugby ball, with a spike at each end. The two parts of the shell split open, revealing a green body resembling that of the Devil Gundam, but with the Nobel Gundam's head. The spikes turned into a pair of tentacles with claws on the end. It was the Walter Gundam - the last of the Devil Gundam's four strongest minions.

As Allenby let out another cry, the monstrous Gundam bared wicked, bestial fangs and rushed forward with incredible speed. All three were barely able to avoid the attack.

"So...she's been infected with DG Cells too," Rain said sadly.

"If I get my hands on that Devil Gundam, I'm REALLY gonna pound him!" Kittan roared. "First it yanks Kamina out of his grave, now it does this!"

"Allenby, please listen!" Yoko called out. "Everyone's up there fighting their hardest against Shin Dragon and the Devil Gundam!"

"Shut up!" Allenby cried as she lashed out with her claws; "Where's Domon?!"

"Listen, babe," Kittan replied angrily; "Everyone's doing everything they can right now! And if you're the kind of gal who reveals her feelings with her fists, you can't let these goddamn DG Cells control you!"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" the Neo-Swedish fighter screamed as she smashed into Yoko's Gunmen. "WHERE'S DOMON?!"

"Geez, she's got Domon on the brain," Yoko grunted; "It's like..."

"DOMON! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!" Allenby cried, her tone suddenly becoming more upset and distraught even as she violently struck Rising Gundam; "DON'T LEAVE ME ALL ALONE!"

Rain suddenly felt it herself - the sadness and fear in Allenby's attacks, even more so that fury and rage. But most of all, she felt a loneliness in the girl's blows.

"DOMON! PLEASE, COME BACK!" the girl screamed, tears flowing out of her eyes, "I...I LOVE YOU!"

"Whoa, where did THAT come from?!" Kittan exclaimed. "I must have missed something..."

* * *

Shin Dragon was putting up a big fight, even more so than before. And with the numerous Invaders getting in the way, it wasn't any easier.

"Kouji, let's hurry up and defeat this thing!" Juzo yelled.

"Right!" Kouji replied eagerly; "Time to put that old Saotome to bed for good this time!"

**"SHINE, IN THE NAME OF ZEUS! BIG BANG...PUUUUUUUUUUNCHIE!"**

Mazinger Z transformed into the golden fist form and rocketed at it. But much to Kouji's shock, Shin Dragon caught the flying fist, and tossed it away.

"Fool! You think that will be enough to destroy it?!" Masaki laughed. "Let me show you how Zeorymer does things...Miku, raise the DCS to its maximum!"

The orbs on Zeorymer's arms and chest began to shine brilliantly as it prepared to strike its arms together and unleash a Mei-Oh.

"Now, Dr. Saotome...perish in the light of the..."

But Shin Dragon was quicker than Zeorymer - it shot a Getter Beam at Zeorymer, knocking it aside and disrupting its attack.

"Grrr...it seems Zeorymer still needs to be truly completed before it could overpower something like this," Masaki grumbled. "I'll have to stay alive long enough to scrap those remaining Hakkeshu mechs..."

"Everyone, keep him busy!" Hayato ordered. "We'll try to get inside it!"

"Inside it?!" Koji exclaimed as Mazinkaiser dodged an Invader and slashed it in half with the Kaiser Blade.

"Yeah...I remember now!" Janus replied as it retrieved its Karma Knuckles after smashing in a Metalbeast's face; "Last time we fought this thing, Go, Kei and Gai drilled into it!"

"If drilling is what's required, then..." Viral said with a grin as Gurren Lagann slashed an aerial Invader with its sunglasses.

"No, Viral...this is their fight," Simon interrupted; "We're just here to support them right now."

"Mazingers! Get us an entry point!" Benkei commanded. "Janus, follow us if you want to fight Saotome!"

"Gotcha, big guy!" Janus replied.

"Let's do it!" Hayato bellowed; "CHANGE, GETTER TWO!"

"No problemo, Hayato!" Koji declared; "Other me! Tetsuya! Let's get him! FIRE BLASTER!"

"BREAST BURN!" Tetsuya bellowed.

"BREAST FIRE!" Kouji cried.

"Zeorymer, show them your strength!" Masaki commanded. Several explosions rocked Shin Dragon while the three Mazingers concentrated their attacks on a single spot, super-heating it and weakening Shin Dragon's hide.

"DRILL HURRICAAAANE!"

Shin Getter 2's drill easily pierced Shin Dragon's hide, allowing it to burrow into the monstrosity, with Granlif following close behind, though it was a rather tight squeeze, leaving only about three or four feet of wiggle room, not a lot for a sixty-foot colossus.

They came out inside a bluish cave-like chamber full of wires, cables and other electric components. But they didn't even have a moment to get their bearings before a gigantic mass of Invader goo dropped on both robots...

* * *

Janus awoke a few seconds later inside a red, fleshy-looking space. After a few moments, the young man started seeing things - images of places from bygone eras, of people he had never met, and of battlefields he had never fought in. He heard a cacophony of human voices, from men in battle to children screaming at the loss of their parents.

_These images...these memories...a-are they mine? Or...are they..._

"The sins you committed that day are but the latest in your never-ending existence," Saotome's voice declared; "An existence transcending the boundaries of reality itself!"

"The stain on your soul is darker than the blackest night!" Cohen boomed.

"No matter how much light you emit," Stinger taunted, "you will never be able to hide it from Shin Dragon!"

"Show yourself!" Janus cried, trying to ignore the images. Suddenly, a Metalbeast Getter Dragon, noticeably meaner looking than the other ones, appeared and struck Granlif with its tomahawk.

"Remember!" Saotome cackled.

"Remember your crimes," the three madmen chanted in unison; "And despair as your light is snuffed out forever!"

The images got more vivid, and the already loud sounds got even louder, pushing Granlif's pilot closer and closer to madness.

_No...these aren't me...I'm not the one who...no, I'd never do that..._

Xengar detected Janus' mental instability and immediately injected him with a dose of energy from the TZIM. Granlif's pilot ascended to his two winged form, and managed to snap back to reality. The Invader goo began to retreat, allowing Janus to see normally again.

While the images disappeared and the sounds went silent, the Metalbeast Getter Dragon was still there, attempting to strangle his machine with his tomahawk. He elbowed the Invader-controlled Getter then backed off and readied an attack.

"KARMA KNUCKLE!"

The fist flew straight at the Metalbeast, which divided into its component machines.

"Impressive! Truly impressive, for one to do that!" Cohen laughed.

"We must not forget that he is our ancient enemy," Saotome explained before turning back to Janus; "But you, my friend, shall not escape so easily!"

"...For Shin Dragon is with us!" they chanted in unison as they soared upward.

"CHANGE, LIGER!" Stinger called out as the Metalbeast Dragon changed into a Getter Liger. It lunged at Granlif with its drill, but Janus was able to parry in time. When he tried to counter with his swords the Getter split up again.

"CHANGE, POSEIDON!" Cohen bellowed as the machines combined into Getter Poseidon. The evil Getter then opened a hatch over its neck, revealing a powerful turbine there.

"GETTER CYCLONE!"

A powerful, focused whirlwind struck Granlif, sending it flying.

"Ah-ha-ha! Weakling! STRONG MISSILE!"

Getter Poseidon picked up a hefty capsule-shaped object and threw it at Granlif. The robot sprang back to its feet.

"GRAN BITS!"

Numerous Gran Bits shot out of its shoulders and rushed at the missile, destroying it. Several more went after the Getter Robo, who split up.

"Fool!" Saotome taunted; "Try as you might, you're no match for the original Getter team! CHANGE, DRAGON!" The three machines recombined into Getter Dragon.

"GETTER BEAM!"

Janus blocked the blast with his wings as he growled with frustration. He could think of only one way to even things up, and he really didn't want to use it.

"Xengar, initiate limiter override."

"Janus, you understand what may happen," his AI companion replied. "You won't be able to..."

"Those three can't have their way any longer! DO IT!"

After several clicks and whirs, Granlif Yggdrasil's energy output to its maximum as its body became enshrouded in a glorious white light and Janus ascended to his four winged form in no time flat. But as his senses and reflexes were radically heightened, he simultaneously felt less aware of himself. It was as if his very material form was breaking down.

But the white robot suddenly began to move at speeds impossible for even someone like Master Asia to keep track of, let alone Saotome. The Metalbeast Getter Dragon was bounced around like a rubber ball, sent flying every-which-way, and getting damaged heavily with each hit.

After one more pass, Janus pulled out a Gran Claymore and wreathed it in white flame.

"IT'S OVER, SAOTOME!" Janus cried. "FINAAAALLLL SAINT INFERNOOOOO!"

Janus swung as hard as he could. This time, the attack worked. The Metalbeast Getter was instantly annihilated, just in time for the emergency shutdown function to kick in. Janus, exhausted beyond imagining, finally dropped out of his winged form. Energy began to rise steadily out of its exhaust vents like smoke.

Unfortunately for him, Saotome, Stinger and Cohen managed to eject in time, and landed on the wall. After a few seconds, new Getter G machines formed from the very body of Shin Dragon. They hopped inside and reformed into Getter Dragon.

"Well, it seems our young friend has pushed himself too far," Cohen chuckled.

"Shall we finish him off now?" Stinger asked.

"Not before we take care of these more persistent pests!" Saotome said, turning to Shin Getter. The Metalbeast Getter lifted Shin Getter up and threw into the wall, making the entire room tremble. This did nothing to jar the Shin Getter team out of their own hallucinations - visions of those that were dead because of them...

* * *

_Ryoma...please...don't let me die..._

"I-I...I didn't mean to!" Getter 1's pilot whimpered, watching a bleeding Michiru approach him, pleading desperately.

_Hayato...kill him...it's Ryoma's fault..._

"Ryoma's...fault?" Getter 2's pilot gasped, feeling a seductive Michiru caress his face and neck.

_Benkei! Help! Don't leave me here!_

"Musashi!" Getter 3's pilot cried, watching helplessly as a mass of Invaders took away his mentor...

* * *

Kei and Gai watched anxiously as Go lay quietly in the sealed vat of green liquid. Suddenly, Dr. Shikishima and Michiru entered the room.

"Doc, what are you doing here?" Kei exclaimed when she saw him come in.

"Everyone, there is something you must know about Go," the scientist said; "And it may be the key to defeating Shin Dragon and returning it to its rightful path of evolution!"

"Tell us then, doc!" Gai replied. "If Go really thinks that Shin Dragon is meant to be a savior, then tell us how!"

"First, I must reveal this - Go is an opposite-sex clone of your dead sister, Kei."

Kei felt like this should have been shocking, but it made sense - his constant insistence on protecting her yet making no moves to woo her, the way his eyes were warm and gentle like Michiru's, and the way he constantly seemed awkward around the Michiru of the other world - all of them pointed to that.

"It is also important to note that he is also a vital component to Shin Dragon...you could say he is its soul. Without Go, Shin Dragon is nothing but a monster capable only of destruction."

"Cut the yapping and tell us how we can stop that thing!" Gai demanded.

"Yes, please tell us!" Michiru pleaded.

"Michiru - as one who possesses the same genes as Go does, you should be able to link to Shin Dragon as well," Shikishima explained. "If your spirit calls out to it, it may yet answer."

"What? I-I don't know if I can..." Michiru said uneasily.

"Please, Sis...protect them! Protect Dad and the others!"

Somehow, those words caused Go to stir a bit. As Michiru closed her eyes and concentrated, the combined will of her and her clone reached out across the water and into the body of Shin Dragon...

* * *

Saotome grinned wickedly. He would finally kill Ryoma and remove the only remaining obstacle besides the Devil Gundam to his species' triumph.

"In this space, you cannot escape the unforgivable sins you've committed!" the mad scientist cackled. "Now, let the memory of your crimes be engraved upon your souls as you fall to the depths of the underworld! GETTER BEEAAAAM!"

But then, a new, brilliant light formed in the air, which all three of Shin Getter's pilots saw. The Michiru that had been tormenting them moaned in agony in the face of this light, revealing her Invader nature. The light changed to a gently smiling, naked Michiru.

Ryoma and Hayato suddenly saw the same vision again...but it didn't play out like it did initially. This time, it showed the Michiru they knew suddenly grunting in pain as something tried to burst out from her body. After a few seconds, something did...an Invader.

Preferring to die as a human than live as alien spawn, Michiru pulled an emergency cord, which caused Dragon and Liger to crush Poseidon between them...and this time she sat there quietly and with a slight smile on her face, knowing that at least she had protected those dearest to her in the end.

"Michiru..." Ryoma muttered.

Benkei, meanwhile, saw Musashi again. He grinned, gave a snappy salute, and said a single sentence before walking away:

"Benkei...take care of Genki, will ya?"

Benkei glanced at his controls, and saw a green hat just like Musashi's on top of one of the levers. Solemnly he put the cap on, making it fit snugly on his head.

"Leave it to me...I'll protect Genki with my life."

The illusion clouding the three Getter pilots' minds faded. Immediately, they Opened Get to escape and then rejoined as Shin Getter 1 once more.

"Impossible! We should have had them!" Stinger whined.

"What else could interfere with this space?!" Cohen moaned.

"It seems we have underestimated the depth of human karma," Saotome grumbled. "However, they too shall succumb to our might!"

Suddenly, numerous Getter G machines began forming from the walls, and formed into Getter Dragons, Ligers and Poseidons.

As the three pilots of Shin Getter surveyed the situation, they suddenly heard Go's voice call out to them in their minds.

_Stoner Sunshine..._

"Huh?" Ryoma gasped.

_Unleash the Stoner Sunshine. _

"Go..."

_Let your three hearts be as one...and believe in the Getter!_

Ryoma, Hayato and Benkei began to focus, trying to link their spirits together. Shin Getter began to power up, drawing on as much energy from its reactor as it could. The red robot raised its hands and focused the energy in the space between them. A sphere of hyper-concentrated Getter Rays formed in that spot, burning and glowing like a star.

_Raise your power by concentrating your spirits!_

The influx of energy was proving difficult for the three to control, but control it they did thanks to Go's guidance.

The army of Getter Robo Gs all rushed at Shin Getter simultaneously, but they couldn't stop the attack in time. As Shin Getter prepared to launch it, Ryoma let out one loud, long hot-blooded cry...

**"STONEEERRRRRR...SUUUUUUUUUUN...**_**SHINE**_**!"**

Shin Getter tossed the energy sphere at the group of enemy Getters. Its power was so great that it plowed through the entire force, only stopping when it struck its intended target - the Metalbeast Dragon.

Like Janus' Final Saint Inferno, the Stoner Sunshine began to annihilate the Metalbeast Getter. But this time, the three Invader-possessed scientists were trapped, overwhelmed by the terrifying power of the attack. Cohen and Stinger's bodies couldn't maintain their shapes, and burst into piles of black goo and eye-covered tentacles.

But Dr. Saotome suddenly felt the Invaders inside him desperately trying to burst out, which they did, via his belly and empty eye socket.

However, the power of the Getter Rays suddenly let Saotome's true self take over one last time.

"You won't get away!" he cried out as he clutched the writhing mass of tentacles to prevent them from leaving his body. He then turned his gaze upward.

"Ryoma, Hayato, Benkei! This is the end of the road I have built for you!"

"Doc!" the three exclaimed simultaneously.

"From this day forward, you and your allies must forge humanity's future with your own hands!"

The three watched in awe as Saotome's body nearly finished being consumed by the blast.

"...SO LONG!"

The Metalbeast exploded in a massive fireball, sending Shin Getter flying...

* * *

Domon growled angrily as he heard the fighting going on outside, while he was stuck in here recuperating from his fight with Schwarz. While he had been admonished not to go outside, the Gundam Fighter knew that he had to go. He couldn't allow the Devil Gundam to exist any longer.

He ripped off his bandages, got out of bed, and started hurrying towards the hangar, ignoring the screaming soreness in his entire body...

* * *

_All right, glad I got this done. Hopefully this turned out good, because this was almost all fighting! Next time on Janus' route, its the Devil Gundam's turn to play! _


	92. Chapter 64 Tara

_I was initially thinking of doing some more SEED plot, but then I though that I'd get the plot for GaoGaiGar FINAL rolling, and start the final events of Martian Successor Nadesico!_

* * *

**Chapter 64 (Tara) – ****Grand Melee in Paris! The Stolen Q-Parts!**

"Captain, I'm getting a request for use of the encrypted line from an unknown vessel!" Minato said. The _Nadesico _was preparing to head for NERV's headquarters to check on Shinji and company. As it happened, Akito and Ryoko were on the bridge as well.

"Omoikane says it's a ZAFT vessel," Ruri said. "But if they know the encrypted line's code, then..."

"Patch it through," Yurika ordered. "I think I know who it is." Upon allowing the signal through, an image of Lacus came onscreen, smiling as usual, with her pink Haro hovering just off to the side.

"This is Lacus Clyne of the _Eternal_. It's good to see you again, Captain Misumaru."

"The feeling is mutual, Miss Clyne," Yurika replied.

"Were you able to find Athrun?" Akito asked, stepping onscreen so that his question could be answered; "Everyone's been more or less worried about him".

"Yep. He's on board now," the voice of Andrew Waltfield answered. Akito and Ryoko did a double take when they heard that voice.

"Hey, isn't that..." the two Aestivalis pilots said in unison.

"Greetings, _Nadesico_!" Andrew said as the camera pointed down to him. "Captain Andrew Waltfield of the _Eternal _here. I think I hear a few familiar voices."

"The Desert Tiger!" Akito exclaimed; "I thought you were...you know..."

"Hey, don't worry about it. War makes things like that happen all the time. Besides, Athrun's got a big scoop that you better hear. We'll fill you in once we arrive."

* * *

Lelouch grinned widely and sinisterly as he looked over the computerized map in his quarters on Giga Float.

"Yes...I've done it!" he said to himself, grinning ecstatically; "The panic running through Britannia truly shows that the Emperor is absent! It seems he's trapped in that strange world...though what he said worries me a bit, I can be content that both Nunnally and Euphemia are safe."

"Um...what should I be doing right now?" C.C. asked.

Lelouch, being in a good mood, decided on something silly. "Let's see...why don't you sing me a song...while you...stomp like a zombie in the shower while...pretending your clothes are bat wings."

"Yes, right away," C.C. replied without any hesitation whatsoever. She dutifully began to take her clothes off. Lelouch suddenly heard the rustle of C.C. removing her shirt, and he quickly spun around in his chair to stop her, not expecting her to actually do it.

"Hey, I was just kidding..."

But as he moved to keep her from doing his foolish task, C.C. pulled her shirt back down, dropped to her knees and covered her head with her arms, trembling in fear and tightly closing her eyes.

"I-I'm sorry! Please don't beat me hard again..." she whimpered.

At that moment, Nunnally entered the room to tell Lelouch something, and gasped in shock to see (something that she was still getting used to again) what was happening.

"Big brother, what are you doing?!" she exclaimed. "Why are you hurting C.C.?"

"Nunnally, this isn't what it looks like!" Lelouch cried, his heart racing; "It's all a big misunderstanding, I swear!"

C.C. suddenly opened her eyes and looked up at Lelouch, who she only thought as her master.

"R-really? You...won't beat me hard?" she said nervously.

Lelouch calmed himself a bit, then bent down and helped C.C. stand while looking into her eyes kindly.

"It's the truth," he said; "I'd never do anything to hurt you." The prince then turned back to Nunnally, who was relieved to see that her brother was telling the truth this time. "Nunnally, I'd like to speak with Nemo."

Nunnally looked over at the shy and nervous C.C.

"Sure," she said. "I'll fetch her now."

Nunnally closed her eyes, allowing Nemo to take control for the moment. Her hair turned white, and when she opened up her eyes, they were red like before. Nemo eased herself out of the chair and stood up. C.C. nearly leaped out of her skin when she saw Nunnally change, and hid behind the couch.

"So, someone DOES want to speak to me," Nemo said with a smirk.

"Master...is that a d-d-demon?" C.C. stammered.

"Nemo, can you tell me what happened to C.C.?" Lelouch said, cutting straight to the chase. "Ever since the Emperor was sealed in the other world, she's been acting like this."

Nemo merely had to take one glance at the scared young woman before understanding her problem.

"She reverted," the C.C. copy said bluntly.

"Reverted?"

"While I'm not sure what exactly caused it," Nemo explained; "I can say that she's forgotten everything that's ever happened to her AFTER she obtained her Geass power."

_That explains it, _Lelouch thought; _She's once again become the slave girl who lacks power of any kind... _

"Is there any way to reverse it?" Lelouch then asked.

"Not that I know of," Nemo replied, with some sadness in her voice as she sat back down in Nunnally's wheelchair. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Lelouch reassured her, "But don't make Nunnally worry about it, either."

"All right," Nemo said, closing her eyes. "Here's Nunnally again."

Nunnally's hair and eyes returned to the usual hues.

"Big brother...Nemo wanted me to tell you something."

"Hm?"

"Nemo used to hate C.C. because she was a copy of her. But now, seeing her like this, Nemo really does feel bad that she couldn't help."

Lelouch smiled. He then glanced at the clock on the wall, then hurriedly got into his Zero outfit.

"Listen, Nunnally, would you mind keeping C.C. company for a while?" the prince asked as he put on his outfit; "I have to go to a strategy meeting."

"Sure," Nunnally replied cheerfully. "I'm sure she and I can find something to do."

"C.C., you're to do as Nunnally says, okay?" Lelouch said as he put on his mask and started toward the door.

"Y-yes, sir."

* * *

"Ta-da!" Lowe said as he presented Cagalli with something in the _Archangel_'s hangar. It was a mobile suit that looked exactly like the Strike Gundam.

"It's another Strike Gundam," Cagalli said, rolling her eyes. "Big whoop."

"But this one was made especially for you, Cagalli!" Lowe replied. "It's called the Strike Rouge! It even has a custom OS based off of Hachi's! Kira and I went through a lot of trouble to program it for you, not to mention that your dad REALLY wanted you to have it!"

Cagalli's expression warmed a bit. It was nice that her brother was already making up for lost time.

"But that's not all," Lowe said, moving forward now that he had Cagalli's attention - check out the Striker Pack it's got on right now!"

Cagalli looked more closely, and indeed noticed that the Gundam was equipped with a backpack that, like Mu's Perfect Strike, combined the best of the Strike's three other packs into one. It had a pair of rail-guns attached to its shoulders, a pair of machete-like swords strapped to its hips, and a shield with a gatling cannon integrated into it.

"This baby's equipped with the prototype for the Perfect Strike," Lowe explained, "the Integrated Weapon Systems Pack, or IWSP for short! It can do everything...long-range support, close-combat, and even hit-and-run! Now you can fight on the same level as Kira and the others!"

"But...why would my father give this to ME?" Cagalli said, suddenly confused about all this. "I don't think I could pilot a mobile suit like..."

"Hey, if MY kid was out risking her life on the battlefield all the time, I'd want her to have the best equipment she could. And if your old man didn't believe you'd use it well, he wouldn't have given it to you."

Cagalli looked up at it, and sighed.

_Brother...father...thanks...I won't let either of you down._

* * *

"I see...so Patrick Zala has stooped that low," Zero said grimly when he heard the news. Athrun's revelation coincided with the intelligence Diethard had gathered - ZAFT had just formed an alliance with the Vega Empire, when all they previously had was a non-aggression treaty. Zero, Murrue, Suzaku, Yurika, Ruri, Diethard, Lowe and Gai Murakumo were all sitting around a table.

"Man, at this point, I won't be surprised if the Earth Alliance sides with the Protodevlin or something," Lowe quipped.

"Not happening," Ruri suddenly said; "The Earth Alliance is a frequent client of BioNet, remember? Gai and I were raised in BioNet laboratories to be tools for them."

"What?!" Yurika exclaimed; "Ruri, you never said anything about THAT!"

"I'm surprised no one told you," Gai replied with a slightly amused smirk before assuming his usual stoic expression. "To make a long story short, BioNet's behind a lot of the nefarious doings lately. For example, the pilots of those crazy Gundams we fought at Orb were developed by BioNet to serve as soldiers capable of taking on Coordinators in mobile suits."

"Ah, the Biological CPUs," Diethard chimed in. "I'm not sure how they do it, but we can confirm that those pilots are not Coordinators. It's most likely because Gai Murakumo, a Coordinator, could not be controlled."

"But something else really scares me," Suzaku said. "BioNet recently stole plans for a new type of warhead from a Britannian research facility - a weapon with the same destructive power as many thermonuclear weapons, if not more...the F.L.E.I.J.A."

"More powerful than a nuke?!" Lowe exclaimed. "Man, I think I'd rather have found out that Blue Cosmos sided with the Protodevlin..."

"However, based on what I know, relies on a nuclear explosion to start its process," Suzaku continued. "That means unless either nation can obtain or manufacture N-Jammer Cancelers like the ones on the Freedom, Justice and Harmony Gundams, there's no way they can..."

Suddenly a Black Knight soldier burst in.

"Commander Zero! We just got word from Macross about a gigantic explosion in the desert not far from Pendragon! The Britannians must have some sort of new weapon!"

"So...they DO have an N-Jammer Canceler..." Suzaku said with frustration; "Damn it, Nina!"

_Nina Einstein?! _Lelouch thought; _NINA developed that weapon?! What was she thinking?!_

"We've also received a request for backup from Chasseur, GGG's branch in France," the soldier added; "Apparently BioNet is causing havoc there, having made off with something very important..."

"The whole world is descending into madness," Diethard sighed, shaking his head. "It's like we're actively trying to destroy ourselves..."

Suddenly, Lelouch had an answer - Atik Yomin must have had its influence in every one of the powers that opposed them - somehow, it was manipulating Britannia, PLANT and the Earth Alliance into destroying each other by causing the war to escalate out of control. Yet the masked prince knew that revealing this fact now would just focus everyone's attention on Metatron and his minions, thinking that stopping them would end the madness all at once. There were still too many threats to the Earth Sphere around to focus on Atik Yomin now.

"Zero, I'll handle the situation in Paris!" Yurika said, standing up. "You and Murrue were out on the battlefield last time. Besides, we need to give those jerks a thrashing for making Ruri suffer through such a horrible childhood!"

Ruri was about to protest that, but realized she wasn't going to convince her otherwise. In truth, the worst thing Ruri could say about being raised by BioNet was that she never got to have much fun. But that was a story left for another time...

* * *

"So...how does it feel, being fully yourself again?" Kallen asked Tara. "I mean, you were living two separate lives for more than a year now." The two were with Hikaru and Izumi in the _Nadesico_'s cafeteria, having safely returned from their battle against Charles.

"Not happy as I thought I'd be," Tara replied with a sigh.

"Why's that?" Kallen replied, surprised; "You apparently made friends with Shirley and the other Knights of the Round; and...as much as I HATE to say this, you got married to a prince."

"That's just it," Tara replied. "I promised Janus that he and I would always be together, in every existence, for all eternity. But...I still love Clovis too, and he cared about me as well."

"Heh, Tara was TORN between two men..." Izumi joked; "The very thought of not being able to love them both just RIPPED HER IN TWO!"

The other three girls blinked, confused by the pun for a second. Then to Izumi's delight, Tara actually started giggling.

"Okay...I'll admit...THAT was a good one, Izumi;" Tara said; "Better than the rest of your material, at least!"

"Tara, did you lose your sense of humor in your other life?" Hikaru exclaimed. "Or this is a sign that the apocalypse is coming?"

"Actually, considering its relevance, that WAS pretty good," Kallen said.

Suddenly, an announcement came over Giga Float's PA system.

"Attention, all DREAM personnel assigned to the _Nadesico_ are to prepare for launch and await further instructions; I repeat, all DREAM personnel assigned to the _Nadesico_ are to prepare for launch and await further instructions."

"Well, I guess you two are off to fight again," Kallen sighed as she watched Akito frantically remove his kitchen uniform, looking rather anxious. "Are you going to go, Tara? You just got back from China a few hours ago."

"Part of me just wants to relax," Tara replied; "But the other part wants me to do everything I can to make this world free and peaceful. And all I can do right now is fight."

"Yeah, and besides, look at her!" Hikaru added. "She's practically a triathlete now, thanks to all her training! Man, I can already see the look on Janus' face now!"

"Hey!" Akito yelled. "Move it, you guys!"

"Yeah, we need to make like bananas...and split!" Izumi joked.

"So much for Izumi being funny..." Tara groaned. "Come on..."

* * *

The streets of Paris were in a panic as a pair of feminine-looking robots similar to the dragon brothers rushed through the streets, pursuing a BioNet agent. Unfortunately, this fellow had some help - a contingent of AI-controlled Strike Daggers.

"Stupid...BioNet robots!" the pink one cried as she smacked one aside; "Why did the Earth Alliance let them get their hands on their mobile suits?!"

"It doesn't matter right now!" Renais yelled as she fired a bazooka at one of them; "KouRyu, AnRyu, we can't allow Gimlet make off with the Q-Parts!"

Indeed, it was Gimlet, the thief who stole the plans for F.L.E.I.J.A.. Now he had stolen one of the three mysterious relics known only as Q-Parts. Discovered all over the world roughly at the same time, no one knew who made them, where they came from, and what they were for. All that scientists were able to discern about them was that they could generate an incredible amount of energy, more than anything else. Britannia and the Earth Alliance each found and laid claim to one of the three sets of Q-Parts - the third was found by GGG, though now it was frantically trying to get it back.

"AnRyu, where's our backup?!" Renais yelled as she landed, looking around for Gimlet.

"The _Nadesico _is on its way," KouRyu answered; "I just hope we can keep up with him until they arrive."

Suddenly, she heard someone laughing - and it was a laugh she recognized.

Gimlet's.

For reasons beyond her understanding, Gimlet intentionally maintained a communication channel with her. She looked over her right shoulder and up to see the BioNet robot's head poking out of a chimney.

"Here I am, my little Jeanne d'Arc!" he called out, using his favorite nickname for her, which she hated. Gimlet retracted his head, then reappeared, attached to the inner part of an unusual bladed wheel, as well as two others. The wheels spun like buzzsaws and rushed at her. She was able to bound away from them, making them tear up the roof of the building she was standing on.

But Renais lost her footing and slipped off the building, and began to plummet ten stories to the hard asphalt below...

Only to be caught by someone she knew quite well.

"Don't be so reckless, Renais."

The cyborg looked up, and recognized her cousin's face, not noticing that they appeared to be standing in mid-air.

"Guy!"

"Leave this to us."

At that moment, Renais saw what they were standing on appear - PhantomGao.

"Oh, this won't do at all!" Gimlet laughed. "I still need to get revenge for the death of Professor Laplace, and for everything you've done to me!"

"Gimlet, I don't care how many times you resurrect," Guy declared, pointing dramatically at his foe; "GGG will obliterate the treachery of BioNet once and for all!"

"Oh, that won't do!" the BioNet robot replied as he and several more of the bladed wheels attacked again. But again they were foiled - this time by a pair of glowing boomerangs. A familiar purple robot revealed itself.

"Volfogg, glad to see you made it too," Renais said.

"It is good to see you too, Renais," Volfogg said as a small hatch opened up on his right leg. "Guy, launching your ID armor!"

The hatch fired a sturdy-looking metal suitcase, which opened automatically to reveal golden armor parts.

"EQUIIIIP!"

The parts attached to him instantly, as if teleporting into place.

"Oh dear, this won't do at all...time to take my leave!"

Gimlet, along with dozens of other bladed wheels quickly dove into the river that flowed through Paris.

"You won't sneak away that easy!" KouRyu yelled. She aimed her satellite dish-like laser cannon at the water.

"Primrose Moon, maximum power!"

The pink robot fired a pink beam into the water where the wheels had escaped.

The beam caused a great explosion in the water, causing the bladed wheels to fly out. But the explosion had a nasty side effect - it caused a large wave to form on the river, that immediatelyh speed down the channel, threatening to engulf anything and everything in its path. What was worse, a boat full of tourists ended up caught atop the wave.

"But how?!" KouRyu cried, bemoaning her error. Meanwhile, the wheels burst out of the water, and moved towards the famous Eiffel Tower.

"Full burst!" AnRyu called out, opening up a missile-launcher array on her back. "Shellbull Rain!"

The missiles homed in and locked on to their targets, which were getting dangerously close to the Eiffel Tower. But to the black robot's dismay, the wheels paused in mid-air and turned ninety degrees, causing the missiles to go through their holes and strike the Eiffel Tower itself. In addition to damaging the national treasure, an elevator containing numerous civilian tourists was blasted out, and sent flying.

"No!" AnRyu cried.

But then another hot-blooded cry rang out from above - it was EnRyu, dropping in at high speed. He struck the asphalt streets and slid like a baseball player trying to steal home, while simultaneously extending his fire ladder gun, catching the elevator car and allowing it to slide down, while he stopped it with his hand.

"Big brother EnRyu!" AnRyu said with relief.

"Yo, what's up?" he quipped as AnRyu hurried towards him. He placed the car down, allowing the frightened visitors to return to solid ground. What might have been a bloodbath inside that tiny vehicle was reduced to merely a few minor to moderate injuries.

HyoRyu was nearby and also landed. As he skidded, he aimed his rifle at the oncoming wave.

"FREEZING RIFLE!"

A burst of ice of a temperature close to absolute zero shot out. Upon contacting the giant wave, it quickly froze it in place. Miraculously, the boat full of tourists remained in place as it came to a stop.

"Big brother HyoRyu!" KouRyu said excitedly as she daintily grabbed the boat and placed it on the shore, also allowing the tourists to get off safely.

"It's been too long, little tomboy," the blue robot said with a smile. "But we can save the chitchat for later. We have to stop BioNet from causing any more damage."

* * *

"That...was EPIC!" Tara cheered as she and the other DREAM members along for the ride witnessed the unbelievable rescues made by HyoRyu and EnRyu from the hangar of the _Nadesico_. Joining her were the five Aestivalis pilots, the Cyber Beast Force, Suzaku. Gai Murakumo, Lowe and Cagalli.

"Yeah, I don't think I could pull that kind of save," Ryoko added.

"You can talk about it later," Ruri chimed in. "All units, prepare to launch."

* * *

"Oh, so DREAM shows itself here too!" Gimlet commented after briefly glancing backward and spotted the _Nadesico _and _Eternal _moving in, even as he tangled with GaoFar. He had used some of the bladed wheels to combine into a building-size abomination. "This won't do at all! It seems I'll have to step up my game!"

"Give those Q-Parts back now, Gimlet!" Guy demanded; "Or you'll face the wrath of GGG AND its allies!"

The lanky robot leaped high into the air.

"Fine! Come and take them then!" the BioNet robot replied mockingly. Suddenly, every last bladed wheel unfolded into flat strips similar to chainsaw blades, then flew toward Gimlet, forming a great shell around the limbs of the robot.

"Oh no, you don't!" Suzaku called out as he rushed the Lancelot toward Gimlet. But he couldn't get there in time - the massive mecha had become taller and MUCH bulkier, as well as having gold bands on its body.

The powered-up Gimlet turned and swung hard at the Lancelot. It was able to dodge, but was blown back by the force of the displaced air.

"GIMLET EMPEROORRRR!"

"Hey, Guy! You might wanna do that Final Fusion thing you do!" Suzaku called out.

"I can't...not without the approval of the chairman of the UFN!" Guy replied; "That was part of the charter!"

"What?!" Suzaku exclaimed. "You're kidding, right?!"

"Do-ho-ho-ho!" Gimlet laughed as he jumped into the air and prepared to come down on GaoFar; "You fools and your politics...this is what you get!"

* * *

"Chairman Sumeragi...please!" said Kazuo Ushiyama, one of the operators aboard GGG Orbit Base. "You must approve Final Fusion!"

Kaguya's image was on a video screen, so she could survey the base and its operations. Just as Guy had said, the UFN charter had a clause stating that GGG had to get the approval of the UFN chair before using GaoGaiGar or any of its major weapons. Unfortunately, it was an idea that Kaguya wasn't terribly fond of either. She knew full well that GGG would never request approval for Final Fusion lightly, and it was always worth approving.

"Okay...go ahead!" Kaguya said.

"Um...we can't initiate the Final Fusion program without your STAMP of approval, Miss Chairman," Kousuke replied.

Kaguya, with an annoyed frown, picked up a stamper on her desk, and looked at the console at her right.

"This thing?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Kazuo replied.

"Okay then..." Kaguya said, taking a deep breath. "FINAL FUSION...OPERATION APPROVED!"

She dramatically slammed the stamp on the console, marking it with the logo of the UFN, a dove superimposed on a globe. A split second later, the signal was sent.

"Utsugi, it's all you!" Geki Hyuuma called out.

"Roger!" Mikoto said as she prepared the final commands. "Final Fusion...Program..."

She paused for a second to pray for everyone's safety before raising her hand to smash the crystal.

"...DRIIIIVE!"

She smashed the glass window, sending the signal for GaoFar and its new GaoMachines to initiate Final Fusion.

"Hey, you're pretty good, Chairman!" Geki said to Kaguya with a grin. "You're almost as good as Chief Taiga!"

* * *

Back on Earth, Gimlet was pounding GaoFar while Suzaku desperately tried to help his ally out. Meanwhile, the other members of DREAM were busy wiping out the remaining Strike Daggers.

But sooner did the last one fall than did another wave suddenly appear...out of Thresholds, no less. But this wave was a mix of Strike Daggers, Knightmare Frames...and Mechabeasts.

"Geez, even BioNet's got Thresholds now!" Tara said angrily. "Is Atik Yomin giving it away like free candy or something?!"

"And they've gotten their mitts on Dr. Hell's old junk too!" Shinobu added as Dancougar readied its blade. "But we'll scrap 'em all the same!"

"I'll go help Guy Shishioh," Gai Murakumo suddenly said, switching the Tactical Arms to its sword mode. "It looks like he could use a hand."

"No prob, bro!" Lowe replied. "We've got things here."

The Astray Blue Frame rushed in the direction of the battle between Gimlet Emperor and GaoFar. He sprang his Gundam upward and came down on Gimlet, cleaving off one of its arms, allowing the GGG mech to back off a bit and prepare for Final Fusion.

"Long time no see, Gimlet."

"Oh-ho! If it isn't the escaped Combat Coordinator we made for Blue Cosmos!" Gimlet said with almost sadistic glee. "You've been quite a bad boy, defying your creators! That just won't do! Listen, I'll play with you later...right now, I have a meddlesome cyborg to fin..."

"FINAL...FUUUUSIOOOOON!"

"Oh, this won't do at all..." Gimlet grumbled. Suddenly, the stealth bomber GaoMachine zipped by, followed closely by the bullet train. The drill tank burrowed from below, knocking Gimlet Emperor over. Gai tried to deal a quick coup de grace, but the BioNet robot struck the Astray Blue with its fist, sending it skidding away, even while GaoFar underwent Final Fusion.

"GAO...FIGH...GAAAAAR!"

"Gai Murakumo!" Guy called out. "Thank you for your assistance!"

"I have my own issues with this guy,"

"Then let's take him down together! Stall him for a little longer!"

GaoFighGar rocketed upward, allowing Guy to spot the Gatling Driver coming his way.

"Well, looks like you're scrap now, Gimlet," the Astray Blue's pilot said, readying its sword. "I'm not even going to let Shishioh finish you off."

He rushed forward and made three swift slashes, and then a fourth heavy slash, cutting Gimlet Emperor to pieces. But the parts immediately reformed into a somewhat different shape.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Gimlet laughed as he raised its arm to the sky; "Through the arrangement of its parts, this Gimlet Emperor possesses twenty-three different special abilities! Now, I shall show you special ability number seven...BUSTER RAINSTORM!"

Gimlet fired a barrage of energy spheres that flew high, then came down like a deluge of energy, hammering Gai, who was barely able to shield himself.

"Is that all, Combat Coordinator?" the BioNet robot cackled; "Then perish in the face of special ability number ten...DIAMOND DEMOLISHER!"

"GATLING DRIVEEEEERRR!"

GaoFighGar struck the ground with its tool. Just as it did before, the ground opened up beneath Gimlet and Gai, dropping them both into a deep, circular arena-like pit, which was formed by bending the space around it to create an area where no collateral damage could be caused by the battle.

Gai joined Guy as the fighting mechanoid landed, now ready to go all out against their opponent.

"So this is the famous Dividing Field," Gimlet said as Gimlet Emperor got to its feet and arranged its parts again. "However, this WILL be the last time you foil our plans! Now, face the wrath of special ability number one...EXPLOSION BEAM!"

"You're right about that," Guy quipped. "PROTECT WALL!"

GaoFighGar raised its left hand, creating a barrier in front of it, which absorbed the beam. Gai smirked and switched the Tactical Arms to its machine gun mode. He then opened fire, punching many holes in Gimlet Emperor. GaoFighGar then manipulated the energy so it formed into a pentagram symbol, and sent it back at the damaged BioNet machine, smashing it to bits.

"But wait, there's more!" Gimlet declared, reforming his machine into a form that had a pair of large electrical antennae on its shoulders; "Have a sample of special ability number two...COLOSSAL COMBUSTIBLE!"

"BROKEN...PHANTOOOOOOM!"

GaoFighGar unleashed the rocket punch once more, punching a single huge hole in its body. It exploded once more, only to revert to the bunch of bladed wheels from before.

"Oh no, this isn't good at all! Retreeeeaaat!"

The numerous bladed wheels retreated, but suddenly were struck by a Gravity Blast and sent crashing to the ground, still in the arena.

"I can't let you do that, Gimlet," Ruri said in her deadpan manner.

"Looks like your luck just ran out," Renais said, while leaning against AnRyu. The rest of DREAM had just finished off the second wave of reinforcements and came to help out. All Gimlet could do was babble incoherently.

"Guy, finish him off!" Akito yelled.

"Yeah! Smash that robot menace!" Jiro called out.

"GOLDYMARG!" Guy cried out.

"Yeah! Another minute and I would have gone nuts!" the tank bot bellowed excitedly.

* * *

"What? You need ANOTHER approval?!" Kaguya exclaimed when she was contacted again by Orbit Base. "What do you need me to approve THIS time?!"

"We need you to approve usage of the Goldion Hammer!" Kousuke replied.

"Hang on, what was the activating mechanism again?"

Kazuo sighed. "It's a card with GGG's symbol on it. Press the green button in the top corner and the key will pop out."

Kaguya searched through her desk drawer and found said card, which ejected the key, just as Kazuo said. She looked down on the console, and saw a lock just like the one on Orbit Base.

"Okay, now I guess I stick in this thingamajig here, right?"

"Yes! Please, hurry!" Mikoto cried, desperate to see this battle over with.

"Don't forget to turn it clockwise, Chairman!" Geki added.

Kaguya grinned. Eager to mimic Chief Taiga again, she dramatically raised the key over her head.

"GOLDION HAMMER...OPERATION, APPROVED!"

She stuck the key into the slot and turned it, sending the approval signal.

"Utsugi!" Geki called out. Mikoto pulled out the card like she always did.

"Right! Goldion Hammer...safety device...RELEEEEASE!"

* * *

Goldymarg rocketed down from the sky, and changed into the Marg Hand and Goldion Hammer while the parts of Gimlet Emperor desperate changed into another form - a tank of sorts with its arms serving as gigantic missiles.

"S-special ability n-number nineteen," the BioNet machine stammered, "SUBSTANCE EXCUSEZ-MOI!" The two missiles fired at GaoFighGar.

"Wow...and I though Izumi was lame," Cagalli quipped, knowing full well that Gimlet was as good as beaten, especia GaoFighGar was able to turn one of the missiles into light with a swing of the Goldion Hammer, while Gai slashed the other in twain. Gimlet cowered a bit as Guy prepared to deal with him in the same way he extracted Zonder Cores.

"HAMMER...HELL!"

Guy drove the nail into Gimlet Emperor's head.

"HAMMER...HEAVEN!"

Guy pried out the nail, and the BioNet robot with it.

"This won't do at aaaaall!" Gimlet cried out, still delirious even as he and the Q-Parts, a mysterious black polyhedron, lay in GaoFighGar's open hand.

"HIKARI NI NAREEEEE!"

Guy struck Gimlet Emperor with the Goldion Hammer, turning it into light with a spectacular flash and finally bringing the battle to an end.

After a few seconds, Gimlet sat up, still and immediately began begging.

"Please! I won't do it anymore! Just spare me! Save meeee..."

Suddenly, alarms started going off on the _Nadesico_.

"Incoming Boson Jump signals..." Ruri said, surprised at this unusual development.

"What?!" Yurika exclaimed.

As Gimlet started to crawl away, another mech appeared and snatched Gimlet and the Q-Parts right out of GaoFighGar's hand before Boson Jumping away. It was a red machine that looked like a cross between an Aestivalis and the Gekigan-type machines used by the Jovians. About a dozen similar machines appeared, along with a force of unmanned Battas roughly twice that number.

"Jovians?!" Ryoko exclaimed.

"No...the Martian Successors!" Jiro said with a scowl, recognizing the red enemy mech and its tan lookalikes.

"You know these things, Gai?" Ruri said. "There's no data in any of Omoikane's systems about those models."

"Yes...these are the same villains who kidnapped the Captain and Akito in the timeline I returned from, and who you had stopped!"

"Give that back!" Guy cried as GaoFighGar lunged at the red mech. But he couldn't even touch it...the Martian Successor machine Boson Jumped away and reappeared high above them.

"And that makes two sets of Q-Parts..." its pilot said in a sinister voice, holding the black polyhedron in its fingers. "Muzuru squadron...I leave the rest to you."

With that, the red Martian Successor mech disappeared, Boson Jumped to who knows where. The tan Martian Successor mechs charged in, with the Battas close at hand.

"Careful, guys," Jiro warned them. "These guys are ten cuts above the Jovians we've had to deal with!"

"Heh, no problem," Lowe quipped. "Nothing ol' Red and I can't handle! Let's go, everyone!"

The Astray Red Frame zoomed forward, katana keened to strike the Martian Successor units down...

* * *

Kusakabe sat patiently in his office in the Jovian base on Mars, which surrounded the ruins. The last remnants of the Jovian military, all loyal to him, were serving as soldiers in the army of the Martian Successors. He had sent one of his new commanders on an important mission to retrieve something he needed to fully draw out the power within the ruins.

And soon enough, said commander walked through the door. He removed his helmet, reveal a head of short but mussy brown hair. He also had red eyes with one iris distinctly larger than the other.

"Admiral...I have returned," the commander said.

"Did you secure the Q-Parts, Hokuten?" Kusakabe asked. The Martian Successor smirked and placed the black relic on his leader's desk.

"Good work. With this and the Q-Parts we discovered in these very ruins, that gives us control of half of the Q-Parts."

"And all you needed was one of the set to breach the walls of time and space to save me from my fate," Hokuten replied. "I can only imagine what will happen once we obtain all four..."

Kusakabe chuckled under his breath.

* * *

Even Final Dancougar, GaoFighGar and Lifthrasir Titania were having trouble with the Martian Successor mechs. Their ability to Boson Jump with ease made them difficult to hit, while their powerful Distortion Fields made their defenses difficult to pierce. Even the Battas, usually easy pickings for seasoned pilots, were proving to be problematic.

For Cagalli, they were especially troublesome - she still wasn't completely used to using the IWSP, and such agile targets made it even more difficult for her to aim.

"Damn it...I'm just not cut out for this..." she growled through clenched teeth. To make matters worse for her, one of the Muzurus Boson Jumped close to her and raised its staff, looking to skewer the Strike Rouge. Suddenly, Lowe's words played back in her mind.

_"...If your old man didn't believe you'd use it well, he wouldn't have given it to you..."_

_No...I can't..._ Cagalli thought; I_ can't let them down! If I die here..._

Suddenly, just like Kira and Athrun, her mind suddenly entered a state of extreme clarity, as if everything around her was more vivid. Her yellow eyes dulled and her pupils contracted.

Without even fully thinking, she dodged the Martian Successor's attack, and then fired both railguns. The high-speed bullets were somehow able to pierce the Distortion Field and destroy the enemy in one shot.

She then focused her sights on the other Muruzus, taking aim with ease and firing, doing the same thing, except from a much greater distance, allowing her companions to deal with the rest quickly.

When Akito saw the one targeting him stagger, he pulled out his Aestivalis' knife and jammed it into its head, destroying the mech in one solid hit; meanwhile, Tara dealt with hers with a quick blade tonfa combo attack; Guy smashed his attacker with GaoFighGar's fists.

As soon as the last of them fell, the few remaining Battas retreated via Boson Jump. The blonde-haired girl breathed heavily as the Strike Rouge hovered there, rail guns smoking.

"Holy cow, when did our little princess learn how to do THAT?!" Masato exclaimed. "And in her first time piloting a mobile suit, no less!"

"Hey, Cagalli, that was wild!" Lowe said, opening a video channel with her. But then he saw the way her eyes looked - they were exactly how the theory described them.

This girl had just become the first Natural to awaken that state of mind, a state only three others, all Coordinators, were capable of entering...

SEED mode.

* * *

_Now this was a great chapter to write! I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it!_


	93. Chapter 64 Janus

_Today, it's time to get set up for G Gundam's finale, and bring a surprising new ally into the fold..._

* * *

**Chapter 64 (Janus) – Dragon & Devil Collide! ****The Nightmare Ends Now! (Part 2) **

"C'mon, Gundam-boy!" Sleggar cheered from the bridge of the _Ra Calium _as it hovered over Lantau Island, where Londo Bell and the Shuffle Alliance were duking it out with the Devil Gundam and its minions. "Sock it to 'em!"

"Captain, there's another mobile fighter heading directly for the island!" one of the operators called out.

"What's its ID?" Bright said, worried as to who this approaching enemy was.

"It's...GF13-001NHII..it's Master Gundam!" the operator replied.

"Well, so Master Asia's finally showed up."

"Then my timing's...ergh...perfect," Domon's voice suddenly came over the communicator. "Launch God Gundam!"

"Domon, you're in no condition to be fighting!" Bright replied. "Leave the Devil Gundam to everyone else!"

"Shut up! I'm not going to let anyone else defeat it!" the Gundam Fighter retorted angrily. "My father made the Devil Gundam, and that means I have to be the one to stop it!"

"But you're injured..."

"I'm just sore, that's all!"

"I'm sorry," Bright said regretfully, "but I can't let you go out there."

"Listen up, Captain," Domon growled; "If you don't open the hatch RIGHT NOW, then I'll blast it open myself!"

"I'd let him out," Sleggar chimed in. "The last thing we need with Char breathing down our necks is to have a busted hatch, and Domon is the kind of guy who always means what he says."

Bright sighed. "Fine. Just don't go doing anything stupid."

* * *

"Hey, you guys are fighting dirty!" Michelo Chariot whined as Neros Gundam got up from another hit from Bolt Gundam. "Six against one is so not fair!" He was facing down Elle Vianno, Argo, Sai Saici, both Bosses and Ruined World Sayaka.

"You're one to talk, pal!" Elle Vianno, who was piloting a Gundam mk II, retorted. "Jerks like you make me ashamed to be a Neo Italian sometimes!"

"You gotta admit this guy really knows how to take a whoopin'!" Sai Saici quipped.

"Yeah! But that's what Chariot gets for messin' with us!" Flourishing World Boss laughed.

"You might as well give up," Ruined World Boss taunted; "Unless you want the incredible Boss Borot duo to make your lip even fatter!"

"Ahahaha! Ya got nerve, you punks! Well, let's see how you handle THIS!"

Neros Gundam bounded high into the air, and began to glow. Before long, it began to grow larger as it changed shape in mid-air. When it ceased glowing, it had transformed into a gigantic mobile armor resembling a bird of prey.

"Ladies and germs, say hello to Gundam Heaven's Sword!" Michelo cackled. "Remember it well, because it's gonna be the last thing you'll ever see before I rip you to shreds!"

* * *

"Man, someone's been eating their wheat flakes," Chibodee quipped as he, George, Roux, Puru and Four faced down Gentle Chapman.

However, the John Bull Gundam, after receiving a beating similar to the one Neros Gundam got, transformed into something far more monstrous. His evolved machine was a mustard-yellow, block colossus that stood head and shoulders over even the Psyco Gundam mk III, and was armed to the teeth with all sorts of heavy artillery.

"Witness my new power, rapscallions!" Chapman boomed. "Behold, my Grand Gundam!"

"Okay, so he's bigger now," Roux quipped dismissively. "All he's done is make himself an easier tar..."

Suddenly, Roux's Gundam mk III was sent flying by a nearly direct hit from one of Grand Gundam's artillery shells.

"Hey, pick on someone your own size, pal!" Four yelled as she fired all of Psyco's megabeam cannons at Grand Gundam.

"Grrr...cursed Newtypes..." Chapman growled. "You shouldn't be allowed to exist!"

"Says the jerkface who joined up with the mean old Devil Gundam!" Puru replied mockingly. "Go get 'em, funnels!"

* * *

Seeing that Domon wasn't around, Master Asia decided to pick another target. He quickly spotted the Hi-Nu Gundam, and closed in, beam cloth ready to strike.

"Amuro Ray, the hero of the One Year War, the man responsible for the existence of Gundams! It's finally time for me to gain revenge on you for the sake of the Earth!"

"Toho Fuhai!" Amuro exclaimed.

"It's because of the original Gundam that the Earth is in its current state!"

"Shut up, that was never my intention! FIN FUNNEL!"

The funnels from Hi-Nu's wings launched out and began to attack Master Asia. But the wily warrior was more agile than them, and dodged every shot they fired.

"That may be," the martial artist replied as he swung his beam cloth, damaging two of Amuro's funnels, "but the Gundam Fight is reducing the Earth to a wasteland faster than the Getter Rays ever could...all for the sake of an 'ideal war'! Meanwhile, your real wars with Zeon have consumed almost every remaining natural resource on the planet! Haven't you realized the hypocrisy you're enabling?"

"Hey, lay off Amuro, ya jerk!" Judau yelled as ZZ Gundam charged in to help, beam saber drawn. "He couldn't help it if everyone in the Federation wanted a Gundam! Heck, you're in a Gundam yourself!"

"Insolent Newtype whelp!" Master Asia bellowed as he parried the attack, "You've never seen what this planet used to be before the Gundam Fight and its predecessor first started! You're no better than those Federation fat cats up in the Neo colonies!"

"And you think the Devil Gundam is going to make things right again?!" Kamille yelled. "You're nuts! I HAVE to stop you!"

Kamille changed Zeta Gundam into its Waverider mode and charged up its secret weapon - the bio-sensor. Just like he did against Scirocco, Kamille silently called up the spirits of his fallen friends to lend him their power. Once it was fully charged, Kamille let out a loud hotblooded cry and charged at Master Asia at full speed.

"Foolishness! DARKNESS...FINGEEEEER!"

Master Gundam's hand wreathed itself in dark purple energy, and he lunged forward to stop the Zeta's ultimate strike. Both Gundams met with incredible force, and appeared to be equally matched.

But the cunning brawler wasn't known as the Undefeated of the East for nothing - he quickly relaxed his arm, and ducked as Zeta rocketed forward again. Kamille quickly hit the brakes and switched back to his machine's mobile suit form, but that was all Master Asia needed - he fired a pair of beam shots from his Gundam's hands, knocking Kamille down.

"Ha! You Newtypes rely too much on your fancy powers!" Master Asia laughed. "Show me your true skills!"

"I'd be happy to oblige! GOD GORGON!"

Several arrows whizzed through the air, missing Master Asia by inches as he dodged them.

"Hey, Akira! Took you long enough!" Judau called out.

"Undefeated of the East! You shall know the wrath of Raideen here and now!"

Raideen began firing more and more arrows at Master Gundam, who continued to dodge them all. Amuro, realizing that the old man could only dodge so many things at once, unleashed another wave of funnels. Kamille and Judau followed Amuro's lead by firing their beam rifles.

"Oh, so that's your game. Very well...TOHOU FUHAI...JUUNI OUHOUHA DAISHAHEI!

Master Gundam's arm began to spin like a propeller as symbols appeared out of the air, which then launched twelve small copies of Master Gundam at his opponents, knocking them all down at once.

"Fools! I told you before...I have the will of the planet itself on my side!"

"Damn this guy is strong..." Judau grunted. "It's like we can't even touch him!"

"Then leave this old man to me!" a familiar voice called out. Gundam Spiegel suddenly appeared out of the trees and lunged at Master Gundam, who was barely able to dodge the attack. "Londo Bell - do everything in your power to stop the Devil Gundam before it starts up completely!"

As they fought, they all caught wind of a shocking revelation...

"Undefeated of the East! I will not let you lay another finger on my brother or his friends!"

_His brother?! _Judau thought; _But...didn't Kyoji Kasshu..._

"We can discuss it later!" Amuro ordered, hearing Judau's thoughts somehow; "The Devil Gundam's just over that next ridge!"

Raideen and the three Gundams hurried along. Master Asia tried to stop them, but Schwarz hit him with a powerful shoulder tackle.

"So...it really IS you, Kyoji Kasshu..."

* * *

"Yoko!"

Yoko's Gunman was smashed out of commission from a rain of blows by the berserk Allenby. While the red-head was a supreme sniper, her Gunman's close combat abilities were inadequate against the likes of the Walter Gundam.

"I'm okay, you guys. Rain...use that beam bow of yours or something!"

"Oh...right..."

Rising Gundam drew its beam bow, an unusual weapon that resembled a robotic version of the longbow, but fired beam blasts more powerful than any beam rifle.

"DOMON!" Allenby screeched as she wheeled around to attack Rain.

"Rain, I hate to remind you, the receiver for the Berserker System is near the cockpit!"

When Rain heard that, she knew she was only going to get one shot. If she missed entirely, Allenby would tear her apart. If she hit the cockpit area, she would kill Allenby...they weren't kidding when they said that the middle way, when it is the best way is usually the hardest.

"Finishing Strike! RISING ARROOOWWWW!"

She let the beam arrow fly, praying that it would strike its intended target.

The Walter Gundam came to a grinding halt and Allenby let out a blood-curdling scream when the arrow struck its mark.

"Alright, nice shoot'n, Rain!" Kittan quipped.

"Kittan, try to get Allenby out of that machine while its offline!" Rain cried.

"All right, all right, keep your spandex on, lady..." Kittan replied in a somewhat annoyed manner. "Just gimme a sec to figure this thing out."

King Kittan hurried over to the Walter Gundam and looked around to find the cockpit hatch. Once he found it, Kittan smashed the hatch off of the deactivated machine's body, allowing the unconscious Allenby to slide out and into his Gunman's waiting hand.

"Mission accomplished!" the blond pilot cheered.

"Thank you, Kittan. I'll take her to the nearest hospital."

"What about Domon? Don't you wanna, y'know, help him out? Isn't that why you came out here in the first place?"

Rain hesitated for a second.

"No. Allenby needs to see a doctor immediately."

Kittan let Allenby slip into Rising Gundam's free hand, and then watched her fly off toward the city. Suddenly, a catastrophic explosion rang out from the newly formed volcanic island, tolling the destruction of the Metal Beast Dragon.

"Well, I guess Shin Dragon isn't a concern anymore," Kittan sighed with relief.

* * *

Knowing nothing about what had just transpired, Domon rushed God Gundam toward Lantau Island at high speed, hoping to get to the Devil Gundam and finish him once and for all.

He did, however, hear the explosion that ended the battle against Shin Dragon.

_Good...since that monster's been defeated, I can concentrate on the Devil Gundam!_

As he soared overhead, he spied Master Asia and Schwarz fighting it out. Domon's teacher spotted him as well and suddenly broke combat to finish off his hasty student.

But Schwarz, being just as quick, stopped him, and the two fighters continued their fight in mid-air.

"Domon! Your friends from Londo Bell are up ahead!" he called out. "Leave Master Asia to me and finish off the Devil Gundam!"

"Domon, don't you want to lend your brother a hand?!" Master Asia retorted.

"W-what?!" Domon exclaimed.

"That's right," Schwarz said. "I'm your big brother, Kyoji...and I will protect you, just like I promised. But right now it's up to you and your comrades to defeat the Devil Gundam! GO!"

"You fool!" Master Asia bellowed. "The Kyoji that serves as the Devil Gundam's core is your real brother! What goads you to your doom is nothing more than a copy made of DG Cells!"

"Domon, it doesn't matter what he says! The Devil Gundam must be defeated! GO NOW!"

Domon's instincts told him to believe his brother. He continued toward the colossus that loomed over Lantau Island, wondering what the heck all this was about...

* * *

"Man, I haven't had this much fun...well, ever!" Sai Saici said excitedly as he dodged another attack by Gundam Heaven's Sword. Their allies from Londo Bell had taken a beating and were forced to back off, leaving the two of them alone to face down Michelo.

"But if we keep goofing around like this, we'll be defeated," Argo replied grimly; "And lose more than just a shot at our dreams."

Argo looked up and saw God Gundam flying overhead.

"There's Domon," Argo said. "What do you say we finish this guy off and go lend him a hand?"

"Yeah! No point in dying here!"

"EAT THIS!" Michelo screeched. "HEAVEN'S TORNADO!"

Dragon Gundam sprang into the air and began to glow gold. It then sprouted a pair of great flaming butterfly wings and soared even higher, right over the Gundam Heaven Sword's attack.

"OPEN WIDE, YA CHUMP! SHIN RYUSEI KOUCHOKEN!"

He dropped down into a flying kick, crashing into the flying Gundam and sending them plummeting toward Earth. Meanwhile, Argo, his Gundam also glowing gold, pulled out his Graviton Hammer and whirled it over his head.

"C'mere, birdie! I'll make some nice fried chicken out of you!"

The chain of Argo's weapon wrapped around Michelo's body, and then Argo yanked it hard, pulling the raven-like Gundam into the ground. Sai Saici then pulled out one of Dragon Gundams Fei Long Flags, spun it over his head and jammed it into Gundam Heaven Sword's head before springing away.

Michelo let out one last scream before his Gundam exploded in a massive fireball...

* * *

"Hey look, there goes Domon!" Chibodee quipped as he looked and saw Domon fly overhead. "About time he showed up!" Like with Argo and Sai Saici, he and George deSand were the only members of their group left after a hammering by Grand Gundam.

"I take it he's not about to let a little soreness get in the way of his mission..." George said. "So what do you say we remind Chapman of what happened during the American Revolution?"

"I don't follow. Besides, this ain't no time for a history lesson!"

"Very well...I'll explain it to you after this is all over, but for now, just follow my lead. ROSE HURRICANE!"

Gundam Rose began to glow gold as it let fly a small army of Rose Bits. Meanwhile Gundam Maxter glowed gold as it leaped high into the air and pulled out both of his Gundam's magnum pistols. A Rose Bit manually attached to each gun.

"Goodbye...champ!" Chibodee said with a smirk.

Chibodee fired the two Bits, which flew at the staggered Grand Gundam at high speed, blasting through the cockpit, killing Gentle Chapman instantly.

The massive Gundam staggered around for a bit, then fell face flat and exploded catastrophically...

* * *

"Akira! Amuro! Judau! Kamille!" Domon called out when he spotted his allies in Londo Bell. "I'm here!"

"I was hoping you'd be!" Judau quipped as ZZ sliced a Gundam Head in twain. "This is your fight, anyway! Commander, Akira, Kamille! Let's hit this thing with everything we've got, then let Domon deliver the finishing blow!"

Suddenly, Domon's heart flooded with doubt again as God Gundam landed.

"...Wait! That's my brother in there! He's still alive...and if you kill HIM, Schwarz may die too!"

"Geez, Domon, make up your mind!" Kamille yelled in dismay. "First you wanted to kill your brother, now you want to save him? Are you going to let this thing lay waste to the world?!"

"I...I..."

Hi-Nu Gundam suddenly flew over to God Gundam and belted it in the face.

"Domon! Open your eyes!" Amuro cried; "This abomination is going to destroy everything you know and love, and what's more, your brother is a prisoner inside it! If you love your brother, then help us end his nightmare!"

"No..." Domon said.

"What?!" Amuro exclaimed.

"I mean I'll do it myself..." Domon said, turning toward the Devil Gundam. "Just cover me!"

"You got it, man!" Judau said excitedly.

The three Londo Bell Gundams began firing their beam rifles at the Devil Gundam, who was firing its own particle cannons at them; Raideen meanwhile, launched salvo after salvo of arrows from its own bow at the colossus.

Domon, heart filled with the resolve to put an end to his brother's nightmarish existence, was able to dodge each and every blast, until he got close enough to him to get a clear shot. Suddenly, the Devil Gundam ceased its attack and opened its cockpit hatch as if the man within was welcoming oblivion.

The martial artist gazed at his brother's limp, pale body with tears flowing down his face. He could see that his brother wasn't truly alive...merely existing. And yet he was about to finish him off with his own two hands.

"Kyoji...thank you for everything...and...I'm sorry."

Domon awakened God Gundam's Hyper Mode and readied the final blow.

"THE SCHOOL OF THE UNDEFEATED OF THE EAST'S..."

Master Asia paused and looked up in horror as Domon charged up the ultimate technique that he had taught him not long ago.

"NO! DON'T DO IT, DOMON!"

Master Gundam tried to break away from Schwarz, but Gundam Spiegel was able to block his path.

"...ULTIMATE SECRET TECHNIQUE!"

"THE EARTH HAS NO FUTURE WITHOUT THE DEVIL GUNDAM!"

**"GOD FINGER...SEKIHA TENKYOKEN!"**

The combined power of the God Finger and Sekiha Tenkyoken formed into a massive energy ball that smashed into the Devil Gundam's cockpit, striking the true body of Kyoji and dealing a massive blow to the abomination. It let out one final roar before hanging limp.

As soon as that occurred, the DG Cell copy of Kyoji felt his body began to break down as they lost their ability to maintain their form. But he was satisfied - his true self had been released from his lifeless existence. His body crumbled into an inert lump of DG Cells, unable to function without commands from the Devil Gundam. Gundam Spiegel went offline as well, now that its pilot was, for all intents and purposes, dead.

Master Asia, on the other hand, was still very much alive, and was now angrier than he had ever been before. He rocketed at his student with unbelievable force.

"DOMON, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT YOU'VE JUST DONE?!"

"Shut up!" Domon retorted as he blocked the attack. "I've foiled your plans for world domination, that's what I did!"

"Pay attention!" the old martial artist bellowed; "Have I ever said ONCE that I wanted to control the world?!"

"Yeah, right! I know all about your plans with Wong!"

"It's obvious there's no getting through to you with words, Domon," Master Asia sighed; "Let me try and make my point in A LANGUAGE YOU UNDERSTAND!"

The two Gundams rushed at each other, and began to exchange blows with incredible speed...each one intent on defeating the other.

"Amazing...look at them fight!" Kamille exclaimed as he and the others stopped and watched. Just then, the other four members of the Shuffle Alliance arrived and stood with their fellow Gundams to watch.

"Looks like we missed the first half of the show," Sai Saici said. "But the second half looks to be even better!"

"Guys, what you're seeing right now is the Gundam Fight in its purest form!" Chibodee said; "No politics, no backstabbing, just two Gundam Fighters giving their all to determine who's the best!"

"Yes...I can feel the pressure they're both emitting," Amuro said, awestruck by the display.

"Amuro, what are you all doing?" Bright suddenly radioed in. "Help Domon out!"

"No way, Captain!" Chibodee replied.

"This is Domon's battle!" Argo added. "We can't interfere!"

"The only help we can give is to cheer him on," George said; "The rest shall be determined by who is the stronger warrior."

The two Gundams suddenly formed into great whirling spheres of green and yellow flame, with only their machines heads' sticking out - a result of their limbs spinning at speeds impossible for any machine but a mobile fighter.

"...CHOKYO!"

"...HAOH!"

"...DEN'EI DAAAAAN!"

The two Gundams collided, creating a titanic explosion, which forced Hi-Nu, Zeta and ZZ Gundam back, though the other mobile fighters stood firm.

"Listen to that! It's the sad, beautiful sound of souls!" Chibodee said, clenching his fist, making his Shuffle Crest glow.

"No way am I ever gonna forget this battle!" Sai Saici, moved deeply by the pure hot blood and soul being unleashed by the two combatants. "Not until the day I die!"

"Domon...I would have thought our little talk before would have gotten the message across," Master Asia said as they exchanged rapid fire blows; "But since it hasn't, I'll make it clear as I possibly can."

"When I saw the madness caused by everything - the Gundam Fight, the wars with Zeon and the Invaders, I made a solemn vow..." the old martial artist explained, even as he delivered a ferocious flying kick to his student; "...To devote the rest of my life to restoring the Earth to its former glory, no what it took!"

"So why did you work with the Devil Gundam?!" Domon cried as he landed and blocked Master Asia's next attack.

"It's because the only way to restore the Earth...was to eliminate humanity itself!"

"So you wanted to destroy mankind?!" his student exclaimed.

"No...it was the desire of the Devil Gundam itself! It understood that our species, in advancing as far as it has, is as alien to it as the Invaders are!"

"That's crazy! The Devil Gundam was made by humans! You've been following the lead of a machine that's gone haywire!"

"The story you may have heard is that its crash landing caused it to malfunction...HA! Nothing could be further from the truth!" Master Asia laughed; "Upon landing, the Ultimate Gundam studied the condition of the Earth, and, using its three prime directives, concluded that humanity needed to be destroyed in order for it to achieve its purpose! It became the Devil Gundam because it was the only way!"

"Well you know something? YOU'RE WRONG!" Domon bellowed; "Humanity was born from nature, and is thus a part of the Earth just as much as everything else! How could you possibly restore the Earth to its natural state if you don't include humans, both Oldtypes AND Newtypes?!"

The two Gundams landed on opposite sides of the crater that had formed beneath them.

"It's clear that neither of us is willing to listen to the other," Master Asia said. "Why don't we settle this fight once and for all, and let fate decide who is right?"

"Sure!" Domon cried as he entered a fighting stance. "IN THE NAME OF THE KING OF HEARTS!"

Both Gundams glowed gold, and the whole island began to quake and heave, rocks collapsing and uplifting with each passing moment!

"Holy cow, look at 'em!" Judau exclaimed. "They're tearing the whole island apart with nothing but their fighting spirit!"

"THE SCHOOL OF..."

"...THE UNDEFEATED OF THE EAST'S..."

"...ULTIMATE..."

"...SECRET TECHNIQUE!"

Both Gundams charged up their ultimate attacks.

**"SEKIHA TENKYOKEN!"  
**

Two enormous energy blasts, one purple, one red, rushed at each other, and began pushing against each other as Domon and Master Asia tried to overpower each other. But to everyone's dismay, it looked like Master Asia's blast was stronger.

"AHAHAHA! Have you already reached your limit, boy?" he laughed; "What right do you have to call yourself the King of Hearts if you can't beat one measly villain like me?!"

Domon growled and grunted as he struggled to hold the blast back.

"Rise, you fool! Show me that you can still stand!"

"I'll do more than that!" Domon cried as he got to his feet. "TODAY IS THE DAY...**THAT I SURPASS YOU!**"

Domon's blast suddenly forced Master Asia's blast back and instantly struck him hard. He then prepared another shot, one that would finish Master Asia off for good.

**"SEKIHA TENKYO...GOD FINGEEEEER!"**

The energy changed into the flaming shape of a oversized Gundam hand which blasted forward and grabbed Master Gundam and began to squeeze.

**"HEAAAAAT...END!"**

Suddenly, Master Asia's tone quieted down, and he smiled.

"Very good...you've finally...truly earned the title of King of Hearts..."

Domon's fighting spirit suddenly faded when he realized what his master was truly doing.

The hand exploded, and the blast nearly reached his friends on their cliff viewing point, even as Domon let out an agonized cry...

* * *

At long last, the day-long battle was over. The Devil Gundam had gone silent, no longer able to function without a core, while Shin Dragon was free of its Invader corruption. But DREAM couldn't celebrate...not while watching Domon gently cradle his master's body, tears flowing down his face. Master Asia's body was limp, and his hair, normally tied in a top knot, was flowing freely. It was a sight that filled even the usually stoic Argo with deep sadness. The moon, as full as it was, seemed to have paused its descent in an act of respect toward the old warrior.

"Domon...you re-taught me an important lesson today," the old martial artist said weakly; "To think that you had to go so far to remind me of something so simple..."

"Master..." Domon sobbed.

"You would still...call me that after everything I've done?" his teacher wheezed.

"I'm sorry...all this time I was consumed with thoughts of taking you down," Domon replied tearfully; "I never saw the depth of your sorrow until today...I never bothered to hear your side of things! Yet right until the end, you watched over me."

"That's ridiculous," Master Asia chuckled weakly; "I've been nothing but a complete monster this whole time. But nonetheless...take a look..."

He opened his shirt up, revealing his bare, somewhat wrinkled, but well-toned chest.

"Not a single DG Cell ever touched this body," he gasped; "If only...if only..."

He suddenly slipped into unconsciousness before he could finish his sentence, and Domon could feel his teacher's life ebbing away as it went limp.

"No...don't go, Master!" Domon cried, gently shaking his teacher's body, then hugging it against him. "Please, don't go!"

But suddenly, the nearby Raideen suddenly began to act on its own, as if it sensed the flame of Master Asia's life force slowly growing weaker. It scooped up the student and master in its hand and lifted them up, raising them up.

"What's Raideen doing?" Amuro exclaimed.

Suddenly, a hatch in Raideen's chest opened, revealing a stone that thrummed with power, which brilliantly reflected the moonlight.

Akira recognized the stone instantly, but couldn't believe its identity at first.

_That's...the Star of La Mu! It was in Raideen the whole time?! But...why did it reveal itself now, of all times?_

But the Star wasn't revealing itself for a lark. As it shone in the evening sky, the DG Cells that had once made up Schwarz suddenly started moving on their own, flying through the air, as if under the command of the ancient relic. The silvery nanomachines began to glow gold...they were transforming into 3G Cells, the same miraculous invention that saved Princess Euphemia's life. The cells then began to fall over the group like a gentle rain, many of them landing on Master Asia's body and being promptly absorbed.

After several moments, the hatch containing the stone closed once more.

* * *

The old man, who had felt his life ebbing away moments ago, suddenly started to feel his strength return, even as he lay unconscious. He couldn't understand why...he had accepted his death the moment he had faced down with Domon.

In his mind's eye, Master Asia saw the ghosts of the old Shuffle Alliance.

_Master Asia. We have come to apologize to you. We never bothered to question whether the Gundam Fight was the right way to avoid war. We should have listened to you after you told us what you had seen...so everything that has happened is more our fault than yours. As repayment, we shall lend you our strength, so that you may be with your student a little longer..._

* * *

The old martial artist opened his eyes wearily, finding himself in a hospital bed. And at his bedside sat Domon Kasshu, who had stayed up all night to make sure his teacher had pulled through.

"Domon..." the old man said, awestruck that he was still alive, and that his student had sat here with him.

"Good morning, Master," Domon said with a kind smile. He stood up, walked over to the window and pulled up the shades, revealing a beautiful red sunrise. "I made sure to have them put you in a room on the east side of the building."

"...It's beautiful, isn't it, Domon?" the martial artist said wistfully as he gazed out at it.

"Yeah. It's truly something," his student replied.

"Domon, tell me...how did I survive?" Master Asia asked.

"Let's just say that the planet wanted you to stick around for a little longer," he answered. "Maybe I still need to learn a few things from you." The scientific explanation Domon was given was difficult for him to wrap his head around, so he gave him something that made sense in his mind.

"Or perhaps I have some things to learn from YOU, Domon," the old martial artist replied, returning Domon's smile. "But come...let's say it. For old time's sake."

Domon helped his master stand up and they both gazed out the window at the sunrise.

"...The School of the Undefeated of the East!"

"...The winds of the king!"

"Zenshin!"

"Keiretsu!"

"Tenpa kyoran!"

"LOOK! THE EAST IS BURNING RED!"

* * *

_C'mon, you don't just kill off an old dude as awesome as Master Asia! Anyway, next time...the events that's been alluded to since the earliest chapters of the story FINALLY begin! Are you stoked? YOU BETTER BE! _


	94. Chapter 65 Tara

_Unfortunately, the Martian Successors will have to wait, because we've got a surprise coming to the Flourishing World team...one that will push them to their absolute limits, possibly even more than the Z-Master did!_

* * *

**Chapter 65 (Tara) – An Eerie Calm! Storm of Destruction Looms! **

The Voltes team, Guy Shishioh and the remaining members of the Combattler team watched as a shuttle from Macross landed on Giga Float. To their great delight, they saw Hyoma and Chizuru step out of the plane, looking as well as ever. They had just returned from Macross with their new body parts - Hyoma with new arms, and Chizuru with a fixed up heart.

"Hey guys!" Hyoma called out as he stepped out of the shuttle with Chizuru right behind him..

"Hyoma! Chizuru!" Juzo called out excitedly. "Welcome back! We missed you, man!"

"It took a while," the leader of the Combattler team replied with a grin, "but I'm back and better than ever...check 'em out!"

He removed his piloting gloves and rolled up his sleeves to reveal that his arms were now cybernetic and golden, rather similar to Guy's old arms.

"I see...they must have been made by my father and uncle;" Guy said thoughtfully. "So I guess that makes you a cyborg now, Hyoma."

"Yeah," Hyoma replied. "But my arms actually run on Super Electromagnetic Energy, as opposed to G-Stone energy."

"My heart's just fine now," Chizuru added. "The surgeons gave me some of those 3G Cells that GGG developed after doing surgery on my heart, so I'd say I'm good to go. The recovery took a while, though."

"And I had to learn how to use my new arms. But check out what I can do now!"

He grabbed Chizuru by the rear and hoisted her up with one hand as if she were as light as a feather. She blushed for a moment, then got annoyed and kicked Hyoma in the head.

"Ow, what's the big idea?!" he cried as he put his fellow Combattler pilot down. Everyone else began laughing as Chizuru walked away.

"It's good to be a team again, Hyoma!" Kosuke said happily.

* * *

"Ugh..."

Cornelia sat up in her bed and looked around. It seemed like very little had changed, and yet somehow she felt like she had awoken to a very different world. She noticed that she was hooked up to an IV and a heart monitor, even though she was in her royal bedchambers.

Sitting at her bedside was Gilbert P. Guilford, her Knight. He smiled warmly when she looked in his direction.

"Guil...ford?"

"It's good to see you awake at long last, milady," the bespectacled Knight said quietly.

"At long...last?" Cornelia said, still somewhat dazed. "How long have I...been out?"

"Over a year now, ever since the Black Rebellion. Much has changed since then, but I have spent at least a few hours here every day for those past eighteen months, waiting for you to wake up."

"Please...tell me what's happened."

"I would rather you get your strength back before that," Guilford said gently. "I will send the good word to Prince Schneizel."

* * *

There was that sealed door on the lowest level that had bugged Mari ever since she got to NERV HQ. Her gut told her that something of vital importance was behind it; and for the sake of preventing that disaster, she had to find out what that something was.

Mari nervously fiddled with the ID card she had swiped off of one of the workers with high security clearance as she approached the thick blast doors. She looked around and quickly saw a slot to swipe an ID card. She took the card and prepared to swipe it.

Suddenly, she felt a gun pressed against the back of her head, stopping her before she could complete the action. She was able to make out the hazy reflection of a familiar face in her glasses.

"Hi, Misato."

"You know you're not supposed to be in there," the woman said with a leer.

"Yeah, but don't you think you're overreacting a bit?" Mari chuckled. "I mean...you've got a gun to my head!"

"There are some things that needed to be protected, no matter what," Misato replied.

"Protected from who, may I ask?" the pilot of Unit 08 quipped; "Do you even KNOW what's behind this door?"

"...No, actually," Misato said, relaxing the pressure she was putting on Mari's head momentarily. "All I know is that only a small few have clearance to enter this room, and if I'M not one of them, you sure as hell aren't."

"I dunno," Mari said casually, "I kinda think you're someone who needs to see this."

Without another moment of hesitation, Mari swiped the card, causing the blast doors to open. Inside was a room that seemed impossibly large. The first feature that caught her eye was a pool - or rather, a lake of LCL that spanned the room as far as the eye could see. But what immediately caught Misato's attention next was on the far side of the room, looming large.

Just then, Shinji, who had been looking for Misato, saw the two entering the chamber, and hurried in after them.

"Well, how about that," Mari said, somewhat unsurprised to see the thing; "It exists here too."

Misato and Shinji's jaws dropped open when they saw it - a pale, bloated, vaguely humanoid thing was held up to a T-shaped structure via a pair of gigantic screws driven through its two hands. It didn't have a proper lower half, instead having numerous sets of human hips and legs dangling from it like loose organs. It wore a mask with seven eyes, where it stared blankly outward, yet always meeting the gaze of whoever was staring at its face.

"You know what that thing is, Mari?!" Shinji exclaimed.

"No...this can't be..." Misato gasped.

"Yep. It's the Instrumentality Project...or at least a part of it, anyway," Mari said, examining her cuticles. "Now do you have a better understanding of just who you've been working for?"

As Shinji stared at this abomination, everything he had believed in was starting to come to pieces. The boy believed that he had been fighting for a better world, one without monsters like this. Or perhaps, monsters like his father...

* * *

"Big sister Euphie?" Nunnally asked her sister. "I know I should have asked this long ago, but...is big sister Cornelia okay?" She, Suzaku and Princess Euphemia were sitting in the latter's chamber on Giga Float, having tea together.

"I haven't heard anything at all," Euphie replied with a sad sigh. Shapiro said nothing, nor did Father. Even Tara and Suzaku don't know, as much as Father trusted them while they were Knights of the Round."

Suddenly, Euphemia's phone, of all things, rang. The ringtone was distinct, and one that she had set to play when one specific person called. Frantically, she pulled out her phone and answered it.

"H-h-hello?"

"Euphie?"

Euphemia's eyes widened when she recognized the voice. "Big sister Cornelia?!"

Suzaku smiled, not having seen his charge quite so happy in some time. He recognized the ringtone as well, and knew that Cornelia was on the other end.

"Euphie...hearing your voice again after being asleep for so long is a dream come true."

"Yes. I've sorely missed you too! I thought you had died in battle during the Black Rebellion!"

"And I thought Zero had murdered you on the day of the SAZ ceremony."

"No, that's a total lie;" Cornelia's sister replied. "It was Shapiro Keats who tried to kill me. Zero and Suzaku took me to one of DREAM's ships, where my wound was healed. That's why Suzaku joined them that day.

"I guess that explains why you're working with Zero and that upstart United Federation of Nations. You realize that makes us enemies, now, don't you?"

"Big sister..."

"Think about what you're fighting for, and what you're giving up to achieve your goal. Maybe then you'll see how foolish this is. Goodbye, dear Euphie."

With that, Cornelia hung up. Nunnally's expression looked worried and forlorn as Euphie put her phone away.

"Are we going to have to fight against big sister Cornelia?" she asked nervously.

"It's possible," Euphie replied. "But Cornelia is the one who needs to consider what she's fighting for. You and I made up our minds long ago, after all."

* * *

Shinji burst into his father's office, his eyes burning with hatred and rage, while Misato followed close behind. Of course, the head of NERV was so engrossed in paper on the far end of the obscenely large chamber. Only when the two approached the man's desk did he finally take notice.

"Father...what are you doing with that...that THING?!"

Gendo didn't reply.

"Stop ignoring me! Tell me what's going on! You know exactly what I'm talking about"

Again, Gendo didn't reply.

"ANSWER ME!" Shinji screamed.

Yet again, Gendo didn't reply.

In a fit of rage and hatred, Shinji lunged at Gendo, cracking one of the lenses of his sunglasses with a single punch, and then pounced on him, trying to wrestle him to the ground and beat the truth out of him. Even Misato, who had lost her parents to the Second Impact, wasn't willing to go quite that far, and managed to yank Shinji off of him, which allowed him to call for additional security, which came promptly and subdued Shinji.

"Katsuragi," the head of NERV said as he stood up and popped the broken lens out of the frame of his shades. "It may not be easy for you, but try to forget what you saw in there."

"Yes sir," she replied. Of course, even now her own mind was filling with doubts as to what the true purpose of NERV was...

* * *

"Basara's been kidnapped?!" Yurika exclaimed when she heard the news from Max Jenius and Exedol. "But who would do such a thing? There's no one on Macross that doesn't love him, right?"

"And why didn't you notify us sooner?" Zero added. "We already have a situation to deal with on Mars...a rogue group of Jovians called the Martian Successors now possesses two of the four known sets of Q-Parts, and still control the ruins on there as well!

"Basara has been known to leave Macross entirely on his own without letting anyone know," Max replied. "So we assumed he would return. But when we found his Variable Fighter still in the hangar, we concluded that a Protodevlin must have kidnapped him."

"Yes," Gamlin added. "We have to rescue him as soon as possible!"

"As valuable as Basara Nekki is to our efforts," Murrue said grimly. "We can't just drop everything to go find him when those rogue Jovians could mount a full-scale invasion of the Earth Sphere at any moment! There's also ZAFT's recent alliance with the Vega Empire to consider, as well as what the Earth Alliance...or rather, Blue Cosmos...plans to do next."

"Yes, you do have a lot on your hands, don't you?" the Zentradi said. "Well, perhaps you'll reconsider when I tell you that the Protodevlin have been massing their troops on Mars as well. It's not unlikely that Basara is there as well."

"Ah, that changes things," Yurika said. "That means we can deal with those mean old Martian Successors AND rescue Basara Nekki in one fell swoop! It's perfect!"

"But we can't all go," Mu chimed in. "One vessel ought to stay behind and keep an eye on things in the Earth Sphere."

"The _Ikaruga _will take up that role," Zero said. "There are also matters involving Britannia we can deal with now that Emperor Charles is absent. "

"Yes, like installing Princess Euphemia as the new ruler of the empire," Diethard said with a small chuckle. "With the majority of their forces in Area 11, we can lay siege to Pendragon and..."

"We will do no such thing," Zero said in cold disagreement. "Not while diplomatic options remain open. To use military force without exhausting all other peaceful options beforehand would be the pinnacle of hypocrisy for us."

"Yes, and it would make it nigh-impossible for the people to accept Euphemia as their ruler," Tohdoh added. "Besides, I doubt the princess would go along with it, either. Just forget about it for now."

Diethard sighed. "Very well."

* * *

Shinji realized that he couldn't take it anymore. He had grown to believe in his father's purpose...yet after seeing that abomination hanging from the wall, the boy lost all faith in him, and he was losing faith in his friends in DREAM as well. What were they not telling him? Was he as much their tool as he was his father's?

Worse, the three people who ever genuinely cared for him - Nunnally, Kaworu and Rei - were gone to him. Nunnally had turned away from him, while Kaworu had betrayed him. As for Rei, well, he wasn't one hundred percent sure of whether she cared.

Now the boy stood before Gendo, his hands cuffed together, receiving judgment for his supposed crimes, in the very same room he had attacked him.

"Entering a restricted area without the proper clearance...defying orders...and attacking a superior officer...all of these are grave offenses, Shinji. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I quit," Shinji replied without a hint of emotion in his voice. "I don't want to ever pilot an EVA again."

"Very well," his father replied after a moment of silence. "If that's the case, then leave."

As Shinji began to walk away, Gendo spoke to him again.

"I'd have thought your time with those ships would have given you some perspective...but it seems you'll never grow up."

Shinji couldn't bring himself to look at his traitor of a parent. But he did stop to answer him. "I can't grow up if I can't understand how you adults think."

Without another word, Shinji continued toward the door and left the room. Once his son left, Gendo closed his eyes, and sat for a moment in silence.

"You have done the right thing, Gendo Ikari," a voice he recognized echoed through the room suddenly. "Now we are one step closer to Human Instrumentality."

"Yes," the head of NERV said. "That we are...Charles."

* * *

It wasn't often that the Galeorea Comet made a pass by the Earth...only once every eight years. Even with the looming battle with the Martian Successors and Protodevlin on their minds, Mikoto and Guy managed to find a moment of respite to watch the comet go by.

"Guy...do you remember?" Mikoto said as she looked up at the comet streaking across the sky. "We were on this exact same spot watching this very comet go by when you told me you wanted to be an astronaut."

"Yeah," the cyborg replied. "Speaking of which, on the day of the entry exam you gave me this..."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a charm locket with a picture of a younger Mikoto surrounded by pink cartoon bunnies.

"I've survived all this time thanks to you and your gift," he continued.

Mikoto smiled and shook her head.

"No...I should thank you," she said, moved to tears by the sincerity in Guy's words' "It's because you came back that I gained the courage to go on living after my parents died."

The two sat in silence for a few seconds, unsure of what to say next.

"Guy?" the GGG operator said meekly after that moment of awkward silence.

"Yeah?"

"I...want to stay by your side forever...there's no one else I'd rather come back to..."

But out of the blue, Mikoto began to feel faint, while simultaneously feeling a violent pain in her head. She collapsed, her head plopping into Guy's lap.

"Mikoto!" Guy exclaimed, shocked to see his beloved suddenly unwell. He picked up the unconscious girl and quickly began to contact Orbit Base for help...

* * *

Shinji was back at Ashford Academy, lying on the bed in his room, quietly doing his homework. At last, he would have a remotely normal life again. Even if he knew that his father would never speak to him again, the boy didn't care. Being alone was just fine, at least in his mind.

The boy's thoughts were interrupted when heard a knock on his door.

"Who is it?" he called out, only lifting his head towards the door.

"Shinji? It's me."

He recognized the voice - it was Rei. He wondered what she would want - the girl was supposed to be off playing lapdog to his father. Regardless, without Nunnally or Lelouch around, Rei was the only person left he could really make himself talk to.

He rolled out of bed and opened the door. Sure enough, Rei stood there a very concerned look on her face while nervously cradling a tangerine in her hands. The fact that Rei had any expression besides her vacant, empty stare was a surprise to the former Evangelion pilot, even though he had seen her smile before. Shinji let her inside, and he sat down on his bed, while she remained standing.

"Shinji...I...I heard about what happened," the pilot of Unit 00 said nervously.

"Oh, so you came to rub it in my face?" the boy said coldly, immediately turning away from Rei and lying on his side, facing away from her.

"No," Rei replied, rolling the fruit around in her hands as she got closer. "I...I want to help you. I'll explain everything to..."

"Don't bother," Shinji interrupted her dismissively. "I never want anything to do with Evangelions, NERV or DREAM ever again."

"Do you reject me as well?" Rei said, nervously peeling the tangerine as her heart trembled with fear. "You're closing your heart to me?"

"What do you need ME for?" Shinji said with a laugh. "You have your big bro Janus. You can be with him when he gets back...and you have my dad, too. He cares more about you than he does me. I'm just garbage."

Seeing her dear friend berate himself like this only filled Rei with greater sadness and fear. She felt that she only had room for one person in her heart, and that person was Shinji. To be rejected like this only made her afraid of being alone again. She tried to speak those three words that even normal people have trouble saying...but she couldn't summon the courage to do it. Even hugging him would do no good in her mind.

The best Rei could do was offer Shinji a bite of her tangerine, gently holding it up to his face. As if to make his rejection even clearer, he swatted the fruit out of her hand, causing it to land on the floor.

The pilot of Unit 00 hung her head and opened the door to leave the room of the only person she had ever loved, sobbing quietly as she did. She didn't even bother to pick up the fallen tangerine...

* * *

Mikoto groaned and cried out in agony, her eyes rolled back in her head, and her back arched in a completely inhuman way - as if she was possessed. Ever since arriving at Orbit Base, her condition continued deteriorating, despite of all tests showing no apparent physical problems whatsoever with her. But seeing her now, there was no way anyone could deny that Mikoto Utsugi was being affected by something.

Guy, upon hearing her shriek hurried to her side and reached out to her. But she then grabbed his wrist, immediately causing Guy to feel faint, as the energy from his G-Stone was being sucked right out of his body. After several seconds she released her grip, making him drop to the floor.

"Damn it...my power..." he grunted. "How did she..."

Mikoto let out another scream of agony and terror as her back arched even more, the tips of her toes and the top of her head supporting her body. Before she could even consider what was happening, she felt her mind begin to fall apart even as she levitated herself upright and went through a lightning quick transformation.

When Guy managed to get to his feet, he saw what his beloved had become - a feminine-looking golden android with extremely long hair-like extensions from its head, a pair of huge eyes resembling those of a butterfly and several gaps in her joints that revealed wires. Gold sparkles seemed to fill the very air around her.

As it turned out, Mikoto was indeed possessed by something.

"...ZONDERRRRR!"

Suddenly, a Threshold opened beneath her and she disappeared into it.

* * *

_So...the new Zonder species finally woke up. Took it long enough._

_Yeah, we need it to stall those meddlers long enough for the Martian Successors to mass their army...and that will require Kusakabe to figure out the full potential of the Q-Parts before THEY figure out that he has them._

_Do you think a man like him can be trusted with that kind of power?_

_Of course not; They're humans too, after all. We just wait for Kusakabe to take care of the ships, then obliterate him and take control of the ruins ourselves._

_But what if the new Zonder species isn't victorious, and DREAM reaches Mars before he's ready? For all its power, it's still only one entity._

_No...the timing of the new Zonder species' awakening is perfect - the next Angel is ready to make its appearance as well..._

_Oh-ho! Very cunning, Lord Metatron!_

_With Z-Master's final surprise and the Arm of God working side-by-side, DREAM won't last long. Even if they do somehow manage to win, we'll still have all the vital components required to open the Door..._

* * *

_So, the remainder of the route split is gonna be pretty much all fighting! How will they pull off their victories? What costs will they have to bear? Just how much more genre-savvy will Atik Yomin be? Find out next time! Until then...stay tuned!_


	95. Chapter 65 Janus

_Ladies and germs, it's FINALLY time to get around to those events that have been alluded to since the earliest chapters - it's time for stuff to start falling from the heavens! First, we start the Char's Counterattack finale!_

* * *

**Chapter 65 (Janus) - Falling Sky! Desperate Struggle For Survival! (Part 1)**

After the battle between DREAM, the Invaders and the Devil Gundam had ended, Go felt Shin Dragon call out to him, and awoke from his coma. He, Kei and Gai were taken to the peak of the island where Dr. Saotome's ultimate creation waited quietly.

As they approached it, a great crack formed in its shell, beckoning them inside. All the other two former Shin Getter pilots could do was trust in Go, who walked toward the crack without a moment's hesitation.

After feeling a sensation similar to going through a Threshold, each of the pilots found themselves sitting in a strange looking padded chair, their hands already gripping the controls.

But Kei and Gai immediately saw numerous wires appear from behind them after a moment, their three-pronged tips glowing and moving on their own. After a few seconds, the wires began embedding themselves in various vital points in their body.

"What the?! Hey, stop, what's the big idea!" Kei exclaimed as two wires inserted themselves into her thighs. Gai, meanwhile, could only babble and grunt incoherently for a few seconds after a pair of wires embedded themselves in his temples.

Thankfully, the wires caused no pain or internal damage of any kind. While it was extremely uncomfortable for Kei and Gai, Go took it in stride, as if he was born to do this. But this discomfort soon proved to be worth going through, as Kei and Gai felt their senses radically expand, even more so than even with SEED.

"I...I can see!" Kei gasped, "Inside me, I see all of you...and Shin Dragon..."

"It's like I can see forever!" Gai said in awe. "Is this the ultimate power of Getter?!"

"Both our bodies and minds are synchronizing with Shin Dragon," Go explained. "Just concentrate, and leave everything to Shin Dragon."

Kei and Gai nodded uneasily, and focused as hard as they could. After a few tense moments, an immense amount of energy began flowing into them at a terrifying rate.

"W-what p-p-power!" Gai stammered.

"I d-d-don't know if our b-bodies c-c-can handle this!" Kei added, also trying to keep her body together.

"Believe in the Getter!" Go called out to them; "Believe in our own strength!"

* * *

As the morning sun peeked over the horizon, another shining sphere came into view from shore - Shin Dragon's body was now glowing green with Getter Rays, while massive clouds began to gather around its location, and the earth began to quake once more, though not nearly enough to cause any structural damage.

At Kurogane House, everyone watched in awe as a great sphere of light formed around Shin Dragon, and many of the clouds disappeared into the sphere. Meanwhile, swirling waterspouts higher than the tallest buildings in the city formed from the frothing sea

"What's going on?!" Kouji exclaimed. "What the hell is Shin Dragon doing?! Is going to go critical?!"

"No...it's absorbing the Getter Ray radiation!" Ryoma exclaimed.

"Yes!" Shikishima said ecstatically; "Shin Dragon requires an immense amount of Getter Rays to evolve to its TRUE final form...and the Getter Rays that have polluted the Earth for all these years are just what it needs!"

After several chaotic minutes, the earth ceased rumbling, the sea calmed down, and the sphere of light surrounding Shin Dragon disappeared, and for the first time in years, a blue sky could be seen all across the Ruined World's Earth, not just in areas like Neo Hong Kong and Kamina City...

* * *

Master Asia's recovery was speedy thanks to the 3G Cells as well as the Getter Ray-free air, and by the next afternoon, the doctors had deemed him well enough to be discharged. Meanwhile, Master Gundam was being repaired by DREAM, which he didn't know until he was brought to Kurogane House, which was having a small party to celebrate Domon's victory, though it was more so to relieve tension before the next battle.

Since all of the fighters in the Battle Royale had been technically eliminated except for God Gundam, Domon was the victor of the Gundam Fight Finals, and Neo Japan would get to rule the Earth Federation for the next four years.

But before the ceremony, which Domon and the Shuffle Alliance were attending, an unusual news report came on.

"Hey guys, check out the news!" Flourishing World Boss exclaimed.

The news showed footage of numerous Federation ships containing the remains of the Devil Gundam inside some sort of stasis net, lifting it into the air.

"What are they doing with the Devil Gundam?" Puru said, scratching her head.

"Who knows?" Judau replied.

Master Asia wondered as well. Without a core, there was no way Wong could get it to use Axis as its body -yet he was still going to try and bring it there. The man was either overconfident or just insane. Regardless, with Londo Bell intending to target Axis next anyway, the old martial artist didn't see the point in telling them that detail.

"Besides, Shin Dragon had performed one of the Ultimate Gundam's important functions for healing the planet - absorbing all of the Getter Ray radiation," Rain said "There's hope yet for the Earth to make a full recovery, Master."

"Yeah, but fat load of good it will do us if Char drops Axis on our heads," Christina interrupted cynically.

"Yeah, how are we going to deal with it?" Sleggar asked. "It will be in its drop position over Neo Hong Kong in about twelve hours, according to Harry Ord's estimates."

"Simple!" Kittan chimed in; "Simon gets close, he whips out a Giga Drill Break...and bam - no more Axis! And if that's not enough, we've always got the Turn A and Shin Getter 2 to help out!"

"Speaking of Getter, where are Go, Kei, and Gai at?" Kamille then asked. "Shouldn't they be back by now?"

"Captain Noa said he hasn't heard anything from them," Xengar said grimly.

"I don't think they'd appreciate us sitting on our hands while Char Aznable attempts to drop that asteroid on our heads," Amuro said. "Let's all prepare to head for space. We're not going to let Axis get that close to Earth!"

* * *

"What's going on?!" Char angrily asked one of his technicians. "We should have been in drop position hours ago!"

"My deepest apologies, Lord Char. But due to your associate's insistence on meeting up with you to drop that thing off, it's going to take another three hours before we reach the proper drop position."

"At this rate, Londo Bell will be waiting for us when he arrive," Haman said. "Of course, we've been operating under that assumption this whole time, haven't we?"

"Yes. The Nightingale is all ready for launch," Char said. "I assume your Quebley is also ready to go."

"I still need to adjust the psycommu system a bit. But as long as Axis falls, our goals are achieved even if we perish, no?"

"Yes...once Axis falls, my father's dream will come true before long, even without the Devil Gundam..."

* * *

"Come in, _Ra Calium_. This is Rossiu Adai of the _Arc Gurren. _Do you read?"

"This is Captain Bright Noa of the _Ra Calium,_" Bright said as he looked out of the bridge's window to see a large, sleek-looking ship floating nearby. "I see your little project is finished."

"Yep!" Leeron chimed in. "It got delayed a few times due to some side projects, but now it's all set! We also brought along some backup for your fight against Neo Zeon."

Numerous individuals that Simon recognized from his earlier battles poked their heads in and made all sorts of gestures and expressions in greeting to them.

"Hey, it's the rest of the brigade! Awesome work, Leeron! You even brough Gimmy and Darry along!"

"Think you're gonna have a party without US?" the red-headed boy said in a somewhat annoyed manner. "If I had found out that you kicked all that ass without me, I would done THAT to you again!"

"No way are we gonna get left behind while you, Viral, Kittan and Yoko take all the credit!" said Darry, the pink-haired girl.

"Okaayyyy then..." Sleggar said awkwardly.

"Are the other citizens safe?" Simon then asked.

"Yes. All civilians have been safely evacuated to the underground shelters," another voice that Simon recognized said. "However, their ability to withstand the moon's impact is questionable." The source of the voice turned out to be the head of Lordgenome.

"Hello again, Lordgenome," Simon said.

"Ha! I guess what they said about the Spiral King is true," Sleggar joked. "He never was one to quit while he was...a head!" Completely ignoring Sleggar's lame joke, Lordgenome continued to address Gurren Lagann's main pilot.

"Simon, is HE with you?"

"Granlif's pilot? Yep."

"When you come to the _Arc Gurren, _take him along," the head of the Spiral King continued I would have a word with him...alone."

Simon was clueless as to what was going on, but the guilty look on Leeron's face told him that something was being hidden from him...

* * *

Alarms started sounding throughout Axis as it drew closer to Earth. With only a few hours remaining before it reached the place where it would fall, Londo Bell's timing was rather good.

"Lord Char, we've confirmed the presence of the _Ra Calium_, but there also appears to be an unknown vessel alongside it!" one of the operators called out. "We've also confirmed a number of Lunar Kingdom mobile suits, including the Turn A, coming in from two o'clock!"

"As expected. Send the rebel squadron after the Lunar Kingdom suits; The rest of you are with me and Haman. Do whatever it takes to ensure that Axis reaches the target point...all troops, move out!"

"SIEG ZEON!"

* * *

"There it is...Axis..." Judau said grimly as he spotted the massive asteroid approaching them. "And I can feel Haman Khan too."

"I'm sure Quat...no, Char, is with them too," Kamille added."

"Yeah...I can sense Char," Puru quipped. "But I don't see the Sazabi...where is he?"

Suddenly, Amuro spotted it in the distance - Char's new red machine that he saw in his dream. Unsurprisingly, the bulky mobile suit looked exactly the same as the leader of Londo Bell had foreseen it. But unlike his dream, he now had the Hi-Nu Gundam. Flanking the Nightingale was Haman Khan's Quebley.

But it was more than just Char and Haman - a massive army of Neo-Zeon mobile suits and mobile armors followed close behind - including a small number of huge, bipedal, armless mobile armors that stirred up some bad memories.

"Amuro, careful out there," Sleggar quipped. "That big red mobile suit looks like it's gunning for you. I'll bet good money that Char's piloting that thing!"

"Everyone, we've confirmed the presence of Zaku II's, Jagd Dogas, Geara Dogas, Zaku III's, Doven Wolves, Gelgoogs, as well as two unknown mobile armor types. There's several _Musaka_-class and _Rewloola_-class ships accompanying them. It appears some of the lunar rebels are along for the ride too - we've got Mahiroos, Muttowooos, and SUMOs incoming as well.

"What about those two unknown mobile armor types?" Amuro asked.

Bright and Sleggar were silent.

"Answer me!"

"Remember what Dozle Zabi said during the One Year War?" Sleggar said awkwardly; "That when Zeon mass-produced the Big Zam, the Federation would be finished in no time?"

"The in-jokes can come later, Sleggar!" Four called out. "They'll be all over us in a minute!"

"Attention, all DREAM, Lunar Kingdom and Londo Bell forces...do whatever it takes to stop Axis!" Bright commanded.

"Even if we take him down," Amuro added, "Char Aznable will win if that asteroid falls to Earth!"

With a loud cry, the only group capable of confronting Neo Zeon on even terms all started towards Char and his forces...

* * *

"Big brother Judau, you're going to face Haman alone?" Puru asked Judau as the ZZ Gundam and Quebley MK II dodged, wove, and fought their way through the Neo Zeon forces.

"Puru, remember what Bright said...we have to stop Axis! I'll keep Haman busy...you go and help the others disable it!"

"But..."

"Listen, Puru...when we beat Zeon today, I'll play with you all you want, and I won't complain!"

As a fellow Newtype, Puru understood that Judau's words were sincere. Without another word, she broke away and confronted a group of Zaku III's, leaving Judau to confront his enemy. It didn't take long for him to spot the silver Quebley, taking out a few Londo Bell GM III's.

"Haman Khan!" Judau cried as he rocketed in her direction.

"Judau Ashta, it's been far too long," Haman replied with relish, "I've eagerly awaited the day you and I could face each other again."

She fired off several funnels, which Judau managed to dodge and counter using the Double Zeta's beam rifle and saber.

"Haman! What do you hope to gain by dropping Axis on the Earth?! If that happens, much of life will be wiped out!"

* * *

"You're wrong, Amuro!" Char declared as the Nightingale and Hi-Nu Gundam clashed beam sabers, having a similarly spirited argument with his old rival as they fought. "I'll only destroy the Earth Federation and those accursed Neo-colonies! The obliteration of the stain that is Neo Hong Kong shall be the beginning of humanity's new dawn!"

"Not on my watch! FIN FUNNEL!"

Amuro fired a set of funnels from Hi-Nu Gundam's wings. Char was able to dodge them, but a nearby Jagd Doga wasn't so lucky - it got struck by one of them and taken out instantly.

"Amuro! You may have stopped Fifth Luna, but you won't be able to overcome Axis!"

"Don't bet on it, Char!"

* * *

"There!" Christina called out as she downed a Geara Doga using the Gundam ALEX B-Type's bits before landing. She spotted some control wire for one of Axis' engines. "Roux, Elle, cut those control wires!"

The Gundam MK II and MK III's beam sabers sliced through each of the control wires, cutting the power to one of Axis' nuclear engines.

"All done!" Elle chirped.

"And for good measure..." Christina quipped eagerly as she launched more bits. The projectiles blasted the engine box to bits, ruining it beyond repair.

"This is ALEX. How's everything on your end, Four?"

* * *

"Could be a lot better!" Four grunted as her Psyco Gundam MK III went toe-to-toe with two of the mass-produced Big Zams. The monstrosities' anti-beam coating made it difficult for even the Psyco's mega particle cannons to damage them effectively.

"Need a hand, Four?" Yoko said as she fired a few volleys from her Gunman. It bypassed the Big Zam's coating, allowing Four to close in and strike it directly with the Psyco's oversized beam saber.

"And for good measure...YAH!"

The gigantic Gundam grabbed hold of the Big Zam, spun around once and heaved it into the engine block, causing it to explode.

"This is Four. Engine Block B has been disabled."

"Kamille here...Engine Block C is under heavier protection than we imagined, but...there! All done!"

"Getter Team here. Engine Blocks D and K are completely scrapped."

"Simon here. Engine Blocks E through H have been drilled through successfully!"

"Loran here. I've just swept the upper area with the Moonlight Butterfly. Now it can't change its heading."

However, something was bugging Loran - there were plenty of lunar rebels out and about, but he hadn't seen Gym or the Turn X anywhere. Something in the Lunar Kingdom soldier's gut told him that the fight against Neo-Zeon was only the beginning...

* * *

"All those thrusters are down already?!" Char exclaimed when he got the report from Axis' crew; "Damn it all..."

The Hi-Nu dashed in and fired several shots from its beam rifle, which Char managed to parry before countering with his own.

"Amuro! Don't you remember the pain you felt when you killed Lalah?!"

"Of course I do! But do you think what you're doing is going to make up for that?! You're pathetic, Char!"

* * *

"Pathetic?!" Haman exclaimed as she launched more funnels. "Why do you protect those rich fools who suck away the Earth's resources and destroy everything else with the Gundam Fight, all for their own sick amusement!"

"And that's worse than sending people to die in order to solve conflicts?!" Judau yelled back. "At least the nations in the Earth Federation don't attack each other! If you guys were willing to talk things out..."

"Talk can never solve anything as long as there are misunderstandings," the pink-haired Zeon commander replied coldly. "That's why humanity must go into space and become Newtypes like us! Besides, at least commanders like Char and I don't sit on the sidelines while our men die for our causes! You're fighting because the top brass of the Federation are too cowardly to do so!"

* * *

Janus was angry that he wasn't able to help out, due to Lordgenome's insistence on meeting with him. He was also puzzled as to why the Spiral King wanted to meet him - Granlif was found in his palace, but why was he, its pilot, relevant?

He arrived in a special conference room directly below the bridge. In the center of the room was a long table, and on that table was the container holding Lordgenome's head, covered in green liquid.

"Well met, Janus Olendra," Lordgenome said with a pair of speakers flanking his jar. Come closer so that we can better hear each other."

Janus walked around the left side of the table and sat down on the table, momentarily losing his balance as the _Arc Gurren _shook from something striking its shields.

"Okay, Spiral King...what's so important that you're keeping me from helping everyone stop Axis? If those winged guys show up..."

"I was asked by Rossiu to answer the questions that plague you - for if you fail to understand yourself or your enemy, no power in the infinite realities will be able to grant you victory."

"Fine. So spill it."

"I must ask you something first. Tell me, how far back do your memories go?"

Janus pondered this for a moment. "I dunno...farthest back I can go was when I was twelve. I woke up one day, living on the streets, only remembering that my parents had died during the war against you...wait, are you really Lordgenome?"

"I am a biocomputer created from his cells, and I contain all of the memories and knowledge he possessed at the moment of his death. If you wish to call me that, you may."

Janus smirked and shook his head. "Let me guess, you know everything about me, don't you?"

"Not quite everything, but enough to answer many of your questions. Still, you catch on quick. Very well, I shall tell you the important parts."

Lordgenome made the sound of clearing his throat, even though he lacked a throat to speak of.

"As you may or may not know, the entity known as Metatron is the leader of the powerful army known as Arubboth..."

"Actually," Janus interrupted. "Arubboth and its counterpart, Zohar, are part of a larger organization, Atik Yomin."

"Do you want to split hairs," Lordgenome said, leering at Granlif's pilot; "Or do you want the answer to your navel-gazing?"

"...Carry on."

"Metatron was once a more heroic and idealistic individual, much like Simon. However, he believed that in order to preserve the infinite realities, he had to discard what he viewed as his 'weak side'."

_That explains the whole "discarded piece" bit_, Janus thought as he continued to listen.

"Thus, Metatron split himself into two beings, and one of them sealed the other away in a capsule."

"That other half is me, I take it."

"You don't miss a thing, do you, boy?"

_Man, this is playing out like one of Tara's other shows._

"Anyway, Metatron also discarded Granlif, his 'sacred armor', which is the machine you now pilot."

"Okay...so how did Granlif end up in YOUR scrapyard?"

"I was entrusted to holding on to you and the discarded armor to ensure that they were never released. For good measure, Metatron stripped you of the memories you had taken with you during the split. He believed you would be asleep for all eternity."

"But clearly, I'm awake. What happened then?"

"The Dai-Gurren Brigade must have found you in the ruins of the fortress. After that, I cannot say. What I can say was that Rossiu Adai and Leeron Littner know the rest."

"I see."

"So, I take it you're going to storm back up to the bridge, and demand answers from Governor Adai?"

"That can be done later. Right now, we still have Axis and the moon to deal with."

"Yes. The activation of the Human Extermination System is at hand. Ten million people have gathered across the Earth Sphere to watch Domon Kasshu officially claim the title...the Gundam above all other Gundams..."

* * *

Domon couldn't help but feel bad that he was standing on this parade float, given a hero's welcome not unlike the one he had received in Kamina City. Ever since he had nearly killed his master, and forced Rain to fight he had wondered what he had really accomplished.

He remembered the talk Master Asia had with him the day that he revealed the secrets of the Sekiha Tenkyoken...that the Gundam Fight was nothing more than a diversion, a sport made to serve as the ideal war while the Federation waged real war on Zeon - a deep act of hypocrisy.

And meanwhile, most of his friends were up in space, probably fighting to stop Char Aznable's mad ambition...even his master.

"This is a joke," Domon mumbled. "I'm gonna get the others and head up to space. Besides...who knows what plans Wong has for the Devil Gundam..."

He felt the Shuffle Crest on his hand pulse and thrum, as if telling him to follow his instincts.

The hatch on his machine opened up as if in response to his thoughts, and he got inside to start up God Gundam. As its engine roared He waited for the shocked and panicked crowd to scatter a safe distance away before taking off.

As Domon flew towards the space port, he spotted the Gundams of his fellow Shuffle Alliance members, as well as the Rising Gundam, waiting near a familiar-looking vessel - the Neo-Russian ship that he had encountered in one of his earlier matches with Argo.

"Right on schedule," George said from within the cockpit of Gundam Rose.

"Yeah, we knew you couldn't resist one more rumble, bro!" Sai Saici added. "We're all ready to head out to space!"

"Hurry up, man!" Chibodee called out.

"We don't have much time until the Devil Gundam awakens," Argo said. "I'm sure your Shuffle Crest has been warning you about that."

"What?!" Domon exclaimed when he heard that. "Hang on, I'll be right there!"

* * *

Wong giggled with fiendish glee - he had finally found the unbelievable source of energy at the heart of Axis, which was fueling its engines. The vast energy it had was more than enough to revive the Devil Gundam...it wouldn't even require a core life unit now. The mad leader of the Earth Federation had considered using Allenby Beardsley as its core, but ever since Haman let this little secret slip, he had no need for her or the Hypno Wave System.

Working nearby was the Turn X Gundam with a rather impatient Gym Ghingnham inside. He was working to hook up the Devil Gundam to the strange glowing power source inside Axis with all sorts of massive cables. The source itself was a massive black sphere with numerous colored lines carved all over it, which slowly shifted hues. The Turn X was the only mobile suit capable of doing this job, due to the immense amount of radiation being given off by the gigantic sphere.

"There...that's the last one, Wong Yunfat. I have completed my end of our bargain...now for you to fulfill yours!"

"Of course, my fine afro'd friend...I'm a man of my word. I'll turn the whole universe into a warrior's playground, just as we BOTH want!"

"Now...rise, Devil Gundam! Rise, and usher in a new dawn for the universe...a dawn where I AM ITS IMMORTAL KING!"

* * *

_System starting..._

_Searching for operating system...1 found. _

_Initiating boot sequence..._

_Boot sequence started...please wait..._

_Boot completed._

_Preparing to execute main program..._

_Program executing..._

_High levels of human life-form activity detected on and around nearby world. Assessing known energy sources..._

_Stage 8 Getter Ray technology detected.  
Stage 8 Photon Power technology detected.  
Stage 9 nuclear drive technology detected.  
Stage 4 psychic abilities detected.  
Stage 3 Threshold technology detected. _

_Final result: Threat level is 9.7 out of 10. _

_**WARNING! OBSERVED HUMAN CULTURE IS SN-CLASS THREAT TO STABILITY OF REALITIES! EMERGENCY FULL POWER ACTIVATION AUTHORIZED! **_

_Removing limiters..._

* * *

_While we're technically not quite done with Char's Counterattack, next chapter on this route will finish up that AND G Gundam! How will DREAM take down Wong? And why did Gym Ghingnham suddenly join Wong? Find out next time! Until then, smell ya later, mecha fans!_


	96. Chapter 66 Tara

_And now, the double whammy begins! First up, it's the surprise final enemy of the GaoGaiGar TV series!_

* * *

**Chapter 66 (Tara) – They Who Judge! Tokyo Settlement's Darkest Hour! (Part 1)**

The chaos happening at Orbit Base was only known to GGG itself. For Mamoru, it was just another field trip day. Oddly, though, they were allowed to enter the Tokyo Settlement's government building. Granted, there were strict limitations on where they could go, but the fact that any Elevens were even allowed to take tours was unusual, considering Britannia was still on high alert due to the newly formed UFN.

With the first part of the guided tour over, Mamoru and Hana decided to take a little walk together on their own. As they happened by one of the restricted hallways, Mamoru noticed that the guard had nodded off. Mamoru turned to Hana.

"Hey, let's go check this hallway out, Hana," he whispered.

"But Mamoru, we're not allowed down that way."

"C'mon, Hana. Just one look! I'm not even gonna open any doors!"

"No, I really don't want to get in trouble, and I don't want you getting in trouble either."

Mamoru grabbed Hana's hand and pulled her along, being rather loud as he did so, especially since he was trying to sneak by.

As they passed the guard, he suddenly woke up, but only saw the two children from behind. But after a moment of thought, he decided that they were incapable of dealing any harm. After all, they had to go through numerous layers of security, up to and including deep background checks before even coming here.

But as they walked down the hallway, Hana was suddenly smacked in the face by an opening door, knocking her down.

As it so happened, the person who opened that door was Prince Schneizel, carrying a thick binder full of papers. He paused when he heard Hana's muffled whimpering, and turned to see her rubbing her sore nose with her hand. Mamoru swallowed nervously when he recognized the man - Schneizel was, after all, the prime minister of the entire Britannian Empire on top of being the second prince.

"Oh dear...I'm sorry, little one," he said gently as he closed the door to the room he just left and bent down. "Is your nose bleeding?"

Hana, not fully realizing who was addressing her, nervously opened her hands.

"Hmm...There is a little swelling," Schneizel said, giving Hana's face a quick once over, "But no blood." He then turned to Mamoru, who he quickly recognized from the intel he had received from his spies inside GGG. After all, the boy's hairdo made him stand out like a sore thumb.

"I hope it wasn't your idea to bring your lady friend down this way," Schneizel scolded Mamoru. "You know you're not allowed to enter this hallway."

"I-I'm sorry, sir..." Mamoru stammered fearfully. "We weren't going to go into any rooms, honest!"

"Fine...run along now, and don't go anywhere in this building that you're not supposed to. If you do, you may not be so lucky. Is that clear?"

Mamoru nodded frantically. Without another word, Schneizel continued on his way. Unknowingly, a paper slipped out of his binder. Being the curious child he was, Mamoru looked at the paper.

There were complex terms that he didn't understand written on the sheet. However, the pictures that dominated the page were clear enough to him...

They were images taken during a bomb test. In this case, it was that of F.L.E.I.J.A., and the pictures gave Mamoru a horrific idea of the kind of destruction the weapon was capable of. He picked up the paper and ran over to Schneizel, who had just gotten near the end of the hall.

"E-excuse me! You dropped this!" he called out as he ran toward the prince, holding out the paper.

"Oh, thank you," he said, taking the paper. "You didn't happen to look at it, I hope?"

"No, sir, not at all," Mamoru lied.

Schneizel knew that DREAM was already aware of F.L.E.I.J.A.'s existence due to Suzaku's betrayal, so having Mamoru see it by accident wouldn't affect things that much anyway. He took the paper from him, stuck it back in his binder, and continued on his way.

Mamoru and Hana hastily returned to where the main group was. But as he approached the window, his hair flashed green, and a feeling of extreme dread fell over him...a feeling not unlike the one he got when EI-01 attacked...

* * *

"She's reappeared inside _Amaterasu_!" Kosuke Entouji cried out when the new Zonder species that had taken over Mikoto reappeared on their security scanners. It had warped around using the Thresholds, specifically targeting the various members of the Braves. "Power level in that area is already down to fifteen percent!"

"Seal off half of it!" Taiga ordered. "She can't be allowed to escape!"

Several sets of blast doors shut with great force, locking the new enemy inside. But in response, the new Zonder species suddenly began to manipulate Orbit Base's systems, forcing it to separate the vessel.

"_Amaterasu _has just separated!" Swan cried out. "Its calculated course is...right in the middle of the Tokyo Settlement!"

"Why there, though?" Leo pondered. "Why not Pendragon or Geneva, or some other densely populated city?"

"It doesn't matter!" Liger yelled. "Its goal is surely the mechanization of the Earth!"

"Right...use all remaining power to sortie GaoFighGar!" Taiga commanded grimly; "And call the other DREAM members if you must! Even though this enemy was once one of our own, we must do everything in our power to stop her, for the sake of all life!"

* * *

Mamoru, together with Hana and his classmates, watched in horror as something massive crash-landed in one of the nearby ghettos. Everyone dropped to the floor just before the object struck. Reflexively, the boy from GGG grabbed on to his pink-haired friend in order to protect her as the entire building shook and swayed from the quake.

"Mamoru...wh-what is that?!" Hana said nervously.

He was able to look through a gap in the buildings to see what had landed - one of the golden component ships of GGG's Orbit Base. But to his further dismay, the wreckage of the vessel disappeared in a burst of gold sparkles, only to change into something new.

The new form taken by this Zonder species was a golden mechanoid with a body that was composed mostly of connected conical shapes, from its pointed head to its four-toed feet. Meanwhile a pair of great wings with serrated edges stuck out of its back, making it even more menacing in appearance.

But that was only the beginning. It took a single step forward, and in a split second, everything within the blast radius was transformed into strange metal.

_It's not a Zonder or a Primeval...but it...it has to be stopped! I have to hold it off long enough for big brother Guy to get here!_

Transforming to his winged form, he then blasted through the window to confront the new menace alone.

"Mamoru!" Hana cried out the window.

"ZONUUDAAAAA..." the golden robot moaned.

As he flew down, Mamoru was able to better sense the nature of this threat, Zonuda. He peered through the layers that made up the menace...and when he got to its center, he gasped in horror.

"No...big sis Mikoto..." he gasped.

But the boy steeled himself - he would protect everyone he cared about from this menace, at least long enough for Guy to come. Mamoru raised his right hand and extended his thumb, index finger and pinkie, something he instinctively knew as Cain's anti-Zonder weapon, and began to unleash a telekinetic assault on Zonuda.

Back up in the building, Mamoru's classmates watched, awed and frightened to tears by the sight of the battle.

"What's going on with him?!" one of her classmates cried out, baffled by this sudden development.

"Mamoru...is an alien!" Hana cried out, forced to reveal the truth. "He's an alien with superpowers, and came from another planet to defeat the Zonder! All along, he's been risking his life and fighting to protect us all!"

She turned back toward the window.

"So please, let's cheer him on as his Earthling friends!"

Zonuda countered Mamoru's attack with one of her own, sending him flying back. But as he laid there, sore and weak, his ears picked up the sound of his classmates cheering for him. Their words gave him courage, which gave him the strength to get back up and face the threat once more.

"Two powers become one..." Mamoru said to himself, the ritual he used to purify the Z-Master's core returning to him. He mimicked the stance GaoGaiGar used whenever it used Hell & Heaven.

"Gemu-giru-gan-go-gufo..."

Just like with Hell & Heaven, Mamoru had to strain a bit to clasp his hands together as he chanted.

"Viiiitas!"

Like before, a green beam shot out of his clasped hands, though it was noticeably wider and more powerful than before. But Zonuda raised its hand, etched with strange symbols, and blocked the beam as if it were nothing. It then counterattacked with its own blast, sending the boy flying into a nearby building.

As he struggled to get up, Zonuda prepared to fire another blast. Mamoru looked away, assuming he was a goner, but then realized the beam had been deflected. He looked around, and saw a white foot next to him. He looked up and saw, of all things, Evangelions 00, 02, 04 and 08. He was too grateful to wonder where Shinji was - he was just glad to have some backup.

"You ought to be grateful, runt!" Asuka said. "We don't usually fight Zonder, but we got the okay to launch to stop THIS thing."

"Mamoru-kun, you've done enough," Kaworu said. "Leave this menace to us and our EVAs."

* * *

Another failure. Time and time again, Unit 01 rejected the Dummy Plug - an entry plug that housed an unknown entity that would supposedly trick the Evangelions into thinking that it was being controlled by a real pilot. But Unit 01 seemed to know better.

And with the new Zonder species running around, and signs pointing to the appearance of the Tenth Angel, Gendo Ikari did not have time for failures. He had to get the Dummy System to work...without a pilot, Unit 01 was useless - and he could no longer depend on his son.

_Why? _Gendo thought._ Why are you doing this to me, Yui?!_

* * *

"What's going on?!" Asuka exclaimed as her progressive knife bounced off Zonuda's barrier. "I can't pierce this thing's defenses! You said it was like an AT Field, Misato!"

"Yes, it's LIKE an AT Field," Misato replied; "But its not the same as an AT Field!"

"Hey, how long until our pals in GGG get here to back us up?!" Mari asked. "They're the experts at Zonder fighting!"

"Did someone call for backup?"

Mari looked over and saw the _Nadesico_ closing in quickly. Having heard it was only a single Zonder, they figured that one ship would be sufficient backup. Launching out were Lifthrasir Titania, Grendizer, Combattler, Final Dancougar and the five Aestivalis.

"Hey, Asuka! Long time, no see!" Shinobu called out as it fired its Dankuu Hou guns in mid-flight. Instantly, the pilot of Unit 02 perked up when he heard his voice. The shots struck Zonuda, distracting it momentarily, even though it didn't do any real damage.

"Shinobu!" she chirped; "I knew I could count on you!"

"Yep that's Asuka all right," Sara groaned.

"I heard that!" Asuka shouted.

Meanwhile, Kaworu contacted Tara privately, recognizing the aura of the half he had met not long ago even as he tried in vain to pierce its defenses with Unit 04's lance.

"I see you are yourself again, Tara-chan," he said as he blocked Zonuda's counterattack with his own AT Field. "But I must sadly say that you are not whole yet. You are still missing a vital piece."

"Missing a vital piece? What do you mean?" Tara said as she fired a few shots; "You're saying I'm not...never mind, I don't have time for navel-gazing. we've got ass to kick! Xemmey, let's go!"

"Tara, I'm detecting a known individual within this new Zonder Robo," her AI partner replied. "It appears to be Mikoto Utsugi."

"Guy Shishioh's girlfriend?!" Tara exclaimed. "She's a Zonder host?! Crud, that makes things more complicated..."

"Those fiends!" Jiro bellowed indignantly, "Using a fair maiden like Miss Utsugi to weaken our resolve is sheer cowardice!"

"We've received word that GaoFighGar and the other Braves are on their way!" Yurika said. "And we've also been given clearance to...terminate it, if need be."

"Man, this sucks..." Chizuru said with frustration. "Our first battle in months, and we have to take out one of our own!"

"Then let's make it as quick as we can! Assume Grandasher formation!"

Combattler fired its Gran Light Wave as preparation for its attack before charging in at full speed.

"GRANDASHER!"

Zonuda made no move to stop the incoming attack, but only because it didn't need to. As soon as Combattler struck the barrier, it was repelled and sent flying.

Grendizer had charged in with Double Hakens on the ready, but it had no success damaging it either; no did the Aestivalis' bullets and Distortion Field attacks. Even Lifthrasir Titania's TZUM-powered weaponry could do little more than scratch its armor, and such minor damage was it immediately regenerated.

"Damn it, if only we had **THE POWER **or something..." Ryoko grunted.

"Yep, it looks like we're more boned than a trout at a fish fry," Izumi quipped, nervous as she was.

* * *

After what seemed to be a sleep of countless eons, J and Arma finally began to wake up inside the heavily damaged, but still functional King J-Der.

"J...Arma, you are awake," Tomoro said upon sensing that they were coming around. "Somehow, we have survived the destruction of the Z-Master."

"Yes...so it seems," J said, rubbing his head. "Tomoro, can you determine our location?"

The computer hummed and whirred a bit.

"Negative. All long-range scanning functions are offline and must be repaired."

"I'll go take a look around outside," Arma said. Transforming to his winged form, he phased through J-Ark and out into the unknown.

What he gazed upon was nothing he had anticipated - the void surrounding him was blue like a clear sky, with innumerable, unimaginably large shapes that swirled with various shades of light grey, but were dotted with bright points of multicolored light.

But what loomed over these already unimaginably large shapes was something infinitely larger - so large that even the very concept of infinity was far too small to measure even the tiniest fraction of its mass.

Overwhelmed by the scale of everything, he retreated to J-Ark, and landed next to J.

"Well? Do you know where we are?"

"J...you're not going to believe this...but we're..."

* * *

Zonuda Robo's power was overwhelming. No matter what DREAM tried to throw at the new machine species, it either shrugged the attack off or just completely repelled it. On the offensive end of things, the menace that was using Mikoto as a host unleashed waves of power that blew even the battleships away.

Yet through it all, DREAM persevered. What they were able to do was keep it in one place. For some reason, Zonuda made no attempts to teleport away - it was as if it was intentionally sticking around. But now with the fight having gone on for a half hour without any success at damaging the creature, it became increasingly clear that victory was impossible.

Tara, having pushed her body to its physical limit with the TZUM, couldn't keep fighting, and felt her vision get blurry. "Damn it...I'm sorry, everyone...Mikoto...Janus..."

Lifthrasir Titania collapsed as its power system shut down, and Tara slumped over, exhausted. Now, only the Evangelions, with their AT Fields and umbilical cables, remained standing.

"Well, there goes the last of our backup," Mari sighed. "Anyone got any ideas?"

Meanwhile, Mamoru's ears perked up, and she looked into the sky, and saw something descending from the heavens - the other half of _Amaterasu_.

"Guy!" he cried out joyfully.

But then, Zonuda Robo's head suddenly charged up a blast and fired it at the vessel, destroying it in one hit. But something burst out of the cloud of smoke and debris - GaoFighGar. It landed a few hundred yards from Guy's foe, and the Goldion Hammer landed near Grendizer.

"Evangelions, thank you for your help...but this is a fight only GaoFighGar can win!"

Kaworu knew that Guy was right in this case. Even with the Spear of Longinus and his own Angel powers, Unit 04 was no match for this monster.

"New machine species!" Guy bellowed, pointing accusingly at Zonuda; "Give Mikoto back, or else!"

Zonuda made no response.

"Fine then...IT'S ON!" Guy cried. "PHANTOM RING...PLUS..."

GaoFighGar formed a Phantom Ring from its chest and readied its rocket punch attack.

"BROKEN...PHANTOOOOM!"

The attack struck Zonuda's barrier, and for a few seconds, it pushed against the invisible wall, and looked like it could break through. But then the ring dissipated into light, which was promptly absorbed by the menace, and the fist bounced off the barrier before returning to its owner.

"It consumed the Phantom Ring?! The Broken Phantom is no good, then!" Guy exclaimed. He then saw Zonuda unleash another beam and quickly raised its left hand.

"PROTECT WAAAALLL!"

The beam struck the barrier. In this round, Zonuda's blast shattered the Protect Wall and struck the King of Braves dead-on, sending him flying.

Daisuke, seeing that the Goldion Hammer was nearby, managed to move Grendizer enough to pick up the weapon and toss it that way.

"Guy Shishioh!" Grendizer's pilot cried. "Use this!"

Guy caught the Goldion Hammer in its right hand. Without the Marg Hand, Guy knew that using the hammer would put great strain on even his new and improved body. Nonetheless, the cyborg remained resolute and courageous. He flew skyward and raised the hammer high over GaoFighGar's head.

"GOLDION...HAMMEEEEEEER!"

Zonuda flew up to stop the attack, but Guy managed to swing down as hard as he could. Hands met hammer with titanic force, and for a fleeting moment, it seemed that it would work.

But then the new machine species pulled out its trump card - it quickly began to turn the head of the Goldion Hammer into the same strange metal.

"Detaching!" Goldymarg cried, automatically ejecting himself from the hammer's handle. Zonuda lifted the now petrified Goldy and tossed it to the ground.

Mamoru was mortified beyond belief. Even the King of Braves' ultimate trump card, which had laid EI-01 to waste, was useless against Zonuda. It counterattacked with a single, solid blow, sending GaoFighGar crashing into the ground.

Seeing this sent the fighters in DREAM into deep despair and made them contemplate their fate.

"Is...is the human civilization...wrong?" Duke grunted. "Was Atik Yomin...right?"

"Is it because we don't treasure others like we should?" Mamoru said fearfully.

"Is it because we waste our planet's resources and turn everything into trash?" Akito wheezed.

"Maybe we really do need to be destroyed," Hyoma said with a sad chuckle.

"Yeah...it looks like our material civilization's about to grind to a halt," Chizuru said.

"Is this enemy one sent by the devil...or by the great god?" Tara said weakly. "Maybe...he was right after...all..."

"No..." Guy panted. "I have faith in humanity...in this world...and in myself! That's why I fight...FOR THE SAKE OF LIIIIFE!"

Guy's overflowing courage caused GaoFighGar's GS Ride to burst into overdrive once more, pushing the machine to its absolute limit, and even beyond...and just as it did before, the energy from GaoFighGar's G-Stone filled its allies with power, including the Evangelions, and Lifthrasir Titania's TZUM.

Suddenly, in her mind's eye, Tara saw flashes of the man with spiky hair in her vision back when she fought the Z-Master. He extended his hand toward her.

When she stood up, with his help, she noticed something else there this time: a huge blue Super Robot with an oddly-shaped head. Standing next to it was a smaller black and gold robot with two huge turrets on its shoulders. Tara gazed at them for a moment, then saw the blue robot grab the turreted robot, which somehow transformed into a bulky handheld cannon.

Tara opened her eyes as she remembered who the man was...her father. The question of how this could be if she was this Iophiel being was something she realized could be saved for later - the power she had unlocked in this hour of need was crying out to be unleashed.

Lifthrasir Titania bounded to its feet, as the TZUM went into overdrive. The blade tonfas on its arms sprang off and automatically attached to her twin rifles, which formed into a powerful double-barreled cannon. Tara held on to the cannon with both hands as it charged up, drawing energy from the TZUM.

Zonuda paused and frantically raised its hands to block the attack.

"I'LL TAKE YOU DOWN IN ONE SHOT! FINAL HYPER...LIFTHRA DIVIDEEEERRRR!"

A beam several times larger and more powerful than the one from a normal Lifthra Divider blasted into a portal just as several hundred, as opposed to several dozen, more portals opened up around Zonuda. But each portal then launched a beam equal in power to the one that was initially fired.

All the beams struck home, overwhelming Zonuda's barrier and damaging its armor heavily.

Meanwhile, Kaworu raised Unit 04's spear, rushed forward and jammed the lance into Zonuda's right hand, dealing even more damage and causing the symbols on its hands to fade away.

"Guy! Its defenses...are down!" Kaworu panted; "It's...all you, now!"

With a hot-blooded and tearful scream, Guy rushed GaoFighGar forward once more, and pounded Zonuda with its fists. However, the hyper-evolved machine, damaged as it was, was able to match the King of Braves blow for earth-shattering blow. Bit by bit, the GaoMachines were decimated, but Guy continued to fight on, as he felt victory drawing ever nearer as he broke Zonuda down piece by piece. With each blow, Guy could barely make out the sound of Mikoto screaming in pain - the only way he could completely drown it out was to scream even louder.

The others could only look on helpless as the two fought. Tara felt her heart ripped in two as she watched Guy attack the Zonder who had his beloved as its host. She could never fight Janus if it came to this...the cyborg's devotion to protecting the Earth was beyond anything she had ever known.

Guy managed to smash Zonuda face flat on the ground, and brutally tore out one of its wings. Finally, gathering every last bit of his courage, he drove GaoFighGar's hands into his foe's chest, and ripped the core out. Rather than exploding, Zonuda Robo remained there, still and lifeless.

But that was all GaoFighGar could handle. The mechanizing power of Zonuda drained the last bit of G-Stone energy from the King of Braves, and it soon deactivated, turning a dull gray. The core, cupped gently in the robot's hands shifted back into its base form.

Guy stood at the edge of GaoFighGar's hatch, looking gently at Zonuda.

"ZONUDAAAA..."

GaoFighGar quickly began to turn to lifeless stone, even as Guy approached. The mechanization process even affected the mechanical parts of his relatively new body, slowing down his movement.

Guy began to approach Zonuda with a limp, and as he did, he heard Mikoto speak to him in her mind.

_Guy...please...kill me._

"I'm...coming..Mikoto...wait for...me..." he wheezed.

_Guy, before it's too late...kill me..._

"If it's time for us to die..." Mikoto's beloved said gently as he touched her face. "Then let's be together in the end..."

Soon, almost all of the mechanical and synthetic parts of Guy's body were turned to that strange, lifeless metal, save for his face. Meanwhile, Zonuda seemed to be welling up with tears, testament to the humanity still within her.

"Mikoto...I love you...I always have...and I always will."

"Guy...I...love you too."

Mamoru was even more in emotional agony watching Guy and Mikoto slowly perish. He had been sitting on the sidelines, watching helplessly. Finally, with his young heart on the verge of bursting, he could take no more.

Using the last energy in his own G-Stone, also borrowed from Guy's last burst of courage, he began to speak the words of the purification ritual.

"Curatio...teneritas...sectio...salus...coctura... "

The bodies of Guy and Mikoto emitted a brilliant flash of green light, which then formed into a beam that pierced the very heavens. When it faded at last, Mikoto and Guy were completely naked, but otherwise back to their normal forms. Indeed - Guy's cybernetic body has transformed.

Kaworu smiled.

"A miracle has happened once more," he said wistfully.

The quiet serenity of the scene was shattered when an unearthly howl pierced the air. Everyone looked over and saw something huge startlingly close by. It was over twice the size of an Evangelion, with a fleshy, arthropod-like body over which a large dark green cowl was draped, giving it a mummy-like appearance. The ghoulish face resembled a mask of sorts.

"Everyone...we've confirmed the presence of the Tenth Angel!" Misato warned the group.

"Man, talk about mood whiplash," Hikaru sighed as she got her Aestivalis to its feet.

"You're kidding, right?!" Asuka exclaimed. "Can't we catch a break?! That damn operator from GGG nearly killed us all!"

"Guy..." Mikoto said, trembling with fear.

"It'll be all right. As long as they have courage," he reassured her. "They'll overcome any trial."

Suddenly, it opened its mouth, revealing a three-part jaw with sharp teeth throughout. But instead of aiming for one of the Evangelions, it instead grabbed the fallen Zonuda Robo and swallowed it in one gulp, which startled even Guy.

It writhed a bit, then began to grow larger, while its cloak gained a more green-gold hue. Aside from that, there were no other physical changes - but its power increased radically.

It extended its AT Field outward, sending everyone flying, even the petrified GaoFighGar. Mamoru, the power of his G-Stone restored, was able to telekinetically catch Mikoto and Guy in mid-air, and set them down on the ground.

"Please, get to safety. I'll do what I can to help Kaworu and the others!"

* * *

_Next time, it's DREAM vs Zeruel! How will things go? Will I use the TV series as the basis for its events, or Rebuild? Find out next time!_


	97. Chapter 66 Janus

_All righty, guys, time to bring it on home for G Gundam! Since this is one of my childhood favorites, I'm gonna give you guys a super-sized helping! I've also thrown in some Zeorymer and Turn A plot.  
_

* * *

**Chapter 66 (Janus) - Falling Sky! Desperate Struggle For Survival! (Part 2)**

The battling forces of DREAM and Neo Zeon suddenly ceased their fighting when they heard the sound of Wong's laughter somehow echo through the void of space. Meanwhile, a pair of gigantic ominous red eyes formed on the side of Axis.

"Listen up, people! I am Wong Yunfat, leader of the Earth Federation AND the entire universe! From this moment on, you shall all live in servitude to your immortal god-king...me!"

"Char Aznable...it appears we've been had."

"Master Asia, what's the meaning of this?! First you turn your back on me, and now this?!"

"I knew Wong had his own ideas...but I never thought he'd be so power-mad that he would do something like this."

"Yes, that's right, you fools," Wong laughed as numerous enormous DG Cell tentacles began to weave and form around Axis, while a gigantic Gundam head rose from the top of it; "Your softhearted ideals made you so easy to manipulate! All I had to do was say what you wanted to hear and you handed everything to me on a silver platter!"

"Damn it...how could I have been so blind?!"

"Char...You really thought that if everyone becomes a Newtype, disagreement and conflict will cease?! Ha! Don't kid yourself - there's no way that will happen! There's nothing we humans enjoy more than a good fight; and in the coming age of DG Cells, fighting will be the only thing that matters! You'll all be fighting to your heart's content, all for MY entertainment! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!"

"Shut up, Wong! We're not going to go back to killing each other, especially not for your sick amusement!"

Suddenly, everyone looked up and saw the Shuffle Alliance flying toward them - although Domon was riding on Fuunsaiki.

"Domon Kasshu, Gundam of Gundams!" Wong said; "How nice of you to show up! Now you get to witness your father's masterpiece destroy everything you held dear! Only when you're wallowing in the deepest pits of despair will I allow you the peace of death!"

"Hey guys, what are we standing around for?!" Janus said as Granlif Yggdrasil flew in. "Let's shut this maniac up right now!"

"Come at me then! Come at me, the ruler of the universe, if you dare, and face the wrath of the almighty DEVIL AXIS!"

The full form of the Devil Gundam loomed over DREAM's forces, rising out of Axis like a great tree while thousands of Death Army troops appeared from out of its body, many of them piloted by zombified members of Axis' crew. In addition, numerous Devil Gundam Jrs also appeared, budding off the main body. It also began to drop thick masses of tentacles that stretched all the way to the Earth, which allowed it to attach to the planet, and cause mass destruction.

While Char didn't have much sympathy for the citizens of that world, the very fact that Wong had absolutely no regard for human life angered him to no end - after all, if he would kill his own people, how would he treat the people of the colonies? Amuro, sensing the psychic pressure Char was emitting, took this moment to approach him.

"Char, if we allow Wong and the Devil Gundam to have their way, humanity as a species will cease to exist - both Oldtypes and Newtypes! For the sake of the human race, we must join forces!"

"No, it will be worse...life on Earth itself will be obliterated!" Master Asia added. "The Earth will become a lifeless ball of rock!"

"Fine," the leader of Neo Zeon said. "I'll help you on two conditions."

"Name them," Amuro said without hesitating.

"The first is that Earth Federation never wages war on Zeon ever again," Char demanded; "And that all outer colonies, affiliated with Zeon or not, be granted complete independence if they so desire it. The second is that the Earth Federation agrees to devote much of its military resources to restoring the Earth to a healthier condition."

"I have no problem with that," Amuro replied. "The problem will be convincing Federation command."

"Amuro, we can worry about that later," Bright said. "Protecting the Earth is our priority!"

"Attention all Zeon soldiers!" Haman called out. "Our mission has changed...we must stop Wong Yunfat from using Devil Axis to achieve his wicked ambitions! If you love Zeon, then it is your duty to protect the mother of all humanity, the Earth!"

The surviving Zeon soldiers didn't need any more convincing. They all turned and faced down the incoming Death Army troops and readied themselves for the fight of their lives.

* * *

Unfortunately, Masato Akitsu...or rather, Masaki Kihara, was not so willing. He sat on a sofa in one of the lounges smugly sipping a cup of coffee while Miku stood in front of him, begging him to go.

"Masato, please!" Miku pleaded; "You must sortie in Zeorymer! Every one of our friends is out there giving it their all against the Devil Gundam!"

Masaki snorted and laughed, then tossed the paper cup aside, spilling the remaining bit of liquid on the floor before stepping on it and crushing it. Miku gasped.

"Do I look the generous type to you?" Masaki said with a sneer. "Do you think I'd be so idiotic as to foil my own plans?"

"Wh-what?!"

"You fool..I only stole Zeorymer back then for insurance!"

"Insurance?"

"Yes...insurance that I would be master of the underworld!"

He approached Miku, and grabbed her before kissing her hard and ripping her shirt off, exposing her bra and chest. During the kiss, Miku remembered the awful truth...

She was the core of the DCS, not one of its pilots. But the girl managed to push him away, and turned from him. She longed for the meek, mild Masato back, not this madman who had taken his mind.

"So, it looks like the growth memory silicon has worked better than I thought it would," Masaki chuckled, "And aside from a few pretensions, your AI system is working very well...certainly equal to the TZIM System."

Miku shuddered at this statement.

"But for all your advanced capabilities, you're nothing more than a wind-up doll I made."

"But surely..." Miku began before Masaki again cut her off.

"Please! I knew I'd be killed when I escaped from Hau Dragon. Those fools thought they could take Zeorymer away from me, so I laid out some plans to ensure my continued existence. You're exactly that, a pawn of my grand design; a piece of trash with the ability to grow!"

"Stop it...please!" Miku cried, before Masaki smacked her across the face, knocking her to the floor.

"I knew there would be bloody conflict for control of the Earth Sphere after my death, so I decided to hedge my bets and place my seeds and legacy wherever I could! First, I changed the Ultimate Gundam's programming to ensure it went berserk; meanwhile, then I made the Turn A and Turn X for the Lunar Kingdom...and finally, I created Zeorymer and the Hakkeshu for Hau Dragon!"

"No..."

"That's why I won't launch! Zeorymer...the Hakkeshu...the Devil Gundam...the Turn A and Turn X...all of them are my sleeper agents! As long as I rule in the end...the world can be reduced to ashes for all I care! No matter what number the roulette lands on, I'll win!"

Suddenly, Oki, along with several Neo-Japanese agents and _Ra Calium _crew members appeared in the doorway and filed in, trapping Masaki inside.

"Masato Akitsu...sorry, I mean Masaki Kihara. In the name of Neo-Japan and the Earth Federation...I command you again...sortie in Zeorymer!"

"And if I refuse?"

"We have more methods than simply brainwashing, " Oki said as he approached Masaki and pointed his gun to the young man's head.

"Oh, so you're going to kill me again, Oki?"

Miku gasped, and Oki froze up, losing his cool for the first time in a long time.

"Yes...you and that Ulube Ishikawa. You found Miku and had those people hired to raise that zygote for you. He thought he could use MY work for his own gain. But that fool got in over his head, and now he's rotting six feet under..."

"You!" Oki cried and fired his gun at the gloating young man, only for it to bounce off a yellow barrier that suddenly formed around him, which then proceeded to force everyone around Masaki to be forced back into the wall.

"You fools can't touch me. This barrier protects me in the same fashion Zeorymer's does!"

He walked up to Miku and picked her up and shoved her onto the sofa.

"You know, all this gloating has really made me rather...giddy. Makes me glad I installed that on you. Now why don't you just..."

Suddenly, Masaki released Miku and grabbed his head, groaning and grunting in pain. In the depths of his mind, Masato Akitsu was fighting back, as if he sensed Miku in peril.

"No...that's impossible!" he grunted. "You're supposed to be gone, you weak and insufferable..."

Suddenly, his head twitched, and Masato Akitsu took over.

"No! Don't you dare do that to Miku!"

His head twitched again, and Masaki Kihara regained control.

"I made her, I have the right to do what I want to her!"

His head twitched yet again as the other personality resurfaced.

"No! I won't let you violate her like that!"

His twitched a fourth time, and Masaki took over once more. The argument between the two personalities went on like this, with each one barely getting a sentence in before the other took control of the body. With each passing moment, the young man seemed to lose more and more of his mental faculties. Finally, as suddenly as the conflict began, it ended, with Masato's eyes glazing over as he slipped into a vegetative state, while the barrier faded away.

Oki got to his feet and dialed a phone number as the other men picked themselves up and went to pick up the now comatose Masato.

"We've secured Kihara," he said to the person on the other end. "Have you unfrozen Dr. Kasshu yet?

"Yes sir," said the agent Oki was talking with.

"Good. Then we can get the answers out of him."

* * *

Allenby got out of bed and stretched her limbs. Thanks to Rain's 3G Cells, the DG Cells in her body were purged and her body was fully renewed. She looked up at the television, which was airing live footage of the battle going on above.

"As you can see, both Federation and Neo Zeon troops, who had just a few minutes ago been fighting each other, are now fighting side by side to protect the Earth from what appears to be a fusion of the mining colony Axis and some unknown Gundam! In addition, the winner of this year's Gundam Fight, Domon Kasshu of Neo-Japan, has also come to help defeat this titanic menace!"

She watched as Domon and Rain fought with all their might to defeat this massive enemy and its minions.

_Domon and Rain are up there, _she thought; _I've gotta go help them!_

* * *

"To think that we'd be fighting side by side again," Char said as he unleashed a wave of Funnels at a pair of Devil Gundam Jrs, the Nightingale floating back to back with the Hi-Nu Gundam. "Especially when only minutes ago, we were actively trying to kill each other. How can you possibly trust me?"

"Because you and I want the same thing: understanding between all people," Amuro said as he slashed a pair of Death Birds in twain with his beam saber. "It's just that I'm not nearly as impatient as you are. I can wait for humanity to learn and grow. You, on the other hand, were about to become the next Gihren Zabi...twice!"

"And yet you still trust me," the leader of Neo-Zeon said, firing the mega-particle cannon on his mobile suit's belly at a trio of Death Army grunts.

"You're not Gihren Zabi. You're Char Aznable, a man I hold great respect for, even though you were my enemy. In fact, that's why I was so angry at you before."

"I suppose the feeling of respect is mutual. After all, you're not Jamitov Hyman, but Amuro Ray."

Suddenly, four Devil Gundam Jrs converged on the two ace pilots. Their minds linked subconsciously as they let fly their funnels. The brainwave-controlled weapons seemed to dance in harmony as they wiped out the attacking enemies.

"Char...Let's make the Earth Sphere a place where Lalah would have wanted to live in...like we did back then."

Char smirked.

"I'll take you up on that offer. I can only hope other members of the Federation will be as enlightened as you are."

"Hey! Are you two going to pal around all day," Kamille suddenly called out, "Or are we going to stop this thing?!"

"Heh...same old Kamille. Let's press onward, Amuro!"

* * *

Dr. Raizo Kasshu had hoped not to awaken to find the Earth in such peril. Having been briefed on the relevant events that took place while he slept, he was determined to see the Earth through this crisis in spite of the sadness all of this news brought.

He soon found himself face to face with Oki, who was examining the comatose Masato with a very worried Miku by his side.

"Hello, Oki," he said, recognizing the agent.

"I see you're up and about already, Dr. Kasshu," Oki replied. "Can't say the same about this one."

"He looks familiar," Raizo said as he gave the boy a quick once-over, "But I can't place his name."

"Does the name Masaki Kihara ring any bells?"

"Oh, so this is his clone," Raizo said, looking over at Masato before turning to Miku. "And that means you must be Miku."

"Yes. I-it's nice to meet you, Dr. Kasshu," the android said meekly.

"My, my, I can't believe she's an android...she truly looks and acts like a human. Kihara truly was a genius, beyond even my own. To think that such a sweet thing like you could have been made a man as degenerate as he."

Miku blushed at this praise; another function that Masaki bothered to put in for the sake of realism.

"But I suppose I am to blame," Raizo sighed, stroking Miku's head. "If he had not joined the Ultimate Project and helped create what has become the Devil Gundam, Kihara would have never obtained the skills or the desire for world domination."

"Please, don't blame yourself, Dr. Kasshu," Miku replied humbly. "You wanted to do something good! It's just that there were wicked men who wanted that power."

"Yes. Men like Paptimus Scirocco," the scientist said; "Some things never change. But take me to the bridge of this vessel. I would speak with my son Domon."

* * *

"There's no end to this!" Sai Saici grunted as he slashed a Death Army grunt in half, just in time to parry beam rifle shots from two more grunts. A pair of DG Cell tentacles zoomed by, hoping to attach to the Earth as well. But then both were slashed in half by something.

The first was cut by a familiar looking beam hoop; but the other was sliced in twain by an unusual-looking Gundam had arms made up of a string of red spheres, while what appeared to be a massive green, bell-shaped iron maiden attached to its torso by another string of said balls. It held a long golden staff with a spade-like ornament on the end.

"Domon! Don't give up now!" came the voice of Allenby as Nobel Gundam zoomed into view; "We can't hand Earth over to Wong and Devil Axis!"

"Mandala Gundam, here as well!" said the pilot of the weird-looking Gundam, a fellow with goggles and an unusual red hat. "I owe you one from before!"

"Kiral of Neo-Nepal?" Domon exclaimed. "You're here too?"

"And not just me! Take a look-see down there!"

Domon looked and saw what appeared to be every Gundam Fighter that had survived up until now flying up out of Earth's atmosphere aboard what appeared to be former nuclear missiles that lacked their warheads. It was truly an eclectic mix of mobile suits.

"The other Gundam Fighters?!" Kamille exclaimed. "They're all here too?!"

"See, Haman?!" Judau said excitedly. "I told you the Gundam Fighters weren't like the bureaucrats at all! Those guys are awesome!"

"Looks like the other colonies are joining in too!" Amuro added, watching the Gundams from Neo-Egypt and Neo-Holland rush into the fray. "See, Char? These guys already understand!"

"Yeah! I don't know what idea that Wong guy got into his head," Christina chimed in as he unleashed her AI-controlled funnels on a trio of Death Army grunts, "but the Earth Sphere belongs to no single individual!"

Soon, a veritable army of mobile fighters converged on Devil Axis, greatly reinforcing DREAM and Neo-Zeon's battle strength. Soon, the massive waves of the possessed asteroid's minions were starting to be pushed back.

But Domon had one more happy surprise coming his way - a voice he had ached to hear for so long spoke to him over his communicator.

"Domon, can you hear my voice?"

"Dad?!" Domon exclaimed joyfully. "You're back!"

The image of Dr. Kasshu appeared on his viewscreen.

"Yes, and I've been briefed on all the facts. Right now, the Devil Gundam is all but invincible on the outside. It can only be destroyed from the inside in its current form."

"The main generator is in the very center of Axis," Haman said, now starting to believe in protecting the Earth for its own sake, rather than for Zeon's freedom alone. "The Devil Gundam is probably drawing upon Axis' own energy source to power itself!"

"We'll open a path inside," Char added. "You and the Shuffle Alliance enter and take out that generator while the rest of us keep it busy out here."

"Let me come too!" Loran interrupted. "I can use the Moonlight Butterfly to make sure that Devil Axis can't regenerate its power source! Besides, I'll bet Gym Ghingnham is inside too!"

"Domon, you're not leaving me behind!" Rain declared as she maneuvered Rising Gundam next to him. "I promised to support you to the very end, and I intend on keeping my promise!"

"Rain..."

"You should bring a few others as well," Amuro suggested. "Who knows what you'll run into in there?"

"Okay then...I'll take Shin Getter, Zeorymer and Mazinger Z!"

"Yeah! Taking on the big guy!" Ryoma quipped excitedly.

"Yes. This abomination is also Saotome's sin," Hayato added. "It's our duty to erase it from existence!"

"Thank you, Domon Kasshu," Juzo said gratefully. "I built Mazinger Z to atone for my crime of bringing this fiend into existence. Kouji, let's go rub this thing out!"

"You got it, Grandpa!" Kouji whooped.

"What about Zeorymer?" Domon then said, realizing that Zeorymer was absent; "Bright, where are Masato and Miku?"

"Masato...he's in the medical bay!" Bright replied. "We're trying to figure out what happened..."

"Fine," the Gundam Fighter for Neo-Japan sighed. "Then I'll take Granlif along." Janus, hearing that, flew over to where Domon's team was gathering.

"All forces!" Bright commanded.

Open a path for Domon Kasshu and his allies!" Char declared.

The combined forces of DREAM, Neo-Zeon and the other Gundam Fighters unleashed a torrent of attacks on Devil Axis, blasting open a hole for Domon's strike team to enter.

But as God Gundam's pilot led the group closer to the hole, he suddenly heard Allenby address him on a private channel.

"Hey, Domon. You really need to open up to Rain more."

"Why are you talking about this all of a sudden, Allenby?" Domon exclaimed. "This isn't the time!"

"I'm only saying this because if I don't, who knows when I will?" Allenby replied. "Listen...while I was fighting Rain, even in my berserk state, I could feel the soul in her attacks. Her soul was one of love, compassion and gentleness...one that had eyes only for you. She's been doing everything in her power to help you."

"Yeah...she has," the young man replied; "And now that I think about it, it really has been because of Rain that I've gotten this far. But how do I let her know how grateful I am, and how much she means to me?"

Allenby smiled and giggled. "That's easy...I know a foolproof spell that'll get the message across loud and clear; all you have to do is say 'I love you' to her. Be sure to say it like you mean it!"

"I...guess I'll try that," Domon said awkwardly.

"Thank you. Domon...can I ask you one more thing?"

"Sure."

"When this is all over, please...make Rain happy. If you don't, I won't be able to fall in love with anyone else..."

* * *

The interior of Devil Axis was surprisingly empty, save for the throbbing DG Cell tentacle-veins virtually lining the walls.

"So, Domon...I heard your old man's awake," Janus quipped. "You must be pretty happy."

"I won't be completely satisfied until I destroy the Devil Gundam and bring Wong to justice," Domon said decisively. "But I suppose things could have turned out worse."

"Speaking of old men, Jan," Ryoma interrupted, "What did that head-in-a-jar Lordgenome tell you?"

Janus sighed. He was hoping to save the story for later, but he didn't want to lie to his friends.

"He said that I was kept in cold sleep in the depths of his castle for several centuries, and that when he was defeated, Team Dai-Gurren found me there...and..."

"And?" Kouji asked.

"Do you remember that winged being from the story of the war between Mu and Mycenae? The one that Zeus and Raideen fought after sealing the Mycenaeans away? That being, called Metatron, was me...or at least, I'm a part of him...a part he threw away."

"Wait-wait-wait...you're saying that you're the leader of those winged guys?" Sai Saici exclaimed. "No way, man!"

"No...I think it's like this," Rain interjected; "Somehow, this Metatron person must have found a way to separate certain aspects of his personality from himself, and they somehow gained material form."

"Whatever the reason, Janus is taking it awfully well," George quipped. "I expected that he'd be more distressed."

"I am who I am, and that's enough for me. Honestly, I was more concerned about how you guys would take this little revelation."

"No problems here," Kouji said with a smile.

"Likewise," Ryoma added. "If you're everything this Metatron guy threw away, he must be a humongous jerk."

"You've been really important to all of our efforts," Loran said. "If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have been able to see the other..."

Suddenly, the Turn A's alarms started blaring in a manner Loran recognized all too well, though he had only heard it a few times before.

"Everyone...my scanners just picked up the Turn X. It's up ahead, and it looks like it's more powerful than last time...it might even be infected by DG Cells."

"Your hunch was right," Domon replied with a nod. "But we can't let him stop us! We have to destroy the Devil Gundam! Let's go!"

* * *

The group arrived in what looked to be one of Axis' residential areas - indeed, it was the home of Char Aznable. But now the landscape was corrupted by DG Cells, and tentacle-veins wove in and out of the ground like thread sewn to a garment, and the artificial sky was shorted out, shown to be nothing more than a video screen.

Standing in the middle of all this was the Turn X, with a silently waiting Gym Ghingnham at the controls. As soon as he heard them arrive, the former Lunar Kingdom general called out to them and flew up in order to block their way.

"Warriors! You have come, and I see you have brought the Turn X's brother with you."

"Out of the way, bucko!" Chibodee demanded. "Or do you think you can take on all of us at once?!"

"Shuffle Alliance and friends - I have only waited here to cross blades with Loran Cehack and the Turn A; I will pay you back for my previous humiliation only when I've defeated this fool. For now, I will let you pass, as long as the Turn A fights me alone."

"You arrogant little..." Domon said angrily. "I'll teach you a lesson!" God Gundam opened up its fins as Domon readied its trademark attack before launching himself at Gym.

"TAKE THIS! ERUPTING! GOD! FINGEEEERRR!"

"Don't press your luck, Domon Kasshu of Neo-Japan! ROAR, SHINING FINGER!"

God Gundam and Turn X Gundam's twin finger attacks collided...but this time, Domon had trouble piercing the Lunar Kingdom machine's attack.

"Ah-ha-ha! Your God Finger won't work on me now!"

With great force, the Turn X blew God Gundam back. Amazingly, the Gundam Fighter's hand managed to survive the attack.

"That's impossible...last time I was able to destroy his hand with Shining Gundam!"

"I'm still in a good mood," Gym warned them. "You should take advantage of my generosity before I change my mind. The freight elevator behind Char's mansion will take you to where you need to go."

"As cowardly as it may be, I think we should take advantage of his offer," George suggested. "Besides, I'm sure Wong isn't going to solely rely on him to defend Devil Axis' generator. There will probably more danger up ahead."

"But Loran..." Kouji gasped.

"Please, everyone...I won't be able to fight my hardest if I have to worry about hurting you."

"Fine...let's go, everyone," Domon ordered. "Loran, I'm counting on you to beat this guy."

The Turn A faced down its sibling while the others flew onward. Just as the general had promised, he made no move to stop them. Once they were on the freight elevator and out of sight, Gym grinned eagerly.

"Loran, come! Let's skip the pointless banter, and fight with everything we have, and determine whose ideals the coming era of humanity will be written by - your belief in sealing mankind's nature, or my belief in allowing it to be unleashed!"

The two sibling Gundams launched themselves at each other...

* * *

An explosion up above caused the huge elevator to tremble, though it continued working without any other issues.

"Man, it sounds like those two are really going at it up there," Kouji said, somewhat worried as he looked up. "I hope Loran's okay."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Hayato said. "Let's just concentrate on the mission at hand."

"Yes," George said. "The power generator should be directly below us."

Chibodee suddenly noticed that Sai Saici seemed to be trembling a bit, with his teeth clenched.

"What's the matter, buddy?" he teased. "You scared?"

"I'm only trembling with excitement!" the young Gundam Fighter retorted loudly.

"I admit I'm a bit excited too," Argo said.

"Yeah! This is the big final battle that we've been waiting for!" Chibodee added.

"Oh, and before you get any ideas," Rain said, "There's no way we're letting you go this one alone."

"What?" Domon said with surprise. "How did you know I was..."

"It was already hard enough letting little miss silver-locks go solo," Kouji quipped with a chuckle, remembering Loran's somewhat unwilling cross-dressing; "There's NO way we're missing out on the main event!"

"It's not like we're doing out of duty as members of the Shuffle Alliance or DREAM," Sai Saici said.

"We just get an adrenaline rush just fighting by your side, Domon," Argo said, pounding his hands together. "At least, that's how I feel."

"Yep! We just love ourselves a good rumble!" Chibodee quipped. "Ain't that right, Tomahawk?!"

"You took the words right off my mouth, Crocket," Ryoma said with a chuckle. Domon looked at all of his allies with a bemused smile on his face.

"Everyone...you're all crazy."

"Yep! We're completely nuts!" Janus quipped.

* * *

After what seemed like an eternity, the elevator came to a stop.

"Looks like we made it," Hayato said. "Everyone, stay on guard."

The mechs all got out of the elevator and entered a massive room that was filled with an eerie purple fog that remained close to the ground. It was almost completely featureless, save for the titanic mass in the center of the room, obscured in shadow.

"So that's the generator, huh?" Benkei said.

"Well, well, well...it looks like you finally made it!" a familiar voice said happily. They looked up and saw the source of the voice.

"Wong!" Domon cried angrily.

Wong stood on the mass, his upper body now bare, revealing a well-chiseled form that belonged on a professional bodybuilder. He held his jacket over his shoulder, while looking down with a smug look on his face.

"Bravo, bravo, Shuffle Alliance and friends!" Wong said mockingly. "I have to congratulate you all for making it this far. But unfortunately, this is where your..."

"Shut it!" Domon interrupted. "Just shut up and maybe we'll let you off the hook!"

"Oh, come now, how am I supposed to be a great emperor if you interrupt my dramatic speech?" the megalomaniac sighed; "I hate it when people rain on my parade, you know that, Domon Kasshu?"

"We're gonna do way more than that before we're through!" Kouji yelled.

"Alright then, since it's a fight you want, I'll be happy to oblige...this invincible power generator shall be your opponent!"

As if on command, the lights in the room went up, revealing the nature of the titanic mass - it was a monstrously huge mobile armor, one that made Domon and his allies feel like ants in comparison. The various members collectively recognized the components of this behemoth:

It had a pair of decorative wings and functional claws like that of Gundam Heaven's Sword; a bulky and solid lower body like that of Grand Gundam, complete with horns; a tail with an oversized copy of the Walter Gundam on the end, and Master Gundam served as an upper body of sorts.

"This is it?!" Domon and friends exclaimed simultaneously.

"That's right! Say hello to the ultimate in mobile fighter technology - Grandmaster Gundam! So, who wants to try their luck first?"

"Hayato, Benkei, this guy doesn't know what he's up against! Let's take 'em out in one shot!" With that, Shin Getter flew upward and prepared to unleash its ultimate attack, forming the same ball of concentrated Getter Rays that it used to defeat Metalbeast Dragon.

"Back up, everyone!" Janus called out.

"Ryoma, wait!" Domon cried.

**"STONEEEERRRRR...SUUUUUN...SHINE!"**

The ball flew at Wong, but the Earth Federation leader simply smirked, put his hands on his hips, and flexed his pectoral muscles. The ball struck him, but didn't explode initially. It simply contorted and wiggled by a water balloon, then bounced back.

"What the?!" Ryoma exclaimed. Thankfully, the three pilots were quick enough to Open Get before the Stoner Sunshine struck them. It whizzed over the others' heads, and blew up the elevator.

"Great...there goes our way out," Kouji groaned.

"Energy attacks won't work on this fiend!" Juzo warned his grandson and the others. "Take it out with physical force!"

"Physical force? We've got physical force up the wazoo!" Kouji called out. "Let's do it, Grandpa!"

Mazinger Z turned gold and changed into its gigantic fist form.

**"SHINE, IN THE NAME OF ZEUS! BIG BANG...PUUUUUUNCHIE!"**

In reply, Wong crossed his arms and braced himself for the impact. Mazinger Z rocketed at Grandmaster Gundam at full force, and smashed into Wong, creating a massive cloud of dust and smoke. Kouji flew out of it and smirked, and watched.

To their shock, Wong didn't appear to have been damaged at all, though he clearly felt the force of it, as he had moved back a bit from the blow.

"What? That's it?" Wong said sarcastically. "And I put all of that money into Photon Power Labs, too! You disappoint me, Kouji Kabuto."

_That guy just shrugged off the biggest attacks those two had in their arsenal, _Janus thought. _What the hell is this thing made of?_

"Well, I'm getting bored," the leader of the Earth Federation said with a yawn as he took hold of his glasses, "So I think I'll just finish you all off now!"

He then tossed away his shades, revealing a pair of glowing red eyes beneath.

Grandmaster Gundam lifted its tail and fired a huge number of red beam blasts, let fly countless feathers from its wings, and finally unleashed a huge wave of darkness from its hands. This deadly barrage hammered the whole group, pinning them to the ground.

"You idiots!" Wong cackled, his voice suddenly echoing and distorting as if becoming computerized. "You must realize by now that the Devil Gundam is the ultimate life form...the very pinnacle of evolution! No matter what you do, the only thing that awaits you is complete annihilation!"

* * *

Outside, the main body of Devil Axis suddenly began to glow with red, geometric lines, which glowed bright and brighter. Meanwhile, part of its back suddenly began to stretch and bend, as if trying to form something new. Soon enough, a pair of incredible huge wings, each of which was the size of Axis itself, formed from out of its back.

"What in the name of..." Haman exclaimed.

"What incredible pressure..." Judau grunted, his Newtype senses quickly becoming overwhelmed. "It's giving me a headache even from here!"

"That thing...its the embodiment of pure hatred and malice..." Rossiu, who was aboard the _Arc Gurren_, gasped. Suddenly, it hit the young governor like a ton of bricks as he took note of its motif - it had the same kind of design as the Mugann.

"Lordgenome...the Devil Gundam...it's the other half of the Human Extermination System, isn't it? The entity humanity gave form, but the Anti-Spiral gave its blessing?"

"...Yes."

"Incoming message!" said one of the _Arc Gurren_'s operators. "I'm putting it on screen!"

The image of Wong appeared on screen, his body now seeming to pulse with power and veins began to form all over his body.

"Listen up, you worms," Wong declared; "These DG Cells have redefined the path of evolution we will take! Thanks to these magnificent nanomachines, I've transcended my humanity and progressed to a new level!"

"That man has been taken over by the DG Cells," Lordgenome said. "He is all but a mere mouthpiece for the Devil Gundam."

"The future belongs to DG Cells now!" Wong cackled, his ego refusing to let his personality be extinguished. "Despair, and know that humanity's fate is complete extermination! AH-HA-HA-HA-HA!"

* * *

Unaware of what was going on outside, Domon and his friends struggled to get up after taking another three salvos from Grandmaster Gundam. But they did hear Wong's speech, and it got them extremely frustrated...especially Neo-Japan's fighter.

"Damn it...is there no way...to beat this thing?!" Domon grunted, despair filling his heart.

Janus also felt this crushing feeling of hopelessness fill him.

"Domon...Tara...Xengar...everyone...I'm sorry..."

Suddenly, in his mind's eye, he saw flashes of the gentle-eyed woman in his vision back when he fought the Z-Master. She extended her hand toward him, while the massive tree from the same vision appeared behind her.

When he stood up, with her help, he noticed something different there this time: a blue Chinese dragon coiled around it. Janus and the dragon locked gazes for a moment, then in a flash, the dragon rushed at him, but instead of consuming him, the beast suffused him with power...

Janus opened his eyes as he remembered who the woman was...his mother. The question of how this could be if he was sealed up in that capsule was something he realized could be saved for later - the power he had unlocked in this hour of need was crying out to be unleashed.

He got Granlif Yggdrasil to its feet, and as the TZIM automatically went into overdrive, let out a wave of energy that forced back Grandmaster Gundam, stopping its assault.

"Well, looks like someone got their second wind. Guess I'll just have to concentrate my..."

But Janus raised the Gran Claymore, which became wreathed in white and orange flames. He then raised the weapon over his head, and the flames grew wider and taller, equaling Grandmaster Gundam in height.

"GRANLIF HAZANKEN!" he bellowed. He delivered a massive horizontal slice, breaking through the power generator's armor with ease.

"SAINT INFERNOOOO...GEKIRINDAAAAAAAAAN!"

Janus then did a much stronger vertical slash, creating a massive energy shockwave that severed the left arm, wing and leg of Wong's machine. Meanwhile, the energy burst created by both the TZIM's sudden output spike and from Janus' massive attack infused the Shuffle Alliance with energy, allowing them to get back up as well.

"Wong!" Domon yelled as he and his Gundam began to glow gold. "I won't let you have your way...I won't let you destroy humanity, nor will I let you have this world of ours!"

He clenched his fist, the King of Hearts crest on his hand shining brilliantly.

"Master taught me that - our great homeland, our precious planet Earth...IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF LIFE!"

The four other Shuffle Alliance members began to glow gold as well, and quickly formed around Domon. All five members began concentrating their fighting spirit, similar to how Shin Getter formed the Stoner Sunshine, while chanting in unison...

"Our spirits are aflame...if we feel the fire, then there is nothing we cannot defeat!"

They raised their clenched fists together, all of their crests shining brilliantly.

"THESE HANDS OF OURS ARE BURNING RED! THEIR LOUD ROAR TELLS US TO GRASP VICTORY!"

A powerful energy sphere that far exceeded the might of even the Stoner Sunshine formed before them.

"No!" Wong cried, cowering in fear; "What are you doing?!"

Grandmaster Gundam fired another volley of feathers, but a combination of Granlif's Visor Beam, Mazinger Z's Breast Fire, and Shin Getter's Getter Beam wiped them all out, with some additional help from Rain's beam bow.

**"ERUPTING! SHUFFLE! DOUMEI KEEEEEEEN!"**

The energy sphere blasted forward , striking the monstrosity dead-on. Wong was consumed by the blast, leaving him only enough time to cry out in despair at his defeat.

However...Grandmaster Gundam itself wasn't quite so easily taken down. Even though its body was heavily damaged, it was still able to move.

"Geez, that thing doesn't go down!" Chibodee exclaimed.

"Then that leaves only one option," Juzo said; "You must destroy the core of Axis, the very source of energy it draws upon! Domon, Rain...go!"

"What about you guys?!" Domon cried.

"We can't leave you here!" Rain added.

"We'll make sure this thing stays down!" Ryoma replied. "You guys have to finish this! Jan, back 'em up, would ya?"

"Yeah, that TZIM thingy you've got seems to pull miracles out of nowhere," Argo said. "And we could sure use another!"

Without another word, the three took off into a hole in the ceiling while the others focused on the tenacious Grandmaster Gundam...

* * *

As Domon headed through another corridor towards the heart of the beast, he knew that he had waited long enough. Now that it was just him, Rain and Janus, it was time for him to tell Rain how he felt, while there was a moment of respite to do so.

"Janus, do you mind scouting ahead?" Domon asked. "I need a moment with Rain. We'll catch up in a bit."

"Sure," Janus said, half-sensing what the Gundam Fighter needed the privacy for. He flew on ahead, leaving God Gundam and Rising Gundam alone.

"Rain...listen, I know now may not be the best time, but I want you to hear me out."

He opened the cockpit hatch of the God Gundam and stepped out, standing on the door.

"I want to know something - just what did we go through? What meaning did this past year have for us?" he began, nervously at first before his heart helped him forward. "We haven't even come up with the answers to that yet, have we?"

Rain pensively opened her cockpit hatch and stood on hers, listening to Domon's every word.

"Remember back then? The higher-ups in Neo-Japan already wanted to involve us in the Gundam Fight, and before we knew it, we were thrown into the ring on Earth, and we even got mixed up with DREAM."

"And through it all, you were there beside me, putting up with everything I did, even when I completely pushed you aside. The only reason I managed to win the Gundam Fight was because...you were there. This victory was achieved by the both of us."

Rain smiled a bit, getting a pretty good idea where this was going.

"What I want to say is...look, I'm a guy who's ill at ease and only knows how to fight. That's why I've had a lot of trouble saying this up until now. But now that our final battle is approaching, I realize that if I don't say it now, I may never get the chance. Rain...I..."

He clenched his fist, and then opened his arms as if to embrace her while tears of sheer emotion began to run down his face.

"I love you! I want to be with YOU! Forever!"

Rain began to tear up as well as a big smile crossed her face. She ran toward Domon and leaped off her cockpit hatch - the lower gravity allowed her to leap much farther than she normally could.

"Domoooon!"

Domon caught her, twirling a bit as he did, and the two embraced lovingly.

"Rain..."

"Domon..."

"Rain...I'm really sorry for everything I put you through," the Gundam Fight said sincerely. "I promise, I'll never treat you like that again!"

"It's okay," Rain reassured him, "Hearing you finally say you feel made everything worth it. But..."

"But...what?"

Rain gazed into Domon's eyes.

"We still have something to finish, don't we?"

Domon smirked.

"Yeah. Everyone's waiting for us to finish off the Devil Gundam. C'mon, let's catch up to Janus."

* * *

Janus arrived in what could only be the heart of Devil Axis - a massive chamber even more vast that the one that housed Grandmaster Gundam. Numerous purple, tree-like columns were arranged in neat rows across the room. There he saw the gigantic black sphere that powered the monstrosity, hovering ominously in place at the far end of the room.

The sphere opened up, revealing a mass of green tentacles, which held someone in bondage there - Wong, covered from head to toe in silvery plating, eyes glowing red and grinning wickedly.

_Wong?! _Janus exclaimed. _But didn't we just kill that guy__?_

"Well, it's you again. Nice of you come to all the way here. In case you're wondering how I'm still alive and kicking, it's quite simple - all you destroyed when you were fighting Grandmaster Gundam was a copy made of DG Cells. I can make as many of me as I want!"

Numerous Wong clones began rising out the floor, all of them wearing sunglasses and the same smug look.

"See? There's no way you can beat me, kiddo! I can just keep making new copies of myself unti..."

But suddenly, Wong made a gurgling sound as his eyes suddenly turned from blood red to jet black, and the wicked grin on his face turned to an emotionless grimace. It was as if something was erasing his personality. The Wong copies suddenly cried out simultaneously and melted back into the body of Devil Axis.

"Personality suppression complete," the original Wong droned. "Hostile in core area detected. Preparing to commence Level 4 security operations."

Something began to form from out of the sphere, as if it were made of a liquid - the Devil Gundam. Its body resembled the original form DREAM had faced so long ago. But to Janus' surprise, it soon added two more new features - the gold studs on its shoulders extended and became massive golden claws, while the sides of the larger head that served as its body folded around and formed into six-toed feet - two toes in the front and back, and one on each side. It was connected to the sphere by several DG Cell tentacles.

"The JDG-00X Devil Gundam has now been fully integrated into the Human Extermination System," a familiar female voice droned in a slightly more ominous tone. "It is this universe's first line of defense against the runaway evolution of mankind."

Janus saw Nia appear before the sphere, her flowing, colorful hair gently moving as if in a light breeze in spite of the lack of any wind whatsoever.

"Nia. Haven't seen you in a while."

"Yes...and it will be the last time - for even if you defeat the Devil Gundam, you will still be annihilated by the Human Extermination System."

"You mean that sphere? If that's your Human Extermination System, then I'll just smash it apart. Frankly, I've had it with the sky falling on my head, thank you very much."

"It seems you must know despair. Devil Gundam, begin Level 5 security operations." With that, Nia disappeared.

"Raising security program level," Wong's droning voice, now sounding somewhat digitized, said from within the Devil Gundam.

"Okay, Xengar...let's soften this guy up for Domon and Rain. Besides, I want to practice that new attack I somehow learned."

"Understood!" Xengar replied.

* * *

Loran and Gym were equally matched. Both were able to land blows on their enemy, but neither was able to land a decisive hit that the nanomachines Masaki Kihara manufactured couldn't regenerate. But while the servant of Queen Dianna was getting frustrated that he couldn't bring the fight to an end, Gym was laughing, having the time of his life.

"Yes, Loran!" Gym bellowed joyfully as he rushed at the Turn A and began a push and shove contest of strength with it. "You feel the rush, don't you?! Only when death draws near do you fully understand what it means to be alive!"

The Turn X then released its Moonlight Butterfly, which began filling the vast chamber, annihilating the systems bit by bit.

"These machines would have only led humanity down a path of destruction...a dark history! That's why Queen Dianna's father sealed them away!"

Loran, left with no choice, released the Turn A's own Moonlight Butterfly, which filled up the area behind him.

"You fool!" Gym roared. "Without war, history will remain in a stagnant limbo, and mankind will deteriorate as a species!"

"Don't twist things with your own selfish ideas!"

The two machines drew their beam sabers and began to clash as the Moonlight Butterfly nanomachines continued to spiral further and further out of control, consuming every bit of machinery in the area and turning it to sand.

Suddenly, Loran found an opening. He ducked underneath Gym's next swing, then impaled the Turn X's torso with the Turn A's beam saber.

"CURSE YOU!" Gym screamed as he tried to eject. But to his dismay, the ejection mechanism didn't work. It was jammed. But instead of exploding, the Moonlight Butterfly's rate of spreading only increased, and soon the entire residential area was covered in the nanomachines.

But then, something Loran would never have anticipated happened - several DG Cell tentacles extended from below, as if sensing the dangerous concentration of the nanomachines, and began to tremble as they emitted an invisible light. The Moonlight Butterfly suddenly began to contract, as if the DG Cells were forcing them to clump together...and Gym was caught in the middle of it.

Loran deactivated the Turn A's ultimate weapon and started to back off, watching as the Turn X was wrapped into a blanket of eerily beautiful light, until finally, the lights all merged into a single white mass.

The royal guard of Queen Dianna sighed with relief. He was afraid of having to actually take Ghingnham's life, in spite of the fact that he was a dangerous enemy. But with Gym trapped inside the entombed Turn X, he was no longer a threat to anyone. Finally, the Lunar Kingdom could be at peace once more...

_Wait...the Lunar Kingdom will be destroyed if the moon falls! _he thought, a look of sheer terror on his face. _I have to go to the moon and find Queen Dianna!_

"Loran? Loran!" the voice of his queen suddenly spoke through his communicator.

"Your Majesty?!" he exclaimed with relief. "You're all right! Where are you?"

"I'm still in the castle."

"You have to get out!" her guard cried. "The moon will probably start falling any minute..."

"It's okay, Loran; we've already dealt with that problem. Come outside and you'll see why."

* * *

The Devil Gundam was proving an implacable opponent for Janus, but it was fighting on surprisingly even terms with Granlif Yggdrasil, thanks to its new attack. Even so, the pilot of the Super Robot was becoming exhausted, while the Devil Gundam showed no signs of slowing down, damaged as it was...for the sphere was granting it even greater energy than it had before. The monstrosity rained beam fire on Granlif, and all the Super Robot could do was defend.

"Janus!" Rain's voice called out on Granlif Yggdrasil's communicator, which was like sweet music to the tired pilot's ears. The Devil Gundam looked toward the far end of the room to see God Gundam and Rising Gundam at the entryway.

"Hey guys..." Janus said, exhausted from the battle. "I softened him up...for you."

"Thanks," Domon said. "Rain, mind giving Granlif a quick patching up? I'll keep this guy busy until you're done, then we'll take him out together!"

"DOMON KASSHU!" Wong suddenly cried out, his personality suddenly reassuming control of the machine he was tied to, awakened by the appearance of a man he hated above all others right now.

"Wong's still alive?!" Domon exclaimed.

"That's right! I'm still here!" he laughed. "All you achieved before was destroying a DG Cell copy of me! I may have been dethroned as world leader because of you, but once I get rid of you, I'll become ruler of the universe! HAHAHAHAH...AAARGH!"

Wong felt his personality start to be crushed again, but this time he resisted. Domon watched, stupified by the megalomaniac's behavior.

"No...I'm not letting some computer take me over! I WILL BE KING!"

The Devil Gundam used its golden claws to rip out the tentacles, disconnecting itself from the Human Extermination System just in time for Rain to finish patching up Granlif. In the depths of his power trip, Wong didn't realize that he had just cut his own lifeline.

"Guys! Now's your chance!" Janus called out, having noticed it himself, thanks to one of the TZUM's myriad scanning functions. "His energy reading just dropped like a rock!"

"Rain, let's finish this guy off!"

"Right!"

Both Gundams raised their hands as they delivered a new variation of Domon's trademark speech in unison:

"THESE HANDS OF OURS ARE BURNING RED!"

"Their loud cries tell us..."

"...To grasp happiness!"

**"ERUPTING!"**

God Gundam and Rising Gundam clasped hands and did a fancy twirling maneuver not unlike a pair of flamenco dancers before finishing in a pose with Rain on her knees and Domon behind her as he opened up God Gundam's fins.

"**SEKI..."**

"**HA!"**

"**LOVE-LOVE..."**

"**TENKYOKEEEEEEEEEN!"**

The two Gundams unleashed an energy sphere on par with that of the Shuffle Doumei Ken in strength – and the spirit of the King of Hearts itself loomed large, as tall as the Devil Gundam itself. It struck the Devil Gundam (and Wong) dead on, leaving a heart-shaped hole in both it and its core.

Wong's face seemed to distort and writhe in pain as his body started to crumble. Domon and Rain were sure of it this time – the Devil Gundam was finally destroyed. As the monstrosity that was the source of all DG Cells began exploding repeatedly, Wong let out one last cry...

"SCIROCCO, YOU LIAAAARRR-AURGH!"

Domon, Rain and Janus stood there, watching the Devil Gundam's charred corpse slowly burn away for a few more moments before approaching the sphere their fallen foe had been drawing energy from.

"We better take care of this thing just to make sure," Domon said, readying a God Finger attack. But as he moved in to destroy it, the core suddenly shot upward at supersonic speeds as if something was magnetically pulling it out...it even bore a deep hole straight through Devil Axis' body.

"What in the world?" Rain exclaimed. "The core just..."

"Bro, Rain, Jan, get your butts out of there!" Sai Saici's voice called out.

"What now?!" Domon exclaimed.

"Now, I'm no astronomer," Chibodee joked nervously, "But I'm pretty sure the moon isn't supposed to have a face like a jack o' lantern..."

* * *

___Longest chapter to date, and I don't care if it's one huge chunk! But for you Turn A fans, I'll still have a surprise for you yet. Anyway, next time on this route, it's time for the third and final part of this epic space battle! _


	98. Chapter 67 Tara

_It begins, ladies and germs. The battle against Zeruel. Will it end up as it did in the original anime, or in Rebuild? Read on and find out._

* * *

**Chapter 67 (Tara) - They Who Judge! Tokyo Settlement's Darkest Hour! (Part 2)**

"All systems are back online!" Kosuke Entouji called out as the last of Orbit Base's functions came back to life.

"What's the status on Earth?" Taiga commanded.

"Guy and Mikoto are all right," Swan White said, "But GaoFighGar is out of commission, and there appears to be another Angel! It looks like it consumed the shell what was once the new machine species!"

"Which of the Braves are available to be sent out?" Taiga then asked.

"Just Mic Sounders the XIIIth," Kazuo said. "He was on the launch deck when we had to switch to life support mode."

"Deploy him immediately!"

* * *

Every member of DREAM in Zeruel's presence was sent flying out of the city, a result of the Angel using its own AT Field as a weapon. But then, the sound of creaking metal could be heard coming from the ground beneath them. The combined weight all of the robots, coupled with the destruction that had happened over the past few years suddenly caused the ground to give way and twenty two metal plates snapped in unison, dropping them almost two thousand feet underground...right smack in the middle of a gigantic cavern.

Contained inside were numerous forests, a huge artificial lake, and numerous mirrors that, until just now, had been reflecting sunlight into the underground, allowing those living and working in the numerous buildings to not feel so claustrophobic.

While most of the structures seemed to be for NERV and its employees (as well as numerous shelters for the residents of the surface) some DREAMers recognized exact duplicates of various other facilities on the surface - Photon Power Labs, the Nanbara Connection, and even the Getter Ray Laboratory had duplicates down here. What was even more striking was the lack of any Britannian buildings. On the spot that was directly below the government building was a ominous-looking black pyramid.

"It's an entire underground city!" Akito exclaimed as he got his Aestivalis up.

"This has been underneath the Tokyo Settlement this whole time?!" Shinobu exclaimed. "Why was I never told about this?"

"Yep..." Mari said with an awkward chuckle. "Welcome to the GeoFront, the place to be when there's a monster attack on the surface. There WERE twenty-two layers of armor plating where we fell, but I guess they got kinda worn out..."

"Speaking of monsters, here comes ugly," Hyoma quipped as he saw Zeruel float down from above.

Once the Angel finished its descent, the cloak that covered its body suddenly began to loosen and lengthen, forming into numerous tentacle arms that resembled thin, razor-edged lengths of ribbon.

_It's happening like before, _Kaworu thought. _No, I won't allow him near Lillith! _

Unit 04 charged in and tried to jam the Spear of Longinus into Zeruel...but to his (and everyone else's) utter horror, the Spear was stopped by a barrier much like Zonuda Robo's, which was working in sync with the AT Field.

Zeruel glared straight into the Angel boy's eyes, and spoke to him telepathically in the language of the Angels, both in Rei's voice and in an ominous, breathy rumble.

_Why did you betray us, Tabris? Why do you fight for these Lilim?_

_"Why can't we coexist with them? The Lilim of the Earth have so much to offer!"_

_Those who are born of Lilith seeds are a threat to the safety of the infinite realities. We of Adam are the protectors of the realities. Surely you haven't forgotten?_

_"That may be...the Lilim are capable of changing, and it does not justify the wanton destruction of this beautiful world!"_

_You speak as if you are ignorant of what happens to the soul upon death, Angel of Free Will. Truly, you have grown too accustomed to living among the Lilim. Once I have accomplished my task, you will be properly adjusted once more._

_"I won't let you destroy this world!"_

Kaworu broke mental contact and attacked again. This time, Zeruel grabbed Unit 04 with its ribbon tentacles, yanked the spear out of its hand and tossed it into the lake, then snapped the white Evangelion's neck. The lake started to flood as the water displaced by the gigantic weapon spread outward, leaving almost everything near it covered in three inches of water, which now began to turn red from the fallen Unit 04's blood.

* * *

"Unit 04 is down!" one of the operators inside NERV headquarters cried; "I repeat, Unit 04 is down!"

"Rei, retrieve the lance," Gendo ordered. The man needed that weapon if he was to have the best chance of achieving. his goals.

"No."

Gendo couldn't believe his ears. Rei Ayanami was actually refusing him!

"Rei, that's an order," Gendo said sternly. "Retrieve the lance that fell into the lake."

"Get someone else to do it," Rei answered. "I am no longer your doll."

_NOW she gets an independent streak?! _Gendo thought, frustrated to no end even he remained the picture of calmness under pressure on the outside. _I suppose I'll have to start over with a new one, then._

"Fine. The Lance didn't work on it, anyway," the NERV commander said. "Our only option now is to try that experimental bomb the Britannians were nice enough to lend us."

"Sir, you don't mean..." Misato exclaimed, aghast.

"Do you have a problem with that, Katsuragi?"

"N-no, sir..."

"Good. Tell them to set the F.L.E.I.J.A. on standby."

* * *

Once again, DREAM found itself on the receiving end of a sound thrashing. Even though their mechs had been repaired and replenished by GaoFighGar's final burst of power, even their heaviest artillery wasn't enough to pierce the Tenth Angel's twin barriers. Of course, they were pinning it down, so that was better than nothing.

"Man, it doesn't matter how much spirit I put into my attacks..." Hyoma grunted. "That thing's barrier just won't go down!"

"Grrr...damn it all!" Shinobu roared as he drew the Dankuu Ken; "Why won't you DIE, you piece of crap?!"

Final Dancougar, fueled by the righteous anger infusing Shinobu's spirit, suddenly managed to pierce through Zeruel's AT Field momentarily, slicing a gash in the Angel's body. The field immediately reformed, sending it flying.

Bu suddenly, that burst of ferocity, and how effective it was against its field made Mari remember something.

Unit 02's backdoor code.

The last time she unleashed the secret power within that Evangelion, it didn't work all that well against Zeruel. Yet this time around, Unit 02's true pilot, Asuka, was in the cockpit. She wondered if maybe, just maybe...

"Hey, Asuka!" Mari called out to Asuka, who whipped out another pair of grenade launchers.

"What?! Now's not the time, glasses girl!"

"Listen to me. I might know of a way you can beat this thing."

"Really?" Asuka spat. "Then why'd you wait until now to tell me, you dork?!" The spectacles-sporting pilot of Unit 08 ignored the insult and continued to explain.

"You need to say the following words - 'Invert controls - Backdoor code: The Beast'. Got it?"

"And what'll happen?" the half-Japanese, half-German pilot asked suspiciously. Mari smirked, knowing the best way to convince her.

"You'll be able to tear through that thing's AT Field, just like Shinobu did."

Asuka didn't need anymore convincing. She stood up in her cockpit, eager to show Shinobu just what kind of power Unit 02 had.

"Invert controls - Backdoor code: The Beast!"

Suddenly, the entire cockpit turned red, and Asuka felt her plugsuit tighten, and sharp pain along her shoulders and back, as if something was trying to burst out of them. On Unit 02, something WAS coming out of its shoulders and back - strange devices resembling gigantic hair rollers on pins.

But as the process continued, the pain suddenly became mixed with pleasure, driving Asuka's hormone balance out of control and her mind to start slipping. But unlike Gildrome's violation of her mind, the pilot of Unit 02 welcomed this madness. The Evangelion dropped down on all fours.

"Yeah...this must be how Shinobu feels when he's in Dancougar," Asuka said to herself as she felt her animal instincts start to take over. "Nothing better than to..."

Suddenly, the Evangelion's face mask broke, and it let out a bestial roar, revealing thin, sharp fangs.

"...LET THE BEAST OUT!"

Unit 02 started charging and leaping at the Angel like a mad ape, closing the distance between it and Zeruel in less than a few seconds, before bounding at high speed. Zeruel put up its AT Field, but to everyone's shock, Unit 02 plowed through every single layer thanks to both its sheer power and its incredible momentum, and managed to land a solid hit.

_Yes...just as I thought! _Mari thought, smiling. _Only an EVA's true pilot can bring out its full power..._

"Man...and I thought Asuka was crazy before..." Masato gasped as he watched Unit 02 continued its assault on Zeruel. "It's like she's completely lost her mind!"

"LOOK, SHINOBU!" Asuka's voice cackled. "LOOK, I'M DOING IT! I'M ACTUALLY GONNA WIN! I'M ACTUALLY GONNA..."

But she was so caught up in her nearly orgasmic battle fury that she didn't see Zeruel preparing its counterattack: it curled up two of its arms into cylinders and then aimed them at Unit 02. With deafening force, the two cylinders struck the Evangelion, sending it flying. In mid flight, the Angel sliced Unit 02's left arm while opening a huge gash in its right flank.

But that wasn't enough to stop Asuka. Clutching her shoulder as if her own arm had been torn off, she charged at Zeruel again, her mouth foaming like a rabid dog's. The Angel lashed out with its arms again, this time slicing off part of its head.

It laid there, twitching a bit, but seemingly no longer able to get up.

Just as things seemed like they could get no grimmer, the sound of an launching missile filled the air. A hatch had opened near the pyramid and fired a single shot.

Mamoru, who had been watching this battle helplessly, looked up and saw what the missile was...it was the very same bomb he had seen on that paper earlier - F.L.E.I.J.A..

However, someone else spotted the F.L.E.I.J.A: Rei. She began to run toward the bomb as it started its descent toward the ground. With unbelievable skill and grace, Unit 00 managed to pluck the missile right out of the air, and started dashing towards Zeruel, carrying it underneath her arm even as its engines still sputtered.

This caught the Angel's attention, and it put up its AT Field. All the same, Rei jammed the missile into it, trying to push it right into the Angel's body.

"AT Field, maximum power!" she called out. A pointed AT Field formed around the tip of the missile and began to drill through Zeruel's own Field.

"Rei, what the hell are you doing?!" Tara cried out, fearful for the life of the girl Janus called little sister.

_Shinji_, Rei said to herself; _I'll protect you, and everyone else!_

Suddenly, Unit 02 reared up and lashed out at Zeruel's field with its teeth, ripping it off, one layer at a time. Slowly but surely, the missile got closer and closer to Zeruel's body.

"THAT'S IT, UNIT 02..." Asuka cried out, her eyes bloodshot with animal fury. "JUST ONE...MORE...LAYER!"

Unit 02 pulled off the last layer, allowing Unit 00 to shove the missile into the Angel's core, even as it covered its core with the protective interlocking teeth. Unit 00 then grabbed Unit 02 with one hand and tossed it away.

"Please, run away, Asuka," Rei said, "And thank you."

"Ruri! Full reverse at maximum speed!" Yurika cried, knowing something horrible was coming. Meanwhile, Mamoru flew toward his downed friends and readied a telekinetic barrier, hoping to mitigate any damage to the surface that was about to occur.

First, the sakuradite contained inside exploded, triggering nuclear fission inside, which was possible courtesy of the N-Jammer Canceler within. Then, the energy from the explosion caused a massive sphere of purple light to start growing, quickly consuming an area of nearly a mile in size. It then suddenly collapsed on itself, causing a massive influx of air to be pulled in to fill the resulting vacuum, damaging everything within the cavern to various degrees. The blast also dealt severe damage to all of the DREAM mechs, and even the _Nadesico _seemed to suffer significant damage, in spite of its distortion field.

All that was left in the area of the main blast was a deep circular crater, a heavily damaged Unit 00...and a completely intact Zeruel. Perhaps it might have worked if Zeruel hadn't absorbed the body of Zonuda Robo, but it was too late to blame that.

* * *

Shinji knew he should have at least been screaming in terror. But what was the point? In his view, there was nothing left for him to do than to simply wait for the end. Of course, he would die alone - the people had been ordered to move to another shelter.

The only thing that could jar him from his own sulking was the sudden, shelter-breaking arrival of an unexpected guest...Mic Sounders XIIIth, sent sailing by the F.L.E.I.J.A. blast.

"Ow...Mic's head hurts," the red robot groaned, still upside down. He then recognized Shinji and his pain seemed to go away instantly at recognizing another friend.

"Shinji Ikari! I haven't seen you since we went to Jupiter! I'm so happy to see you're all right! I wondered why there were only four Evangelions out instead of five."

"I didn't know you cared," the ex-EVA pilot said sarcastically after having gotten over the shock, not even flinching as Mic righted himself.

"But I do care! There are plenty of people in DREAM who care about you as well!"

"Why should I fight for people that don't care about me?" Shinji asked in an angry, rhetorical manner. "...People that only need me because I can pilot an EVA, and betray me when I open my heart?"

Mic's eyes turned to question marks to indicate his confusion.

"You're only needed because you can use those Discs in your other form. Without that, you're useless. Just like me. You're better off just running away and hiding, like I am."

"...Run...away? Oh yes! You should get to safety! If that nasty Angel gets too close, you'll be...oh, I can't stand to think about it! Come on!"

Mic grabbed Shinji quickly but gently and lifted him up. When the robot opened his hand, the boy's apathy turned to horror when he saw all the destruction the day's events had caused.

But then he saw something worse happening - Zeruel was extending its mouth parts...and took a huge bite out of Unit 00, leaving only half of its shins and its feet, which sprayed with blood and gore.

"Oh no!" Mic cried; "Poor Rei was in there!"

The Angel chewed on its meal for a moment, then nonchalantly spat out Unit 00's head like one would spit out watermelon seeds after taking a bite of the fruit. Then...something even weirder happened - the lower half of Zeruel's body began to change and mutate...resulting in a human-like body disturbingly similar to Rei's. The monster's life force grew stronger still thanks to its meal.

"It's like we're stuck in a horror movie!" Mic cried again, face shrunken with terror; "Mic doesn't like horror movies!"

Shinji suddenly remembered what had happened the other day, when Rei came over to his dorm. The tangerine she offered him was like her heart. In rejecting her offer to share it, he had heartlessly rejected her as well.

It was only now, when she was gone, that the boy realized how much he needed Rei. He had to save her. After all, DREAM had done the impossible before...what was to say he couldn't? All he needed to do was believe in himself, and to never give up. That's how Gekiganger always came out on top.

The powered-up Zeruel looked up, turned toward the pyramid where NERV HQ was, and fired a pair of eye beams. The beams immediately blasted off a huge chunk of the structure.

"Mic," Shinji said in a calm voice. "Please...take me to NERV HQ."

"What? Now you want to fight? Okay then..."

Mic flew over toward the damaged pyramid and set Shinji down, even as the Angel drew ever closer. He set the boy down just in time for Zeruel to grab him with one of its tentacle arms and fling him out into the lake. Not even giving Shinji a second thought, the Angel then peered down the shaft and jumped down, using its levitation abilities to descend slowly.

* * *

Another failure...and the past ten tries had been no good either. Evangelion Unit 01 continued to reject the Dummy Plug, and was now visibly struggling to escape its bonds - proof that it was indeed a living being.

But then he heard someone cry out to him.

"Please wait!"

Gendo looked down and saw Shinji on the platform in front of Unit 01, panting heavily. The boy who had insisted he never wanted to pilot an Evangelion ever again was now standing before him.

"Please...let me pilot Unit 01!" Shinji cried out, even though he was exhausted from his long run back down to this level. His father, even in this grim situation, wasn't so eager to let his rebellious child pilot, lest he screw things up.

"Why are you here?" Gendo said with a leering grimace. "Why should I let you pilot it?"

Shinji clenched his fist, determined to give his father another piece of his mind. With a steely gaze, he looked up at his father. The man retreated backward a half-step, surprised by the determination and righteous fury in his son's eyes.

"Because I'm the only one who can... I'm the pilot of Evangelion Unit 01...SHINJI IKARI!"

* * *

"The target has descended past the seventh layer of Terminal Dogma!" one of the operators called out, monitoring Zeruel's progress through the base.

"It's headed here! Evacuate all noncombatants!" Misato ordered.

Just as alarms to evacuate the NERV facility started blaring, the entire front of the room shattered as a pair of white fists broke through the wall, revealing Zeruel. The Angel leaned ominously towards Misato and the operators, its breath smelling like no concoction ever devised by human hands.

But just as death seemed imminent, something big and purple burst out from the right wall, smashing into Zeruel with immense force.

It was Evangelion Unit 01, with Shinji, his entire being filled with hot-blooded fury, at the controls.

"Unit 01?!" Misato exclaimed. "Shinji's here?!"

The purple Evangelion grabbed Zeruel and started pushing it across the room and through the other wall, breaking it down. The Angel countered with eye lasers, severing its foe's left arm. The limb flew upward, striking the wall on one of the upper floors – missing Gendo by only about ten feet, but soaking the entire right side of his body with Unit 01's blood.

But even though he felt the pain of having his arm blasted off, Shinji refused to give up – he was far too determined to take this Angel down and get Rei back. He would be just like Simon...like Ryoma...like Guy Shishioh...like Koji Kabuto...like Ken Tenku...he would be a manly, badass hero. His father would have no choice but to acknowledge him.

Unit 01 struck Zeruel several more times, and then rammed it against the launch chute.

"MISATO!" Shinji screamed.

"Release the locks!" the woman ordered.

Both Unit 01 and Zeruel rocketed up and out of the facility by the super-fast elevator, landing with a thunderous crash on the surface. Shinji then grabbed hold of Zeruel's cloak and began to pull on it, with the internal batteries starting to run out.

_C'mon...die, you stupid..."_

But just as it was about to rip the cloak completely off, the EVA's internal battery finally ran out.

"What...out of energy?!"

However, Mari and Unit 08 were still around and still plugged in. Thinking quickly, Mari ejected the plug, grabbed it and rushed over to the now limp Unit 01. Meanwhile, Zeruel withdrew its two largest arms to counterattack.

_No way, Zeruel...you're not pulling it off THIS time around!_

Mari jammed the plug into Unit 01's back, causing it to almost instantly spring back to life. With another hot-blooded cry, Shinji tore off the cloak, causing a massive spurt of blood to issue from Zeruel's body. Unit 08, however, soon went silent.

"Mari...thanks..." Shinji panted. "For a second there, I thought I was..."

But Zeruel sprang back to life, grabbed Unit 01 and threw it into a nearby hillside, causing a jet of blood to burst forth from it.

"Shinji!" Misato cried as she saw this while rushing out of one of the NERV base's many emergency exits.

But the EVA pilot wasn't out...not by a long shot. Indeed, all that had done was just drive deeper into a berserk fury...the same kind he had display against Andrew Waltfield and against the Bardiel-possessed Danube Alpha 1.

"I want Rei..."

Shinji's eyes turned blood-red.

"**GIVE HER BACK**!"

Unit 01's eyes brilliantly flashed back to life, but this time, they glowed that same crimson color, as did many other parts of its body. The EVA got to its feet and stood fully upright before letting out a bloodcurdling roar. Shinji was now running Unit 01 on sheer willpower and determination...though the flame of his determination and fury had turned black.

"First Asuka...now Shinji?!" Shinobu exclaimed in horror. "Just what the hell ARE these EVAs, anyway?!"

"You probably regret knowing it if you did," Alan said grimly. "Trust me."

Zeruel launched its tentacle arms at Unit 01, but the Evangelion simply raised its remaining arm and deployed an AT Field far more powerful than even the Tenth Angel's, causing the tentacles to strike it as if they were balls of goo thrown against a wall. The tentacles then pulled the Angel in, smashing it against the field. In response, Unit 01 manifested a new arm made of AT Field, which then formed into strange polyhedrons, and then blasted Zeruel, sending it flying and crashing into the ground.

Unit 01 looked down at the people watching it, and glared coldly at them.

With that, the EVA turned its attention back to the downed Zeruel. Like its opponent, Unit 01 fired a set of eye beams, slicing its chest open and exposing its core. It stood fast even as a cross-shaped explosion burst out from it.

"The plug depth is gone beyond 180!" one of the operators, now working off a laptop, cried.

"Shinji, stop it!" Sara screamed as a halo formed over Unit 01's head. "You don't need to throw your humanity away!"

"I don't care what happens to me..." they all heard Shinji growl. "I don't care what happens to the world...but I swear...**I'M BRINGING REI BACK!**"

When he reached Zeruel, Unit 01 grabbed the Angel's face, crushing it into a bloody pulp...then thrust its AT Field hand at its core – only to be stopped by some invisible force. But he pushed back, struggling to force his way inside. After several seconds, he made a great dent in Zeruel's core, while Shinji descended into a fast moving, multicolored void, almost like a Threshold tunnel.

"Rei! Where are you, Rei?!" he called out. "I'm here!"

_I'm sorry...but I can't come back, _Rei said in her usual monotone_, I cannot survive anywhere else but in here now. Besides, I can always be replaced. _

"That's not true!" Unit 01's pilot You're the only Rei there is...and that's why I'm saving you, RIGHT NOW!"

The halo over Unit 01's head turned red and spread out much wider. The Evangelion then began to levitate as its chest armor burst open.

Tara grunted as she plopped out of Lifthrasir Titania's cockpit, and found that Kaworu had ejected from Unit 04's entry plug as well. He too was looking up at Unit 01.

"Kaworu...it looks like Unit 01 is transforming. Is...Shinji really doing all this?"

Kaworu nodded, a look of worry on his face. "Unit 01 is breaking the limiters you Lilim have placed upon it...returning to its original form; transcending its humanity to become a divine being...weaving together heaven and earth to transform itself into pure energy...all fueled by Shinji-kun's unyielding drive to bring back the one he treasures most."

Tara gazed up at this sight and sighed.

"Well," she said in a defeated tone, "I guess I'll have to find him all over again..."

* * *

Inside Zeruel's core, Rei sat in darkness, naked and alone, unable to leave. For all she cared, she would be lonely for all eternity. She heard Shinji call out to her.

But it was much louder than before.

Rei looked up and saw Shinji force his way into the blue liquid sphere she was trapped in. He struggled with every bit of energy and will he could muster just to get here, and to maintain his sense of self.

"REI!" he screamed, reaching out to her; "TAKE MY HAND!" The white of his skin began to peel off, revealing red beneath, but still the boy refused to falter.

"COME ON!"

Rei could see it in Shinji's eyes - the all-consuming desire to have her in his heart, to complete her and to be completed by her. She pensively reached up and grabbed Shinji's hand. Once he had a tight grip, the desperate pilot of Unit 01 pulled as hard as he could.

With one great heave, Shinji managed to rip the girl he loved right out of her prison, and into his arms.

"Rei...thank you...for everything," the boy said, embracing her tenderly. "I'm sorry that I turned you away like that."

"No," Rei replied quietly, "You were just..."

"You were just trying to cheer me up...because you didn't want me to be alone...and because you didn't want to be alone. I'm happy the way things are right now...just being with you."

When she heard those words, Rei began to quietly shed tears of joy for the first time in her life, then hugged him back.

"Shinji..."

"Rei..."

* * *

Outside, this whole situation manifested quite differently. Zeruel's core burst into a cloud of blood before immediately forming again into the shape of an EVA-sized Rei. The gigantic blood-Rei began to meld with Unit 01. As this happened, the Evangelion began to transform into brilliant energy, while several gigantic pairs of rainbow colored wings grew out of its back.

Gendo watched all this in silence. Suddenly, he heard a voice in his head: Metatron's.

_So, are you satisfied, Ikari? Unit 01 has awakened before the rest of SELEE intended, and the Third Impact has begun. They're not going to take this lying down, you know._

"I never cared about the Door," Gendo replied quietly. "All I want...is to see Yui again. Besides, you're getting what you want, right?"

* * *

Suddenly, Lelouch felt a screaming pain in his head, and it was especially awful in the area surrounding his Geass eye. C.C. immediately saw her friend's pain and hurried to his side.

"Master! Master! Please, calm down!"

"The Door..." Lelouch grunted as he dropped to the floor and clutched his head. "The Door...the Door is calling..." C.C. lifted up his head and saw that his eye, as well as the area around it, was thick with veins...

* * *

"What door?!" Rolo exclaimed as he tried to help Nunnally back into her wheelchair, as she too began to suffer the same agony as her brother. When he lifted her head, it was then that he saw her Geass eye, and was filled with a feeling of terrible unease. As if this pain Nunnally was going through was the harbinger something far worse.

"The Door...I...I have to...open it..." she said weakly.

"No! Don't, Nunnally!" Rolo cried; "Don't open that door! Come back to me!"

He desperately tried to stop her with his own Geass, but it didn't even have any effect. The princess reached upward, as if trying to grab an invisible doorknob. The best Rolo could do was restrain her hand...

* * *

Mic Sounders reactivated his eyes and quickly realized that he was underwater, and also noticed that everything was starting to shake. As luck would have it, he landed next to the Lance of Longinus that Zeruel had tossed in early on.

He then looked up and saw the winged Mamoru diving into the lake to help his friend.

"Oh, Mamoru, it's so good to see you!" Mic said happily. "What's all this rumbling and shaking happening?"

"Mic, you and I are the only ones left!" the winged boy said. "If we don't do something...everyone...everyone will be killed!"

"Oh no! But what can we do?"

Mamoru looked down at the spear by Mic. He remembered seeing Kaworu use that lance both against the Angels and the Zonder...perhaps it would work against the winged energy being that was threatening to consume the world.

"Mic, can you pick up and hold that spear?"

The red robot pensively took hold of the spear, and lifted with astonishing ease.

"Wow! It's so light!" the robot exclaimed. "Okay, what now?"

"Point the spear ahead of you, and then just hold still."

Mic did so and waited. Mamoru concentrated, and used his telekinetic powers to surrounding Mic in a green protective sphere, just like he did when the Braves escaped from Z-Master's body. He flew upward, taking Mic with him, and they soon surfaced.

"Ay-yi-yi!" Mic exclaimed when he saw the ominous shape of Unit 01. "What's that?!"

"That's our target," the alien boy said. "Mic, I need you to be brave, now more than ever!"

"You're right!" Mic said, shaking off his terror. "I'm a member of the Brave Robot Corps!"

"Okay, Mic - don't let go of that spear...here I go..."

Mamoru began to spin around and around, preparing to toss the spear-wielding robot like an Olympic hammer thrower.

_Please...Father...Mikoto...big brother Guy...guide me!_

Mamoru released his telekinetic hold on Mic, sending him zooming straight at the Evangelion, which didn't seem to heed its presence. None could say whether it was inattentive or overconfident. But as the red robot zoomed toward his target, he let out a cry...

"MIIIIIIC...SOUNDERS...THE THIRTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENTH!"

The spear pierced right through the AT Field being generated by the godlike Unit 01, and directly struck its core, with Mic still holding on.

The Evangelion's ascension to divinity came to an abrupt and explosive halt when the spear pierced its core; and as a result, the energy it was gathering was suddenly expelled straight up into space in a spectacular beam of white light. After that display, the Evangelion, now a burnt-out husk, fell backward, only kept upright by the spear that had just impaled it...

* * *

_And that brings the Tara half of this route split to an end, or at least the action-y part! But how has the Tokyo Settlement fared as a result? What of Shinji and Rei? Why were Lelouch and Nunnally suddenly acting up? And is the Door they saw in their painful visions the same Door that SELEE seeks to open? Find out at least some of these answers next time!_


	99. Chapter 67 Janus

_And now, we bring this three part epic (and the route split) to a close, with that event which has been in the back of every single Ruined World residents mind: the moon!_

* * *

**Chapter 67 (Janus) – Falling Sky! ****Desperate Struggle For Survival!**** (Part 3)**

Janus, Domon and Rain were able to escape with barely enough time as Devil Axis crumbled to pieces. Unfortunately, though, what they found waiting for them outside was a menace that loomed far larger than their previous foe ever could.

Staring down from the heavens was the moon, bearing an unnerving, toothy grin with hollow eyes. And to make matters worse, there were still a few dozen Devil Gundam Jrs left over to strengthen a titanic force of Mugan that appeared out of thin air, with numbers were far greater than anything they had ever faced.

The Anti-Spiral troops easily numbered in the tens, if not hundreds of thousands, and the sizes of the Mugann varied from the size of Variable Fighters to five times the size of the _Ra Calium_. There were also some DG Gurren Laganns formed out of the remains of Devil Axis by the Human Extermination System.

But all the same, Simon and Viral weren't the least bit intimidated, and their courage in the face of this danger seemed to give strength to everyone else, including the large force of Grapearls that accompanied the _Arc Gurren_. What was more, the enemy force wasn't making any moves to attack.

"Listen up, everyone!" Simon called out. "No matter what happens, we can't give up! The moment we falter against these goons, that's when they win! So no matter what, keep fighting for as long as you can!"

_The boy's got a lot of spunk_, Master Asia thought. _I could see how he was able to withstand the Sekiha Tenkyoken back then._

"Hey, what's the big idea barking orders all of a sudden?!" Viral exclaimed somewhat angrily.

"It wasn't an order," Simon quipped; "It was a suggestion."

"Well in that case, I accept!" the beastman replied with a toothy grin.

"Today is the day we embark on the winding spiral path," Simon began in his usual hot-blooded manner; "...Where the paths of man and beast intersect!"

"Today is the day when we join with yesterday's enemy to smash fate," Viral said with equal passion, "And grab hold of tomorrow with our own hands!"

"Destiny Combining...GURREN LAGANN!** JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK WE ARE?!**"

Gurren Lagann released a burst of Spiral Power before charging into the enemy horde, taking out several dozen Mugan immediately. The same burst of Spiral Power infused the numerous Gundam Fighters, Zeon troops and members of DREAM with power.

The burst jarred Janus a bit, and caused something to warp into his cockpit via a tiny Threshold. He looked over to his right and saw something floating at eye level - the disc that the old arms dealer had given him way back when DREAM was traveling through North Africa in Tara's world.

"Hey...how did this thing get in here? I almost completely forgot about it!"

The outline of the winged whale engraved on it was now glowing green with energy, as if that burst from Simon had awakened it. Xengar noticed it as well.

"Janus," the projected head spoke, "The fact that the disc appeared at your side can only indicate that the time for its purpose to be fulfilled draws near."

"Man, talk about convenient. It's like all of my experiences are being written by some hack who forgot all about it until just now and needed to do something with it."

"The laws of nature are a puzzling thing. Regardless, you'd best keep a tight hold on..."

Janus and Xengar's chat had left them wide open to a DG Gurren Lagann, which struck them with great force using its extra long katana. Of course, without the Devil Gundam, the DG cells couldn't take over a host. Janus countered with a Visor Beam and a pair of slashes from his katana, cutting the enemy into pieces.

"Okay, Xengar, let's cut the chitchat and focus on the enemies. We can't let Simon take all the credit, you know."

"Fair enough."

* * *

"Amazing!" Benkei exclaimed as Shin Getter took out a hundred small Mugan with a single Getter Beam. "The boost we just got makes me feel like I could take on fifty Shin Dragons...with my bare hands!"

"Let's not get overconfident," Hayato said. "We don't know just how much these Anti-Spirals are capable of."

"Simon seems to have the right idea," Ryoma said with a grin as Shin Getter drew its tomahawk and slashed down a trio of larger Mugan. "Don't fall for any of their bull-crap and just power on through!"

"Yeah! And do it as loudly and in as flashy a way as possible!" Koji beamed. "Like this...FIRE BLASTER!" The flash of heat and energy blasted through two hundred Mugan.

"That's the spirit, guys!" Kittan quipped as he fired numerous blaster shots, destroying numerous Mugan with each shot.

* * *

Meanwhile, Domon and Master Asia were tangling with one of the large Mugan.

"Domon, let's quit toying around and finish this thing off!"

"Yes, Master!" the Neo-Japanese Gundam Fighter replied eagerly. Master Asia zoomed to the other side of the Mugan while Domon fired a few beams from its hands to keep the enemy's attention away from his teacher.

"Come, Domon, let us combine our wills!"

Both Gundams glowed a brilliant gold as they prepared to unleash a combination attack of their own. Each one of them began to charge up for their almighty ultimate attack.

"Now! THE SCHOOL OF THE UNDEFEATED OF THE EAST'S ULTIMATE SECRET TECHNIQUE!"

**"SEKI!"**

**"HA!"**

**"KYUUKOKU...TENKYOKEEEEEEEEEEEN!"**

Both martial artists fired Sekiha Tenkyokens, each of which manifested as gigantic fists of energy. But instead of going against each other, the fists crushed the Mugan between them, destroying it in a single, massive blow. The old martial artist couldn't help but let out a good laugh after that attack.

"Ah, that felt wonderful!"

* * *

"Look out, Judau!" Haman cried. She sent her funnels after a medium-sized Mugan that was pursuing the ZZ Gundam, and destroyed it quickly.

"Oh...thanks, Haman," Judau replied. "It's pretty awesome, fighting alongside you instead of against you for once."

"Yes, I suppose it's certainly...a novel experience," Haman replied. For reasons she couldn't explain, being with the ZZ Gundam's pilot made her heart pump faster, and her usual smug manner would slowly crumble.

"Hey, Haman, you're acting funny all of a..."

Then he noticed that Haman was giving off a very distinct kind of Newtype aura...the kind of aura that they emitted whenever...they were physically attracted to them.

_Oh crud...she doesn't seriously..._

Both Puru and Roux noticed the aura as well, as flew over after the latter slashing a Mugan in half with her Gundam's beam saber, and the former destroyed three with her funnels.

"Haman, you pervert!" Roux yelled. "Judau's too young for you! He's what, fifteen, MAYBE sixteen?"

"Yeah!" Puru added. "Stay away from my big brother, you hag!"

"Do you know WHO you're addressing so rudely?!" Haman retorted indignantly. "I am Haman Khan, right-hand of Neo-Zeon's glorious..."

"Ah, put a sock in it, you three, we can't let these guys do us in!" Judau interrupted. "Just don't get any ideas, okay, Haman?"

Haman sighed and resumed combat with a heavy heart.

* * *

These were the kinds of scenes that took place across the battlefield - thanks to the power boost granted by Simon, even the Oldtype mobile suit pilots were capable of taking on the vast armies of Mugann. Human and beastman, Newtype and Oldtype, Earthnoid and Spacenoid, Federation and Zeon, and fighters from all the different colony nations...all banded together to fend off this army of faceless invaders.

With spirits high, the Spiral gauge on the _Arc Gurren _began to climb higher and higher, with Leeron watching it intently every moment.

"Simon!" he suddenly called out. "It's time to use to combine!"

"COMBINE?!" Simon and Viral exclaimed in befuddled unison. But before they could do anything else, two gigantic Mugan, one red and one blue, suddenly surrounded both mech and ship, and trapped them inside their caged bodies before unleashing a deadly current of energy.

The Spiral-powered ship started shaking as the energy lashed out at it, draining its shield energy.

"Damn it all..." Rossiu grunted. "The _Arc Gurren _won't last much longer..."

"Rossiu, what did I...say before?!" Simon cried through grunts of pain. "We...CAN'T give up! Whenever we've been caught in a pinch, we've always managed to hold out! Just like when we hijacked the Dai-Gurren and took down Teppelin! That's right...every time...we snatched victory from the jaws of defeat...and we'll keep doing...NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES!"

Simon let out another massive burst of Spiral Power.

"It's never a dull moment with you, Simon!"

Viral, despite being a Beastman, somehow managed to generate a similar amount of energy from his fighting spirit. With a hot-blooded cry, Gurren Lagann's legs suddenly transformed into a gigantic drill and rocketed straight towards the _Arc Gurren_.

"He's actually going to ram into it?!" Char exclaimed. "That's insane?!"

"Hey-hey-hey, move it, clear a path!" Kittan cried. Those nearby quickly scooted out of Gurren Lagann's path.

To everyone who wasn't familiar with Team Dai-Gurren's antics, watching the massive drill slam into the _Arc Gurren _was pure nonsense. But instead of doing the logical thing and exploding, the ship instead received a gigantic dose of Spiral Energy.

"We're receiving a signal for...transformation?" one of the operators said, stupefied by everything that was going on.

"Residential areas are safe! All systems are go!" another operator called out excitedly.

"Simon! We're all set!" Leeron said with great anticipation; "Let's do it!"

Suddenly, the ship began to change shape - arms burst out of the Arc Gurren's engines, while the nose of the ship turned into a pair of legs, and the main body of the ship formed the torso. The point where Gurren Lagann attached was suddenly enclosed by a massive set of jaws, belonging to an even larger face. Gurren Lagann itself now sat at a cockpit similar to Viral's. The whole machine now towered over everything else DREAM had in its arsenal, even the _Ra _Calium.

**"Smashing through both karma and fate!"**

**"The screams of life echo across the galaxy!"**

**"RAGING WAVE COMBINATION! ARC GURREN LAGANN!"**

The resulting combination blasted both gigantic Mugan apart.

"Can someone please explain what just happened?!" Haman cried out in disbelief. "This makes absolutely no sense!"

"Rule number one of Spiral Power, Haman Khan," Judau answered with a near impish glee. "When something is 'impossible' it only means you're not giving it your all!"

Meanwhile, the two gigantic Mugann then began to combine their parts as well, creating an even larger foe. But in response, the newly formed Arc Gurren Lagann simply stretched its neck a bit and raising its fists like a boxer.

"Bring it!" Simon cried eagerly as the super-sized Gunman generated a green power aura. The enemy Mugan charged, spinning like a buzzsaw.

"ARC GURREN LAGANN...FULL POWER!"

The battleship-turned-mech rushed forward, and Simon wound up for a massive blow. The two foes smashed into each other with incredible force, sufficient to sent ripples through the very fabric of spacetime. They began to push against each other, and neither seemed able to push the other away.

Of course, Arc Gurren Lagann still had a free hand, which the digger charged up with even more energy.

"HAVE A TASTE OF OUR** SPACETIME SHATTERING..."**

**"BURST SPINNING..."**

**"PUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNCHIE!"**

Arc Gurren Lagann's fist struck with such force that it sent the combined Mugann spinning away. But suddenly, it paused as if it hit something...causing several cracks to form in the void, like a ball hitting a glass window. Then, the cracks blew open, creating a hole exposing a strange orange void, and sending the Mugann whizzing through before it exploded spectacularly.

Even the non Team Dai-Gurren members of DREAM who were willing to suspend their disbelief couldn't keep their jaws from dropping open at this sight.

"Simon..."Amuro said, finally catching his breath.

"What's up, Amuro?"

"Let me see if I can get what just happened. You just punched that thing so hard that it struck nothingness..."

"Sure looks like it," Simon said.

"And then the NOTHINGNESS BROKE?"

"That's a hole in the spacetime continuum if I ever saw one," Leeron quipped. Thankfully, the hole quickly began to close as the quantum foam reconnected.

But this act, which completely kicked all known physics in the face, seemed to truly anger the moon, and its speed began to increase.

"The moon's descent is accelerating!" one of the operators aboard Arc Gurren Laganncried. "It'll collide with Earth in two hours at its current speed!"

"Simon, can you stop it?!" Rossiu cried.

"Gimme a sec to rest, okay?" the digger replied somewhat, somewhat annoyed. "I'm not a god, just Simon the Digger!"

* * *

The massive blast of Spiral Power spread all the way to the Earth...even to the volcanic island where Shin Dragon was sleeping.

Go, Kei and Gai, who had been sleeping there since the day before, suddenly awakened when this burst of energy reached them. Shin Dragon also seemed to shake as well.

"Huh? Wh-what's g-g-going on?" Kei stammered as her cockpit vibrated from the quaking.

"Shin Dragon's true awakening has begun," Go said. "Its awakening as a savior."

* * *

"Wait a minute..." an operator on the _Arc Gurren _called out. "I'm detecting a huge energy signature rising from the Earth...it seems to have originated on the volcanic island near Neo Hong Kong..."

Suddenly, something that towered over even Arc Gurren Lagann pierced the atmosphere and reached orbit - Shin Dragon, awakened once more.

Its shape had changed even more than its previous evolution. Shin Dragon now resembled a great serpentine dragon with a barrel-shaped mass in the center, which had the upper body of an immense Getter Dragon on top of it. Inside it were Go, Kei and Gai, having spent sufficient time bonding and synchronizing with the once-corrupted what truly was amazing was its size - its overall length was equal that of Axis itself! Which was saying something, considering that the next largest thing Earth's defenders had was Arc Gurren Lagann, which wasn't even a mile long.

"Dad...everyone!" Kei called out.

"We're baaaaack!" Gai said loudly and excitedly.

"Kei! Gai!" Benkei said, both shocked and elated to hear their voices again.

But Shin Dragon wasn't done showing off its power. The dragon head opened its mouth and began charging a green blast. Seeing this, DREAM and its allies wasted no time in getting out of the line of fire.

Go took a deep breath.

**"GETTER BEEEEEAAAM!"**

Shin Dragon unleashed an incredibly strong Getter Beam from its dragon mouth, which struck the moon dead on. What was more, the beam struck with such force that it not only blew a huge hole in the moon's crust, but actually slowed it down enough to bring its descent to a halt, which allows Arc Gurren Lagann to start pushing it back into an orbit.

"Go, my man! That was incredible!" Kittan whooped.

"And we just watched Simon punch a Mugan hard enough to break a hole in the spacetime continuum," Leeron added. "So that's saying something!"

"Yeah, quit stealing my thunder!" Simon quipped.

"I'm sorry," Go replied.

"I'm just kidding, pal," Simon said with a laugh. "I owe you big time."

"We're not out of the woods yet," Kei said. "Look!"

Indeed, something was happening to the moon - it was turning as black as death, and with four maroon lines running across its two equators. It then began to fold back on itself, until something new formed - a Gunman whose height was nearly that of the Earth itself from one pole to the other. Its body was sleek, yet bulky and powerful, and a gigantic drill-like cone extended from each of its shoulders. On its torso was a ghoulish face even more disturbing than that of the moon's...but what was most jarring was its main head - Simon and Viral recognized it as that of Lordgenome's personal Gunman - the Lazengann.

The Londo Bell members and Neo-Zeon troops were understandably terrified - they were up against a foe that was on the same scale as the Earth. What could they accomplish against an enemy of that size? Even the normally unflappable Ryoma started to feel a little uneasy.

"Lordgenome...what the hell is that thing?!" Amuro exclaimed.

"That is the true form of the Human Extermination System - my interstellar warship, Cathedral Lazengann."

Seeing that it wasn't intimidating DREAM and its allies enough, Cathedral Lazengann actually attacked.

Numerous beam cannons, each as powerful as the infamous Colony Laser, fired straight at Earth's defenders. But then Arc Gurren Lagann and Shin Dragon got in between the beams and their allies. The former extended a large drill, and the latter pulled out a pair of tomahawks and held them together like a shield.

"Is everyone okay?!" Go called out.

"Guys, we can't chicken out now!" Simon then cried as the beams were explosively dispersed. "This guy's all big and no show! Remember, we beat a guy WAY bigger than this!"

"You mean the Z-Master?" Janus said uneasily. "But the only ones here who faced it before were the two Getter Teams, Team Dai-Gurren, and us...and we had **THE POWER **to help us!"

Suddenly, one of the massive Gunman's hands grabbed both Arc Gurren Lagann and Shin Dragon. Its other hand clenched into a fist and started to slowly punch the Earth.

"Simon!" Darry cried.

"No...Kei!" Benkei wailed.

"Guys...this thing is trying to punch the Earth!" Janus called out. He rushed over to Cathedral Lazengann's other hand, and started to push against it. Amuro, seeing that his ally needed help, flew over toward the descending fist.

"Amuro, what are you doing?!" Char called out.

"What do you think? I'll show this monster that Hi Nu Gundam isn't just for show!"

Concentrating all of the power he could into his mech's Psychoframe, he too begin to put everything into stopping Cathedral Lazengann's fist.

"Guys!" Domon called out to Rain and the other Shuffle Alliance members. "Let's help 'em out! The Earth is our home, too!"

The Shuffle Alliance and Rain followed Amuro's lead. In turn, each of the Gundam Fighters, Londo Bell troops and members of DREAM followed suit, each pushing their machines to their limit to protect the Earth, including the Turn A and SUMO Gold.

Then, other mobile suits began to appear - Lunar Kingdom mobile suits. Finally, the source of these suits came into view - the Lunar Kingdom itself. The various domes, bound together by cables, were safely floating through the void of space.

"Harry..." Loran exclaimed, even as he strained to help slow down Cathedral Lazengann's fist. "You never told me...that the Lunar Kingdom itself was...capable of space flight!"

"The Soreil family didn't maintain their rule for generations without thinking of the people!" Dianna replied. "Harry, Loran, and fellow Lunar Defenses Forces, give it everything you have!"

"Char...let's help them as well," Haman said as they watched the struggling mech pilots push on the fist; "These Anti-Spirals would destroy us all, both Earthnoid and Spacenoid. We can't let them have their way!"

With that, her Quebley flew off. Moved by this display, the Neo-Zeon troops also began to pile in and do the same thing. Char sighed as he too flew the Nightingale to help out.

* * *

While all this was happening outside, Arc Gurren Lagann and Shin Dragon were trapped inside the grip of the moon-sized Gunman. Go tried firing a Getter Beam from Shin Dragon's head, but to no avail. Simon, as always, had the right idea of how to get out. Its drill arm pierced Cathedral Lazengann's fist and blasted a hole out of it.

"Go, leave this one to me!" Kei said, getting what Simon just did. "CHANGE...SHIN LIGER!"

Shin Dragon began to change - its dragon head spun around and transformed into a drill, while a pair of long wings extended out of its back, and a pair of useless legs extended from the bottom. The upper body of Getter Dragon changed to the head of Getter Liger.

"Don't think you can defeat us so easily...DRILL HURRICAAAANE!"

* * *

Cathedral Lazengann's fist vibrated wildly as Shin Dragon burrowed out of it violently, and when it did reach the surface, the entire hand broke apart. They then noticed that everyone had gathered to stop Cathedral Lazengann's other hand. The explosion had jarred the menace a little, allowing the combined strength of their allies to start pushing it back for a moment, only for the monstrous Gunman to renew its effort.

"Emergency situation," Lordgenome said. "I suggest we perform a forced entry into Cathedral Lazengann's computer core."

"What?! You mean hack into it?" Rossiu exclaimed.

Kei...Gai..." Go said as Shin Liger turned toward the hand. "We shall aid the others."

"Let me have a whirl!" Gai said eagerly. "CHANGE...SHIN POSEIDON!"

Shin Liger began to change. Its body turned sideways as two treaded legs stuck out from the bottom, while the drill and boosters changed into a huge hand and a spiked club arm, while the head of a Getter Poseidon popped out of the top.

"LET'S GO, SHIN POSEIDON!"

The Getter rushed toward the hand, while Arc Gurren Lagann followed suit. Go and Kei winced as they saw pieces of some grunt suits, destroyed by the heat of reentry, disperse into the atmosphere.

"Everyone clear out! Leave this to Shin Poseidon!"

As he and everyone else cleared out, Janus got a call from Lordgenome.

"Janus Olendra, I would have the assistance of your android co-pilot. Searching for the data necessary in the small amount of time we have to avoid impact may require more computing power than I alone can muster."

"Xengar, help him. It looks like everything else is under control."

"Understood! I am ready, Lordgenome!"

Simultaneously, both Lordgenome and Xengar's heads let out hot-blooded cries as they forcefully tried to hack into Cathedral Lazengann's circuits. However, Lordgenome, being organic, smacked his face into the glass surrounding him.

* * *

"...HACKING!"

Both ships got a view of the action inside the computer circuit, where Xengar and Lordgenome manifested as blocky 3D models.

"Lordgenome, which way to do we go?"

"Hmmm...you go that way, I'll go this way. We shall meet back here as soon as one of us finds the data required."

"Understood!"

The two blocky men charged in opposite directions, each heading up one of the many circuits leading to Cathedral Lazengann's computer core. Numerous purple firewalls, which served as the computer's defenses, got in their way. But the two super-powerful computers simply brute-forced through each firewall, as they made their way toward a gigantic, blocky purple sphere.

Lordgenome reached a purple hallway with numerous doorways. He darted between each of them, looking for the one that housed the data. Soon, he found one with a password-protect file, which manifested as a locked box. Lordgenome whipped out a green key and tried to fit in the lock.

No good.

Of course, that wasn't going to stop him. Lordgenome again brute-forced his way in, and smashed the box by banging it on the floor, revealing a glowing red sphere. He picked up the sphere and ate it, before suddenly becoming comically buff. He then darted back to the spawning point.

"Xengar, I have found the required data. Let us return."

"Wait a moment, please...I've found some other data we should probably see once this is all over!"

Xengar soon appeared, even more comically buff than Lordgenome - to the point where it looked he couldn't even move his arms...

* * *

Lordgenome's physical form reactivated, and was smiling smugly.

"Analysis complete."

Numerous projections of Cathedral Lazengann's blueprints started showing up all over Arc Gurren Lagann's bridge.

"You must insert Spiral Energy here," the biocomputer explained. "Then the moon shall become controllable."

"We can control this huge thing?!" Simon exclaimed.

"Of course. It is my weapon, after all," Lordgenome replied somewhat proudly.

"Then let's do it!" Viral said. "After all, Gunman stealing is your specialty, Simon."

"No..." Lordgenome corrected him. "We are taking back that which belongs to us...the defender of the Earth, and of humanity!"

**"ARC GURREN LAGANN...GIGA...DRILL...BREAKEEEEER!"**

Arc Gurren Lagann drilled through Cathedral Lazengann's arm, breaking it apart as it burst forward.

* * *

Meanwhile, Xengar (once again normal-sized) returned to Janus, and projected an image of the disc.

"I found this among other interesting tidbits while searching through Cathedral Lazengann's databanks. It appears that the disc you possess contains a program that activates the main programming within unawakened Anti-Spiral messengers. However, it seems that its exposure to Spiral Energy and to the TZIM seems to have completely reversed the program."

A light bulb went on in Janus' head.

"So...we might be able to get Nia back! C'mon, let's catch up to Simon!"

Granlif opened a portal and dove in.

* * *

Both Granlif Yggdrasil and Arc Gurren Lagann reached a central chamber at the same time. It was a cyan color, just like the cockpit of the former, with a wide circular indentation that would perfectly fit a drill the latter could manifest.

They also noticed that someone was hovering in the way - Nia.

"Wait, Simon!" Janus cried. "Nia's in there! If you keep going, you'll drill her to bits!"

"I don't care!" Simon bellowed. "I'll take anything and anyone down for the sake of protecting humankind!" Arc Gurren Lagann pulled it hand back, then started to thrust it in.

But at the very last possible moment, the machine halted its advance, with the tip of its drill millimeters from Nia's neck.

"So...that's your limit?" Nia said in a monotone that mocked him all the same. "You hesitate to kill me? You humans deceive yourselves by calling that hesitation 'love'. However, this hesitation shall lead to the demise of your species. Your resistance ends here."

"No...you're the one who's hesitating, Nia," Simon said suddenly, unfazed by Nia's words.

Nia scowled. "You idiot...my creator could..."

"Then why are you still wearing that ring?!"

Nia gasped and gazed down and her left hand. Sure enough, on her ring finger was the very bauble that Simon had proposed to her with.

Inside Granlif, the disc began to shine more brilliantly, as if reacting to the ring's presence.

"That ring...it's your will," Simon continued; "Your desire to not throw the past away."

"Yes...now I understand. Putting you here was a trap to make me fall into absolute despair. But you...you prevented that. I also understand...that all this time, you've been crying out for help."

Nia's left eye began twitching, as the person she was before she became the Anti-Spiral's messenger was fighting to regain herself.

"Every time you appeared, you were screaming for me to help you, even as you fought with everything you had."

Simon smiled.

"I'm sorry I didn't hear your cries before, Nia. But now, I'm going to grab on to your future with my own two hands!"

Arc Gurren Lagann pulled its drill arm back.

"And so...Nia, I beg of you, PLEASE MOVE!"

Arc Gurren Lagann jammed the drill into the socket that would allow him to control the moon as everyone else averted their gaze, fearing what might happen.

To everyone's relief, Nia had moved out of the way.

* * *

No sooner did Simon jam Gurren Lagann's drill into Cathedral Lazengann's hole than did it undergo a new change. The gigantic menace began to fold up some more, transforming into a colossal warship the size of the moon with a normal Gunman face on it. It then began to ascend back to the moon's normal orbit.

Outside, all of the people involved in the battle, as well as those watching from on Earth, began to cheer wildly. Their world was saved.

* * *

Arc Gurren Lagann opened its mouth, letting Gurren Lagann out, and in turn, Simon stood up while Gurren Lagann's cockpit was open. Janus opened a Threshold so he could get a better view. The disc now began pulsing even faster, although still silently.

Simon smiled warmly as he met the cold gaze of Nia's with his own.

"Thank you, Nia."

"All you have done is delay the inevitable," Nia replied. "Now that the Human Extermination System has been terminated, the Anti-Spiral's main forces will come to this galaxy and lay siege to the Earth, as will the forces of my creator."

"So...the fight still continues," Viral mumbled.

"I will be summoned back to the Anti-Spiral homeworld," Nia continued, "For the data gathered here to be analyzed..."

"Sorry, not happening." Janus interrupted.

Nia looked straight at the confident young man.

"And why should I obey you, reject?"

Janus responded by holding up the disc, which had been pulsing rapidly. As soon as it was focused on Nia, it emitted a powerful, spiraling energy beam. Nia put her hands up to block the beam, but it only exposed its true target - her ring. Struck dead on by the beam, Nia's ring channeled the Spiral Energy into her, overpowering the hold the Anti-Spirals had on her.

Thinking quickly, Viral moved Gurren Lagann closer, just as Nia began to fall, which momentarily knocked Simon off balance. The main pilot of the robot managed to regain his footing quickly enough to catch the girl.

Just as she began to fall, the disc that Janus had held on to for so long crumbled to dust, its purpose fulfilled.

When Nia opened her eyes again, Simon could see that their old sparkle had returned.

"Wh...where am I?" Nia murmured as she started to come around.

Simon felt tears of absolute joy start to run down his face and he smiled wider than he ever did in his whole life.

"Nia..."

The girl with multicolored hair looked at him, and instantly her weary expression disappeared, replaced by one of absolute joy. She embraced him hard.

"Simon! I knew you'd come to rescue me! I believed and believed, and my wish came true!"

"C'mon, everybody," Simon said. "Let's take Nia home."

Simon and Nia sat back inside Lagann's cockpit, which then Gurren Lagann back into Arc Gurren Lagann's mouth. Granlif opened up a large portal for the massive Gunman to leave through...

* * *

_And that concludes the Janus portion of the route split. Next time, the routes rejoin, and some more plot dumping! Stay tuned!_


	100. Interlude 7

_Wow. 100 chapters. I never imagined I'd be going at this fic for so long. Seeing as we're getting close to the end, I might actually finish this project! Anyway, I'd appreciate it if you guys would write reviews, as I REALLY like getting your feedback. You can go ahead and tell me how you liked the story up to now in your review as well. _

* * *

**Interlude 7 – The Trials Ahead**

The combined death toll of that day's events were frighteningly high - in the span of a few hours, twenty-five million people were wiped out, and a third of the Tokyo Settlement had been reduced to a smoldering crater. Even the fact that Guy and Mikoto were okay after the whole mess was little consolation for the catastrophic loss of life.

But at the same time, it proved to be a grand opportunity for the U.F.N. to assert itself on the world stage. In all of their usual due haste, GGG sped onto the scene. While many structures surrounding ground zero of Third Impact could be repaired by the Carpenters, those destroyed by the F.L.E.I.J.A. could not, since they were completely vaporized.

Meanwhile, on pleas from their representatives, people from the U.F.N.'s member countries gave what they could to those who had lost their homes. And just as before, people from all around Area 11, both Britannian and Japanese, gathered in and around Ashford Academy to obtain these much needed supplies. And just as before, Guy and Mikoto were there, handing out the supplies. But Guy could clearly see that his beloved was very nervous about doing this. After all, it was because of her that so many people lost homes, livelihoods and family members.

"Mikoto...if this is too hard for you, then you can go ahead and head back. I've got things covered."

The GGG operator shook her head. She would stay and do whatever she could to make amends, even if no one knew she was likely the cause of their misery.

As it so happened, two familiar faces appeared in the line - the same woman and her son from the year before, after EI-01's attack. This time, he was carrying a GaoFighGar figurine.

"Oh...hello, Mr. Shishioh. I didn't think I'd be seeing you again under these circumstances, especially only a year after that day."

"Don't be embarrassed, ma'am. There are plenty of people here in the same boat as you, and we at GGG want to do everything in our power to speed along the recovery process."

"It won't be so easy this time...that horrific light consumed my entire home! Happily, our family was out in the countryside at the time."

The boy, meanwhile, pressed a button on his GaoFighGar toy, sending one of its fists flying straight at Mikoto; and this time, Guy was too far away to catch it.

But without even fully realizing it, Mikoto raised her hand and caught the plastic projectile mid-flight even as she handed a basket to another person.

* * *

Prince Clovis couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the final pictures from the Geass Order's security cameras that his agents had sent him - he saw Tahra, his greatest treasure in this otherwise empty and pointless world, conspiring with his own little brother in the ruins!

Tahra had betrayed him...no, used him! All this time, she had played the entire royal family like a fiddle, up to and including his father, all for the sake of his misguided little brother's plan. For Lelouch, she had turned Euphemia against Britannia and destroyed the Geass Order. In all likelihood, the fact that Britannia was in chaos was probably due to her.

"This...this is the price of attachment you spoke of, isn't it, Rau?" Clovis thought out loud. "You become blind to the flaws of the one you adore, and allow them your deepest, darkest secrets, for them to use as they see fit..."

Clovis started laughing. How could he have been such a fool to place trust in anyone! He should have realized that when he got word of Lelouch's impending betrayal. Indeed, it was such attachments that brought ruin upon their house more than once.

The prince composed himself, then picked up his phone and dialed a number. One of his agents answered the call.

"Yes, my lord?"

"Tell me...how far along is Damocles?"

"Construction is on schedule, my lord, but there is still the matter of producing its armaments. Obtaining materials for more N-Jammer Cancelers is suddenly proving difficult."

"Continue to monitor its progress. I can't have Schneizel getting too suspicious. I'll speak with my associate in ZAFT."

* * *

In Janus' world, Kurogane House was one big non-stop party. Even though the Hakkeshu and Dr. Hell still remained on Earth, and the Anti-Spiral were mostly likely on their way, there was still time for everyone to celebrate their hard-earned victories, and to the promise of an ultimate conclusion to the long feud between the Federation and Zeon. Sake and beer was drunk, songs were sung, games were played, and fun was had.

But soon evening came, and many people were off to bed to prepare for the journey to Tara's world. Of course, Janus found himself unable to sleep, especially considering all he had found out. He sat outside, his aching feet dipped in a small tub of water from the hot spring as he looked up at the stars and the massive battleship that was once the moon.

Nia, who was also still awake, found the young man and sat down next to him.

"Hello, Janus."

"Miss Nia...you're still awake. Shouldn't you be with Simon?"

"I just want to meet the young man who he was so impressed with...to think that it was the boy who my father kept in that tube for all those years, and that Simon freed."

"Nia...I don't remember that moment at all. Do you remember?"

"Yes...I do. After my father passed on..."

* * *

_"Nia, where are you taking us?"_

_"C'mon, Simon, we're almost there!"_

_"You said that twenty minutes ago."_

_"..."_

_"Here we are!"_

_"It looks like...a kid. What the heck was Lordgenome doing with a kid in a tube?"_

_"He's kinda cute."_

_"I don't know, but he must be terribly lonely. Please, can you free him, Simon? I know you can!"_

_"Looks like my Core Drill can fit here. Okay, here I go!"_

_"Whoa, careful...I got him...whoa!"_

_"Mmm...cozy..."_

* * *

"So that's why I had that huge crush on Yoko!" Janus laughed. "Man, what a way to wake up!"

"Yes, Boota was quite angry that you had invaded his favorite spot," Nia giggled. "I don't suppose you still like her?"

"Yeah...but not in that way," Janus replied. "I guess it's because I've found that special someone already."

"Oh, that's right!" Nia said, clasping her hands as she remembered. "I can't wait to meet her!"

"...Say what?"

"I'm going to be coming with you and Simon," Nia explained. "I want to see it for myself...the beautiful Earth that Simon told me all about...oh, and apparently Boota is coming this time around."

As if mentioning its name had summoned him, the pig-mole suddenly scuttled into view. He hopped up the chair and landed in Janus' lap.

"Oh my, Boota's come to visit; That's unusual. He must have forgiven you."

But the pig-mole's visit was anything but friendly. It immediately jumped straight up at Janus' face, opened its mouth and bit down on his nose as hard as it could.

"Ow! Whada 'ell?" Janus cried as he leaped out of his chair. "BY DOZE! ITS GOT BY DOZE!"

"Oh my...I guess he's still angry about it," Nia said with an awkward laugh.

* * *

Misato wanted answers, and she wanted them pronto. Everything that had just transpired made her nagging doubts about NERV impossible to ignore. And only Mari, the pilot of Evangelion Unit 08, could answer her questions; Questions like...

"...What happened to Shinji and Rei?! How was Unit 02 was able to remove its limiters?! What the hell is the Human Instrumentality Project?! What does that giant in Terminal Dogma have to do with..."

"Calm down, girl," Mari said, rather intimidated by Misato's raging demands. "Let's take this one step at a time. Let's start with 'Just who the hell are you, really' and 'Where did you and the _Wunder _really come from'. You cool with that?"

"Fine. I guess that makes sense. But spare me the minor details. Just give me the important stuff."

"Okay, but you still might want to get some snacks and a beer because this is going to take a while."

* * *

_As you probably guessed, I, Mari Illustrious Makanami, arrived at the place you found me from another reality's Earth. _

_I was chosen as a pilot and trained for a while, then sent to Japan covertly and joined NERV there. I didn't get to do much until the Tenth Angel showed up. Unit 01, under the influence of the Dummy System, ended up nearly killing Asuka, though she managed to recover, though she had to wear an eye-patch for the rest of her life._

_That left me to pilot Unit 02. Having dug around NERV's files, I found out about the backdoor code that removed its limiters and destroyed its humanity. It went about as well as it did this time around. Then Shinji comes back and...well, you know the rest._

_Anyway, when the Lance of Longinus pierced Unit 01, it sealed Shinji inside the core._

_FOR FOURTEEN YEARS._

_In that timespan, everything goes to hell in a handbasket, and you, me, Asuka, and some other survivors form WILLE, a group create to combat the influence of NERV in a post-Third Impact world. Not surprisingly, our merry band was pretty small, and we all lived together on the Wunder. Meanwhile, Asuka and I don't age a day because apparently EVA plus LCL multipled by time equals Fountain of Youth._

_So eventually, we find Ikari, and...well...stuff happens that would take too long to explain...and Fourth Impact happens as result of him being a moron and having his new Evangelion, Unit 13 absorb ANOTHER Angel! But without any surprise spears to stop him, the world gets __**completely annihilated**__ when the thing opens a freaking gigantic portal that sucks me and the Wunder up and spits us out in another reality. I was stuck there for a long time before the Nadesico happens to come along._

* * *

"That's my story," Mari concluded, "And I'm sticking to it."

"You've been through a lot for a fourteen-year-old," Misato said, awed by the story she had just heard.

"Physically, I'm fourteen," Mari corrected her; "But mentally, I'm twenty-eight. So that makes ME your elder, Misato, and you're always supposed to listen t-"

"Can it, twerp," the NERV officer said with a leer. "Just tell me how you got Shinji out of Unit 01's core."

"I never really figured it out myself, but I bet if we dig around SEELE's files, we may find an answer."

"...SEELE?"

Mari sighed. "Well, you better get some more snacks..."

* * *

"Lord Char...you're going with them to the other universe?" Haman exclaimed when Char told her his plans. They were back aboard a Zeon battleship, which had been allowed to dock at the Neo Hong Kong spaceport.

"I have to see for myself whether Amuro and Kamille's allies are truly the people those two say they are," Char replied. "Besides, you would not fit in very well in that group, and you're better at dealing with politicians than I am."

"You're far too modest, Lord Char," Haman said with a chuckle.

"Remember to keep our ideals in mind during the negotiations but don't be controlled by them. We cannot allow those with ulterior motives to use them to their advantage like Wong Yunfat did."

Haman nodded. This was the Char she had fallen in love with back then...the son of Zeon Zum Deikun, the man whose vision she had fought for from the very beginning. It was like the idealism that Judau always brought out was returning for real this time, and it felt good.

"I understand," the Newtype pilot said with a hint of enthusiasm. "Shall I have our men prepare the Hyaku Shiki?"

"Not this time," the leader of Neo-Zeon said. "I see no need to hide my identity in the other world. Besides, I may need the power of the Nightingale."

Char paused and smiled a bit when he noticed the change in Haman's behavior.

"Haman...have you ever thought about putting your hair in pigtails again?"

* * *

After jumping through a Threshold, the _Ra Calium_ and _Arc Gurren _(now cleared of the evacuees it once carried) reappeared just outside Macross with Domon's fellow Shuffle Alliance members, Master Asia, Allenby, and Char making their first trip across a Threshold. This was also the first trip to another universe for the majority of Team Dai-Gurren - only Rossiu remained behind, since he had to govern Kamina City.

It happened that the _Nadesico, Archangel, Ikaruga, Wunder _and _Eternal_ were getting ready to dock at Macross when they showed up!

"Welcome back, Captain Noa!" Murrue said, trying her best to be cheerful in spite of the events of two days before. "I see we have another battleship helping out."

"The _Arc Gurren _is technically more of an oversized frigate," Leeron said. "It doesn't have any weaponry, though it does have a neat trick we'll show off one of these days."

"Too bad Go, Kei and Gai couldn't come along with Shin Dragons," Simon commented. "I would have liked to have something like that on our side."

"Go has his reasons for staying behind," Benkei said. "I suspect he'll be keeping an eye on the stars. We don't know what the Invaders might try."

* * *

Digging. This is what his emperor had consigned him to. For Deathgaia, this was the deepest of humiliations. With the humans celebrating their victories over the other interlopers and DREAM back in the world where the Cyber Beast Force lived, the Muge Zolbados Empire was able to send its troops to retrieve two certain people it needed for its conquest.

Of course, Deathgaia didn't do any of the work himself - he merely sat around, reading through some intelligence Gildrome and Helmut had managed to gather while Muge Empire soldiers used all sort of earth-moving and rock-breaking equipment to dig deeper and deeper into the crater. Thanks to Muge's increased power, now he could send his own front line troops in rather than rely on the domesticated Invaders. To all the world, they looked like an ordinary construction team, thanks to the illusion-creating dome that kept their true nature hidden.

"Why would His Majesty not attack now?" he thought out loud. "The universe-crossing ships have left! This would be a perfect opportunity to strike!" Grinning, he decided to take advantage of the opening.

He leaned forward and started up the engines on his Death Grome, his personal machine. His men would behave well enough on their own. The machine started up, and the Muge General slowly began to lift off and head towards Neo Hong Kong.

"Pathetic human worms...without your little heroes, you're no match for..."

Suddenly, from out of the heavens, a great pink beam issued forth and struck the Death Grome dead on. The sturdy machine was barely able to survive, but it was starting to tumble down toward the ground. It struck the volcanic rock with a great crash, but the machine didn't explode.

For the first time since he arrived, the Muge general looked up and saw what had just fired on him:

The Cathedral Terra.

"Oh...that's why His Majesty didn't want us to attack..."

* * *

"That's wonderful news!" Yurika said happily when she and the other captains (along with Lacus) heard about everything that had transpired in the Ruined World from Bright, Amuro and Simon. "I'm so glad you don't have to worry about the moon or the Devil Gundam anymore!"

"And the fact that the Federation and Neo-Zeon are willing to sit down to negotiate is comforting as well," Lacus added. "It makes me hopeful that the conflict here can be resolved without war."

"I have my most trusted associate working on that," Char commented; "I would have taken part myself, but the chance to travel to another universe was one I simply couldn't pass up."

"Wait...you're Char Aznable?" Yurika exclaimed. "For some reason, I imagined you'd be wearing a mask...or at least sunglasses."

Char couldn't help but be amused by Yurika's innocence and perceptiveness. It was certainly going to be an interesting experience in this new world, so similar, yet so different to his own.

"Back to the matter at hand," Amuro chimed in; "Let's hear what happened on this side since we split up..."

* * *

"BASARA'S BEEN KIDNAPPED?!" Tara cried when she heard the news from Gamlin and Mylene. "Why the hell didn't you go after him?! You could have told us too, ya know!"

"Basara always had a habit of going off into space on his own without telling anyone," Mylene explained. "So when he went missing, my papa and I assumed he'd return on his own good time."

"It's only when Docker found Basara's Variable Fighter still in the hangar that we realized what had happened," Gamlin continued. "Thankfully, Exedol was able to figure out where he was taken."

"Where?" Tara asked.

"Mars," Gamlin answered thoughtfully; "And I think I know why. Mylene, did your mother ever tell you about the Zentradi's forebears?"

"Oh...yes, she told me in some of her bedtime stories!" the bassist replied. "But my papa calls them the Protoculture."

"Protoculture?" Tara said, curious about this. She had heard nothing about it from her first visit to Macross.

"Yes...they were the first life forms in the universe that we know of to have developed a civilization of any kind," Gamlin explained. "They progressed much like human civilization did - they mastered agriculture, metal-working, and other such important skills. Before long, they learned how to travel into space, and soon dominated the galaxy."

"So what does that have to do with Mars?" Tara then asked.

"It's just a theory, but Exedol, Captain Jenius and myself all believe that the ruins on Mars where HyoRyu and EnRyu of GGG ended up may in fact be related to the Protoculture."

"And according to the stories," Mylene then said, "the Protodevlin and Zentradi races are like two sides of the same coin - they are opposite in nature, but are linked together by their origin. But regardless, if they're on Mars, then we don't have to go very far to save Basara!"

Tara grinned. "Yeah...we'll have him back in no time!"

* * *

Basara sat in his prison cell in Gepelnitch's icy lair, pondering his situation.

Metatron tried to do everything he could to draw out the rock star's Anima Spiritia powers, but to no avail. Not surprising, since if Basara lacked both the proper mood and tools, he couldn't generate Spiritia at all. When his efforts failed, the leader of Atik Yomin returned him to Gepelnitch's fortress on Mars, where he had been staying since.

To his surprise, his imprisonment by the Protodevlin was not nearly as miserable as he feared it would be. While he hadn't been outside of the lair in weeks, he was kept well-fed and amused by his captors He was even allowed to wander Gepelnitch's lair under close supervision. And it was usually Sivil, the Protodevlin who had captured him in the first place, that was the one who accompanied him.

"Basara."

He looked up and saw the Protodevlin in question standing there.

"Oh...hey there," he said pleasantly. Sivil wasn't exactly a conversationalist, but he didn't mind having someone to talk to, even if they didn't answer back.

Sivil opened the door to his cell.

"Lord Gepelnitch calls you," she said. "Follow me."

Basara followed Sivil through the wintry palace, which was somehow a rather comfortable temperature in spite of it being made almost entirely of ice. Of course, Basara was the key to their Spiritia Farm, and he would be completely useless to them if he was dead.

Sivil led him to a grand throne room where Gepelnitch sat on his icy throne. Basara noticed what looked like an acoustic guitar leaning against the throne. How they managed to get their hands on one of those was a question the singer would consider another time.

"Anima Spiritia. It is time we revealed to you why we have kept you here. Gavil!"

"Lord Gepelnitch?" the white-haired Protodevlin asked respectfully.

"Fetch the test subject."

The white-haired Protodevlin disappeared through a doorway, and came out seconds later with a person. Basara recognized the uniform the man wore as belonging to one of the Martian Successors, whom he had seen the Protodevlin bring in from time to time.

"Now, we shall test." the Protodevlin's leader proclaimed. "Sivil, Gavil...you may feed, but keep him alive."

Gavil and Sivil licked their lips with anticipation and opened their mouths, extending tendrils of shadow from the mouths and fingers into the terrified Jovian's body. Basara watched in horror as the man seemed to wither slowly as the two Protodevlin began to suck his Spiritia out. But just as it looked like the test subject was about to expire, the two removed their tendrils.

Gepelnitch then picked up the guitar, handed it to Gavil, who then handed it to Basara.

"Now...sing!"

Basara, desperate to save the man's life, started to play an acoustic version of Holy Lonely Light. Sure enough, he began to emanate Spiritia, and the Jovian slowly came back to life. Gavil and Sivil strained a bit as they tried to resist the effects of Basara's singing. However, Gepelnitch seemed to suffer no ill effects. The amount of Anima Spiritia energy that Basara was generating was insufficient to harm him.

"It has worked exactly as we have calculated!" Gepelnitch boomed. "Now we can prepare the Spiritia Farm!"

"Spiritia Farm?!" Basara exclaimed, not liking the sound of that at all.

"Yes. A Spiritia Farm. It is to prevent a great disaster we inadvertently caused from occurring again; one that would consume the universe from the inside out if left unchecked..."

* * *

Janus stood in a hallway with a window overlooking one of the labs, watching Liger and Leo Shishioh run tests on Unit 01's core, to determine possible ways of getting Shinji (and possibly Rei) out and back into a material form. GGG was quick to secure the core of Unit 01 before NERV could, especially since Taiga suspected that Gendo was up to something.

"Hey, Jan," a voice he had missed greatly said to him. He turned in the direction of the voice, and saw Tara standing there. Almost immediately, he noticed that her body had gotten significantly more toned and fit, while she had gotten a little curvier as well.

"Hey Tara...you look great! Have you been working out?!"

"You could say that," she replied, flexing her arm a bit. "I guess all that fighting really helped my figure." She walked over to him and joined him in watching the tests.

"So, I heard Third Impact happened, and you guys kept the damage to a minimum," Janus said.

"Yeah. But Rei's trapped in there with Shinji. You're probably worried sick."

"I dunno," Janus said rather contentedly. "Something tells me she's happy in there. And if she's happy, I can't complain."

After a moment's pause, Janus turned to Tara again.

"Hey, did you ever find that girl who was pretending to be you? You know, that chick who became the Knight of Eleven?"

"Oh..." Tara suddenly said, withdrawing a little. "Um...a-about that..."

"What happened?"

"I guess you could say that she was the real me. You see, 'Tahra' had my original body. The one you were fighting alongside for a long time was just a memory given material form."

_So, she was divided too, _Janus thought.

"It all happened because Charles zi Britannia tried to rewrite my memories. In desperation to save my promise to you, I must have somehow separated from my body...how I got a material form is a question I still haven't been able to answer."

_Yeah, that's a puzzler_, Janus thought.

"Listen...Janus...I promised to be honest with you, but I really hope what I'm about to tell you doesn't affect our relationship."

"...Go ahead."

Tara sighed and took a deep breath, dreading having to say it. "Apparently my original self fell in love with and got married to a prince of Britannia during the time I was split in two."

Janus smiled, unfazed by the statement.

"So? It's not like you're still in love with him, right?" he replied; "I don't see any ring on your finger."

"...Those feelings never really went away after the merge."

Janus' smile faded.

"But you're the one I want to spend my life with...no, EVERY life with!" Tara continued, pleading with her beloved not to reject her. "Even if I was just a memory given material form, that was still me who fought with you after the Black Rebellion! Please, you have to believe me..."

Janus thought hard on this. On the one hand, he felt betrayed - she had cheated on him...gotten married to another man! But on the other, he knew Tara would never willingly do that; and on top of being honest with him...she was his everything. If he broke up with the girl, then his life would lose so much of its meaning.

Tara, however, preempted his answer. She extended her pinkie and held it out toward him.

"Let's add on to that promise," she said in a determined manner. "Let's swear that when we do find each other, we'll NEVER betray one another."

Janus smiled and wrapped his pinkie around hers, sealing the covenant. She smiled back, happy to know that her beloved still trusted her.

It was barely discernible, but the tiniest speck of doubt still remained in the heart of Granlif's pilot...

* * *

_And that's it for this interlude. Next time, we'll start chugging toward the Macross 7 and Nadesico finales! But I think there's still a little more Gundam SEED plot I'd like to cover as well..._


	101. Chapter 68

_Before we kick off the finales of Martian Successor Nadesico and Macross 7, here's some Gundam SEED plot, with a surprise involved! I'll be covering Grendizer plot before then as well!  
_

* * *

**Chapter 68 - Bound for the Red Planet! They Who Stand In The Way! **

"Stupid Shinji..." Asuka grumbled as she kicked a can whilst walking along one of the main paths on Giga Float. "That stupid, stupid...dummkopf! Why'd he have to...why did he..."

Though she tried her hardest not to show it, the pilot of Unit 02 was hit incredibly hard by Shinji's disappearance. Over their time together as fellow Evangelion pilots, she had actually grown to respect him, even consider him a friend...or perhaps more. If one knew her well, that would explain her resentment towards Rei and Nunnally.

Asuka was so caught up in her emotions that she didn't see Kira Yamato approaching her. She flailed her hands backwards, knocking a picture out of his hand.

"Ow!"

"Oh...hello, Yamato," she said as she picked up the photo, assuming her usual haughty, somewhat uncaring persona. "Who's the broad with the brats?"

"That 'broad' happens to be my biological mother, and those 'brats' are me and my sister Cagalli!" Kira replied angrily. "Give it back!"

"Hmph," Asuka said as she handed him the photo; "I guess since you're a Coordinator, you were pulled out of your mother's womb and had your fetus messed with in a test tube, huh?"

"You have a problem with that all of a sudden?"

"Of course not!" Asuka balked before assuming a proud, boastful tone. "It's just that I didn't NEED to have my genes modified to be great! I am the union of an elite egg and an elite sperm, chosen from the most exclusive sperm bank in the Earth Sphere! I graduated from college two years ago where I double-majored in nanotechnology and psychology; I was able to pilot Unit 02 perfectly without any training on my first try..."

_How ironic...she's the one who needs a shrink_, Kira thought as Asuka continued to rattle off her myriad accomplishments, many of which were dubious at best.

"Okay then...if you're so smart," the Coordinator said in an annoyed tone, his usual patience being pushed to its absolute limit by Asuka's arrogance, "Why are you in middle school?"

"I don't know...those stupid NERV people don't give me enough credit. They still think I'm a kid!"

"You are still a kid," the Freedom Gundam's pilot said, disgusted by Asuka's behavior; even Cagalli, for all of her short temper, was somewhat humble. "You're what, fourteen or fifteen?"

Asuka growled, muttered a few curse words in German, and then stormed off.

* * *

"So, it's off to Mars then?" Bright said. He and the other commanders in DREAM were discussing their next plan of action.

"Yes," Taiga said. "The Martian Successors have those stolen Q-Parts, and the Protodevlin have Basara held captive."

"Meanwhile, it's probably in our best interest to keep Unit 01's core from falling into the wrong hands," Misato added, knowing exactly whose hands she had in mind.

"It doesn't matter," Murrue said. "The point is that now's probably the best time to pay one more visit to Mars."

"I think we should split into two teams," Yurika chimed in. "We might attract too much attention if we all go together. I mean, we're eight ships strong now."

"I see..." Bright said, nodding thoughtfully. "But with four ships full of robots, we'll still be able to take on any threat that does come our way, short of multiple enemy fleets at once."

"Okay then, it's settled!" Yurika said, happy to see that her idea was well-received. "The _Archangel_, _Eternal, Ikaruga _and _Ra Calium _can go in one group, while _Arc Gurren, Wunder, Battle 7 _and _Nadesico _will make up the other."

"Works for me," Mu said. "Captain Ramius and I were thinking of making a quick stop at the Mendel Colony before we go. The _Archangel _has never gone all the way to Mars, so we should stock up."

"There?" Misato said, surprised. "Wasn't there a biohazard incident before the war that left the place a wreck?"

"I remember that event very well, Mu la Flaga," Diethard quipped. "The accident caused quite a stir, and that ensured that it survived relatively intact."

"As long as we avoid the contaminated areas of the base," Mu continued, "It should make a great place for us to set up camp."

"Then the first group will stop over at Mendel to stock up," Max said, "While the second group will head straight for Mars, and then wait in orbit until the first group arrives."

The captains continued the discussion, hammering out the details of their next move...

* * *

Dr. Hell languished inside his prison on the moon. After being consigned to twenty life sentences for his crimes, he was locked in the deepest, most secure part of the facility, he had not seen the sun in what seemed like an eternity. Already old, the scientist assumed he would die in jail, his dream unfulfilled.

But on this one particular day, Dr. Hell heard alarms blaring throughout the facility, indicating an intruder. He heard the sounds of fighting, of gunfire, and of metal cleaving flesh and bone.

Suddenly, the sound stopped.

"Are you the one known as Dr. Hell?" an echoing voice came from outside. As it always did whenever he was questioned, the Geass Lelouch cast on him kicked in.

"Yes. I am."

"Then step as far away from the door as you can for a moment."

Dr. Hell did so, and suddenly, the heavy metal door was slashed twice, causing it to crash to the floor. This allowed the scientist to get a good look at his savior - it was one of Atik Yomin's generals, Raphael. He opened a Threshold on the wall to Dr. Hell's left, then approached the scientist.

"Before we continue," the angel said; "Allow me to remove the curse which compels you to always speak the truth."

He concentrated as he laid his hand on the confused scientist's temple. Somehow, this dispelled Lelouch's Geass.

"Now, Dr. Hell...enter that portal," the angel said; "It shall take you away from here and to a place where you may begin anew."

Normally, the scientist would have been skeptical, but he figured that anywhere was better than in prison. He walked into the portal, and after a time that felt like an instant and an eternity simultaneously, he found himself in a vast underground chamber, with an army of gigantic iron giants working and mining. Dr. Hell looked around, awestruck, as he realized where he was:

On Bardos Island.

"Well, it seems you were correct...there IS another me in the other world!" said a voice that sounded almost exactly like his.

Dr. Hell turned to his left, and saw...himself. Rather, it was his Ruined World counterpart.

"Who are you?!" the Flourishing World Dr. Hell exclaimed.

"I am you, and you are me," the Ruined World Dr. Hell answered. "You have crossed the gap between universes to reach this place. I have brought you here because I require your aid."

"Alas, I can offer you nothing," his twin replied despondently. "My Mechabeast armies have been destroyed, Baron Ashura killed, and my lab laid to ruin, all because of that Koji Kabuto and his accursed friends!"

"There is something you can offer," Raphael reassured him. "Your genius."

The Flourishing World Dr. Hell grinned, realizing exactly what this whole meeting entailed.

"Very well," he said wryly. "I shall add my intellect to yours, and together we shall conquer both worlds! Is that acceptable?"

"Of course," the other Dr. Hell replied with a satisfied nod before turning on one heel and heading off in the other direction. "Now come, I must introduce you to my servants, so that they may know you are their master as much as I am."

Raphael was satisfied, and disappeared into a Threshold to report back to his own superiors...

* * *

Natarle knew she would be in command of a single ship, but not of a whole (if small) fleet of them. All the same, she sat in the captain's chair of the _Dominion_, a vessel very much like the _Archangel..._indeed, they were exactly the same in every technical way. Then again, the _Archangel_'s former XO was going up against DREAM, which she had once been a part of, and she was all too aware of the power they had.

"Tell me, how long until we reach Mendel, Captain Badguriel?" the leader of Blue Cosmos asked her in his usual genteel way, interrupting Natarle's thoughts.

"It shouldn't be long now," the _Dominion_'s captain replied. "But you are aware that this could be a trap, aren't you?"

"Three _Nazca_-class vessels from ZAFT are trying to get their hands on the Freedom, Justice and Harmony," Azrael explained, annoyed by Natarle's arguments. We must get them first, and we cannot afford to disregard any information that may lead us to them. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir; it's just that..."

"Are you questioning MY orders, Captain?" Azrael said with a leer. "You may be captain of this fleet, but I am the head of the Earth Alliance itself; and that makes me your superior."

"Yes, sir..."

Satisfied, Azrael turned away from her and pulled something out of his pocket - a strange, transparent cube that was swirled with the colors of Jupiter. Natarle wondered why the man had such a trinket, but didn't ask. The last thing she wanted to do was bother the leader of the Earth Alliance.

* * *

The two groups reached the wrecked Mendel colony without any incident. The vessels captained by Zero, Murrue, Andrew and Bright docked at the colony's intact hangar, while the _Battle 7, Nadesico, Wunder _and _Arc Gurren _continued onward to the red planet.

While the supply efforts were going on, Mu and Andrew sat down in the _Ra Calium_'s cafeteria to have some lunch, since Bright opted to take the first shift of managing the supply effort.

Suddenly Mu got that sensation again - the one he always got when Rau le Creuset was nearby. But he was smart enough to realize that there was no way his masked nemesis could have gotten aboard. The question was...who triggered it?

His question was soon answered when he saw Charfloating down the hall and swinging in for a bite to eat.

"Gentlemen, would you mind if I joined you?" the blonde-haired Newtype asked.

"Go right ahead," Andrew said, taking another sip from his cup of fresh-ground coffee. "The more, the merrier I say! Andrew Waltfeld's the name, this guy here is the Hawk of Endymion, Mu la Flaga. You must be Char Aznable, the Red Comet."

Char smirked. Amuro must have spilled the beans about his notorious title - not that he minded.

"And what does that make you, Andrew Waltfeld?"

"Me? I'm the Desert Tiger...hm, Tiger, Hawk, and Comet! A fearsome combination if I ever heard one! Now come on, I'll get you some coffee."

Mu couldn't help but feel odd as Char sat down to his right. Why would the presence of someone from a completely different world give him the same sensation as Rau did? He had one idea, but he couldn't be totally sure until he got an explanation.

"Hey, Char," he said. "I gotta ask you something that I've been meaning to ask the guys in Londo Bell, but never got around to."

Char nodded, indicating he was listening.

"Tell me, what exactly IS a Newtype, in your world?" Mu asked. "I know Londo Bell has a lot of Newtypes in its force, like Amuro, Judau, Kamille...and I heard that you're one as well. But I'm not sure just WHAT makes them what they are."

"Well," Char began; "In my world, Newtypes are people who, as a result of living in space for extended periods, have an extremely high degree of spatial awareness, almost a sixth sense..."

_Yeah...it's something you'd need to pilot the Moebius Zero effectively and use its wire-guided barrels..._" Mu thought. _Just like I could._

"...They are capable of telepathically detecting others like themselves, and are sensitive to the hostile intentions directed at them by others, allowing them to uncannily react to their opponents even before the offender carries out his intended action."

_Telepathic detection...I wonder..._

"Speaking of that...my senses started acting up when I drew near you, Mu la Flaga. I can't help but wonder if you're a Newtype as well."

"I do have a lot of those qualities you mentioned...as does someone else I know."

"Who?"

"A man named Rau le Creuset. He's with ZAFT, but he and I have been enemies for as long as I can remember. He wears a white mask and blonde hair, and whenever I sense him, I sense pure malevolence and hatred coming from him. I don't know what that man is hiding, but he's clearly got something horrible planned."

_A white mask_, Char thought. _It seems I may have found my alternate self..._

"Well, I'd like to meet this mysterious masked fellow and see how he fares against me."

* * *

"Supersonic speeds?" Kallen said, puzzled as she looked over the plans Lowe and Rakshata had cooked up: a new propulsion system for Knightmare Frames. "The Energy Wing system will be capable of that?!"

"That's the plan," Lowe said. "But I figured it would be best if we stuck them on the Guren mk II and Lancelot, since you two are the only ones skilled enough to maneuver Knightmares at such a high speed. Besides, the way things are going, your machines are gonna need another upgrade."

"I must say, Lowe Gear, you're quite the genius," Rakshata said, laughing haughtily; "You're almost good enough to be my rival."

"ALMOST good enough?!" Lowe exclaimed indignantly.

"Coming from Rakshata, that's a compliment," Kallen said with a giggle.

"That aside, it sounds like you've got a really good idea going," Suzaku commented optimistically. "I'm surprised Lloyd never came up with it."

"That's because Lloyd already couldn't compare to me," the Indian scientist said with a proud, haughty laugh. "What hope could he have in out-inventing me AND someone else?"

"Yeah, okay, we get it," Lowe groaned, rolling his eyes. "But if we start these upgrades now, it means you two are gonna have to sit things out for a while," the sweatband-sporting mechanic said - unless you guys want to pilot some Akatsukis or something."

"I don't mind sitting out for a bit," Kallen answered. "Besides, we've got plenty of firepower as it is."

* * *

"Hello, Lady Nunnally. It is nice to see you again."

Nunnally, who sitting and chatting with Suzaku, turned and saw Harry Ord standing there, smiling a little.

"Oh, Sir Ord!" she said with pleasant surprise; "What are you doing here?"

"Loran and I were ordered by Queen Diana to aid in your efforts here in this world," Harry explained, "Now that the Lunar Kingdom is finally at peace." the Lunar Kingdom soldier looked over at Suzaku, and his usual stern expression returned.

"So, Suzaku Kururugi, Princess Euphemia's guardian...has she also commanded that you aid in these efforts?"

"Yes," Suzaku replied, assuming a more formal tone, perhaps in response to Harry's. "But I also wish to fight for the sake of her vision...a world where people can live freely and harmoniously, without fear of war or cruel subjugation."

Harry smiled a little again.

"She and Queen Diana are very much alike, then," "Perhaps one day, once both worlds are at peace, she will be able to visit Britannia."

"Then let's all do our best," Nunnally chirped, "So that day will come sooner."

* * *

To get herself pumped for the coming battle to stop the Martian Successors and save Basara, Tara thought of no better way than to rock out to Fire Bomber's records in one of the _Ra Calium_'s few lounges. It also helped get her mind off of Janus - he had opted to go with the _Battle 7_'s group.

As she danced and bobbed her head in the zero gravity environment, someone she hadn't met before entered the room: Allenby.

"Hey!"

Tara looked in the direction of the newcomer as she turned down the volume somewhat.

"Oh...hi. I don't think we've met."

"Allenby Beardsley, Gundam Fighter for Neo-Sweden!" the girl said in introduction as she grabbed onto a handle on the wall that stopped her momentum. "I guess you're Tara, huh?"

"Huh?" Tara exclaimed. "How'd you know my name?"

"Rain said that you and that Janus guy were practically an item, kinda her and Domon now..."

Allenby's ears picked up on the song, and found herself caught by the beat and melody of the song and soon began dancing a bit herself.

"Man, this tune sounds awesome!" Allenby said as she started to dance, causing herself to slowly spin sideways. "Who's playing?"

Tara grinned widely, eager to bring another fan into the fold. "Only the greatest rock band in this or any other universe...Fire Bomber!"

"Neat!" the Neo-Swedish Gundam Fighter said. "You ever been to any of their concerts?"

"Are you kidding?" Tara replied excitedly; "Practically everyone in DREAM is on a first name basis with them!"

Suddenly, Try Again started to play from the speakers.

"Oh yes, this one's my favorite!" Lifthrasir's pilot chirped excitedly as she turned up the volume back up to its previous level. "This one totally pumps me up!"

The two girls began to dance even more vigorously, almost bouncing around the room with excitement. Tara could quickly see that Allenby was already becoming a fan of Basara's voice.

"Man, dancing in zero gravity is awesome!" Tara quipped as the song came to an end. "Hey, watch this!"

Tara lunged forward, tucked herself into a ball and began to spin in midair while floating towards the ceiling. Allenby watched in amusement as Tara started to bounce off the walls.

"Look, I'm a video game!"

Allenby, seeing how much fun Tara was having, started to do the same thing.

Just then, Bright poked his head in, looking to ask Tara something, but stopped when he saw Tara and Allenby bouncing around.

"C'mon, Captain Noa, this is fun!" Tara said excitedly.

Bright sighed and yanked the two back to the floor.

"If you two have time to float around like ninnies," the captain chastised them, "Then you have time to help with gathering supplies. Let's go...we have ships to restock!"

* * *

"I've detected an incoming fleet," Sai said as he looked at his monitor on the _Archangel_'s bridge. "There looks to be about nine ships in total, being led by an unidentified vessel."

"Everyone, I'll have the _Archangel_ take a look outside to see what's approaching," Murrue said to her fellow captains. "Please hurry with loading the supplies."

"Understood," Zero replied. "Be careful, Captain Ramius,"

The _Archangel _started out of the hangar and into the void of space. Almost immediately, they saw a huge blast coming from one of the lead vessels, which barely missed the _Archangel_.

"Captain, that was a positron blast!" Mirallia exclaimed.

Suddenly, a voice came over the ship's communicator.

"_Archangel_, _Ra Calium_, do you hear me? This is Captain Natarle Badguriel of the mobile assault ship _Dominion_."

"Natarle..." Murrue murmured. Somehow she knew this day would come, even though she prayed every day that it would not. She had even told Natarle that she wished to meet her again, but not on the battlefield.

"Lieutenant Badguriel?!" Koji exclaimed back inside Mendel. "No way!"

The rest of DREAM that knew the _Archangel_'s former XO was equally shocked and ill-at-ease about going up against their former comrade.

"Captains Ramius, Noa and Zero...I regret that we have to meet again under these circumstances," Natarle continued. "While you are all listed as rogue vessels, we can still avoid needless bloodshed."

_Soft-hearted girl_, Azrael thought. _She still clings to them._

"Murrue...I heard about what happened at Alaska," she said sympathetically. "If you surrender, you can talk things over with the top military officials...and I'll do whatever I can to assist you, no matter how little it may be. Please, don't resist...I'm well aware that you know what this ship should be capable of."

"Natarle...thank you," Murrue said gratefully and regretfully, "But...we cannot do that!"

Zero pondered getting up and speaking on his, but decided that it was Murrue's moment. After all, she knew Natarle Badguriel the best.

"This is about more than just Alaska," Murrue declared; "We've had serious doubts about the Earth Alliance...no, the Earth Sphere as a whole!

"You tell 'em, Captain Ramius!" Judau cheered.

"DREAM, as the military arm of the UFN, has devoted itself to defeating aggressive forces for the sake of people who desire harmony between all nations, and we refuse to betray the confidence of those people. Therefore, we will NOT surrender, and we will NOT come crawling back to the military!"

Azrael started laughing as Natarle stood there, dumbfounded at Murrue's defiance.

"Oh, Captain, you should be embarrassed that things turned out like this! If words alone could settle disputes, we wouldn't need war," the man said almost smugly. "But enemies are born of misunderstandings...and we must destroy those who refuse to understand."

_He sounds kinda like Guy Shishioh, _Mu thought. _I seriously hope it's just a coincidence._

"So, the man behind the Earth Alliance's barbarism finally reveals his true colors," Tetsuya said.

"Today is the day I put an end to your delusional crusade," Azrael continued, "And sink the unsinkable _Archangel_. All units, prepare to deploy!"

* * *

The Lifthrasir Titania, the three N-Jammer Canceler Gundams, both Astrays, the Shinkiro, the Mark Nemo, ZZ Gundam, Shin Getter, Mazinkaiser, Hi-Nu Gundam, Nightingale, Launch Strike Gundam, Turn A and SUMO Gold all flew out to meet the enemy. The Lancelot and Guren mk II would have sortied as well, but both were preparing to undergo their modifications.

As the enemy approached, Lelouch opened a private video channel with Nunnally.

"Nunnally, are you sure you want to do this?" he asked; "There's no need for you to..."

"Big brother...I refuse to let you carry this burden on your own!" Nunnally said bravely, determination shining in her eyes. "I may not be able to walk, but as long as I can see and use the power Nemo gave me..."

Lelouch saw Nunnally reveal her own Geass eye to him for the first time.

"...I'll lend you what strength I can."

"Incoming mobile suits and Great Mazingers!" Mu called out. "Get ready!"

"I'm confirming the presence of the three mobile suits from the siege of Orb," Nicol added when his systems detected the approaching Druggies. "Please, be careful, everyone!"

"You are aware that human beings are piloting those machines," Nunnally's brother said. He truly didn't want his sister to fight.

"I'll just do what Kira does," the young princess replied. "As long as I don't hit the cockpit, the pilot will be able to escape."

_Nunnally...if only I had known you possessed a drive so much like my own..._

"Listen up!" Zero bellowed. "Don't let the enemy reach the colony until our ships are ready to launch...all units, prepare for combat!"

* * *

As the Druggies closed in, Clotho recognized the Lifthrasir Titania. Immediately, those same memories began to bubble up from within him, even in the midst of his drug-induced high.

"IT'S HER!" Clotho screamed. "ITSHER-ITSHER-ITSHEEEEER!" He broke away from the squad to go after the girl who had ruined his life.

"Hey Shani," Orga said when he noticed where Clotho was headed. "It's that white mech from Orb! Isn't the pilot that idiot's ex?"

"Who cares?" Shani scoffed, his attention focused on the Freedom and Justice. "I just want a piece of those guys over there!"

Shani sped toward the two Gundams, but Orga held back and started to fire from a distance. However, he had caught the attention of Amuro, who sped off to help his allies in their fight. Char noticed this as he fought off several Strike Daggers.

As Amuro drew closer, He unleashed a wave of funnels and launched them at Orga . Meanwhile, the Calamity's pilot frantically tried to shoot down the numerous funnels, but Amuro was able to mentally control them all at once even as he readied the Hi-Nu's beam saber.

"...There!"

Amuro buzzed in, closing the distance between him and the Calamity at an incredible speed. He brought down his beam saber on it, delivering a deep gash in its body, then allowing his funnels to finish the job.

"DAMN IIIIT!" Orga screamed.

* * *

Tara had her hands full with Clotho. Even when using her higher forms to enhance her abilities, the Raider Gundam was able to keep up with Lifthrasir Titania's speed, which left her little opportunity to open any portals. All she could do was keep dodging, and wait for an opening with her beam tonfas.

"Dance, Prez, dance!" Clotho laughed as he fired the cannons mounted on the Raider's shield. "Shake that butt!"

_Damn it...if I could just get close enough..._

"UNIVEEEERRRSE!"

Suddenly, Harry's SUMO came swooping in, blasting Clotho with his I-Field arm cannon before following up with his hand-held axe.

"You DARE refer to such kindly ladies' butts so casually?!" Harry bellowed; "YOU DASTARD!"

"A butt's a butt! You got a problem with that?!" Clotho laughed as he fired several shots at Harry.

"Men like you disgust me," the SUMO's pilot replied angrily; "You must learn what your place truly is!"

As Harry continued his assault, Tara, having finally caught a moment to breathe, readied her beam-blade tonfas and closed in as well. As Clotho dodged another axe swing, he suddenly hit by one of Lifthrasir's tonfas, busting up its backpack and forcing him into a retreat, just in time for the drugs in his system to start wearing off.

"This butt is already taken, Buer!" Tara declared.

"Splendidly done, Miss Zifell," Harry complemented her. "But the battle is far from over."

* * *

Azrael didn't realize it, but his intel about three _Nazca _class ships heading for this area was spot on. Lurking behind a large piece of debris were three such vessels. Sitting on the bridge of one of them, with Dearka and Yzak by his side, was Rau Le Creuset.

"Well, well, it seems the curtain has risen," Rau said. "DREAM picked a very interesting place to stop."

"Looks like the Earth Alliance forces have deployed a small fleet," an officer, one of Rau's subordinates, added.

"But unless we get closer, there's not much we can do," the masked man said. "Yzak, Dearka and I will enter the colony and see what we can learn. I want the _Helderton_ and _Heusinger _to remain here for the time being."

"Yes, sir!" said the officer.

"If everything goes well in Mendel," he said as he got out of his chair, "The path to the end will be much clearer."

* * *

Natarle couldn't believe it. All of the tactics she had been trying were being foiled. She knew the _Archangel _like the back of her hand, yet time and time again something interfered. Even when the Freedom or Justice was too far away, either one of the mobile suits or Knightmare Frames would be close enough to block the attack.

"Well, things aren't going quite as we planned, now are they?" Azrael said with a bit of amused disappointment. "Those machines are certainly making things more difficult than they need to be."

"I'm sorry, Sir," Natarle replied regretfully.

"No, your plans were quite impressive, and probably would have worked," the leader of Blue Cosmos reassured her; "It is only because we are up against Zero, whose tactical skills are beyond any commander I've ever met, that they failed."

Azrael pulled the strange crystal cube out of his pocket and held it up to the light.

"Perhaps it's time we call for...reinforcements."

It began to glow, causing space-time distortions to form all around the fleet...

* * *

"We've got Threshold signatures appearing around the enemy vessels!" one of the _Ikaruga_'s operators called out.

Out of these portals popped a veritable cornucopia of new machines. The majority of them, at least three dozen in number, resembled blue and white Strike Daggers with two horns on their head instead of one. However, it was more than just them - three of the new arrivals were frighteningly reminiscent of the Psyco Gundam - they were as tall as the Four's Psyco mk III, but had gigantic packs with four huge turrets on their backs. And finally, an unusual looking Gundam burst forward. It was a black and gray Gundam with dark red and gold accents that resembled the Strike, but possessed a pair of wings eerily similar to the Freedom's.

"Sven Cal Bayang, Strike Noir...entering combat."

"Hurricane Squads 108, 141 and 172...entering combat."

"What the hell?! Now the Earth Alliance has Threshold tech?!" Judau exclaimed as the three squads. "And those mobile suits...there's no data whatsoever on them!"

But what made matters worse was that the numerous Windams, the Strike Dagger-like mobile suits, started darting around at incredible speeds, rivaling even that of the Freedom and the Guren mk II. The Freedom and Justice were pushed to their very limits. Meanwhile, the huge black Gundams, Destroy Gundams, began throwing their weight around and firing huge beams, several of which nearly struck the _Archangel_.

Finally, Nunnally was having trouble reading the Windams' movements, even with her Geass - for some reason, the lines of the future that allowed her to fight so well were much more difficult to discern.

But when the princess found an opening, she sliced off a Windam's legs...only for the suit to disintegrate into a cloud of shimmering dust that lingered for several seconds before fading out of existence.

She didn't have much time to think before the Strike Noir rushed in, opening fire with its vulcan guns, its pilot not wanting to waste his heavier weaponry on such a small target. One bullet struck the Mark Nemo's leg.

Lelouch, seeing his sister under attack, wheeled the Shinkiro around and readied its hadron blasters, his mind seething with rage at the thought of Nunnally suffering.

"How dare you...KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF MY LITTLE SISTER!"

Lelouch opened fire numerous times, striking the black Gundam in the back with numerous hadron blasts.

But before he could finish it off with his Frame's primary weapon, the mobile suit burst into the same kind of dust cloud. The prince didn't take much time to ponder this event as he hurried over to Nunnally's side. His confidence in Nemo's power had decreased drastically in that moment.

"Nunnally, are you all right?"

"Just a little dizzy," his sister replied. "All he got was the Mark Nemo's leg. It will heal on its own."

"Nunnally, please return to the _Ikaruga_. I can't let you risk yourself out here any longer; not if we're facing enemies your Geass is ineffective in dealing with."

"But I..."

"Now!" Lelouch yelled. "Go!"

Nunnally, terrified by her brother's outburst, started back toward the colony. Suddenly, a Windam sneaked up behind Lelouch and tried to take him out with its beam saber, only to be cut down by Shin Getter's tomahawk.

"Hey Zero...I don't think I've ever seen you go ballistic like that." Ryoma said. "Makes me wonder."

"She is Princess Euphemia's sister," Zero replied. Kururugi and I promised to protect her, nothing more."

"Sure, whatever help you sleep at night," the Getter pilot said as he flew off, heading toward one of the Destroy Gundams. It fired a Getter Beam, which was suddenly deflected by a large energy shield.

"Geez, those are some shields," Hayato chuckled. "These machines must be incredibly advanced."

Suddenly, the Gundam lurched and groaned before exploding into dust. Moments later, Nicol appeared beside them in the Harmony Gundam.

"Getter Team, I've discovered a weak point in the defenses of these giant mobile suits," he said. "They have very little defense against attacks at point-blank range. Get extremely close to it, then it hit with a strong attack."

"Here comes another!" Benkei said as he spotted another Destroy Gundam closing in.

"Perfect - we'll try it now!" Ryoma said excitedly. "Thanks, kiddo!"

Shin Getter sped over to it, and began charging up its ultimate attack, though it only needed to be at half power. The red Super Robot swooped past the black mobile suit, then around to its back, the Getter Ray sphere formed in its hands.

"Gotcha! **STONEEEEERRR! SUUUUN...SHINE!**

The blast was unleashed at point blank range, demolishing the Gundam in a single hit, turning it into dust just like all the others.

Meanwhile, Nicol suddenly spotted a trio of mobile suits off in the distance with the Harmony's systems - a new model...as well as the Duel and Buster.

_Dearka...Yzak!_

"Athrun, I've spotted Dearka and Yzak!" Nicol said through his communicator; "I'm going to see what they're up to...maybe I can talk some sense into them."

"Be careful, Nicol," Athrun replied. "Don't make me have to tell your mom about your death a second time."

Nicol nodded, then began to follow the Duel and Buster Gundams from a safe distance, using the Harmony's Mirage Colloid to hide. He then noticed the Nightingale also headed in that direction.

* * *

Mu blasted an enemy Great Mazinger to bits in one shot, striking it in the cockpit with the Launch Strike's Agni cannon. As he relaxed, he suddenly got the sensation again. But this time, he was sure of it - it was Rau Le Creuset.

"He's here..."

The ace pilot turned and flew in Rau's direction, not knowing that Nicol was nearby. As he got closer, he saw that his nemesis was piloting another new model - the GuAIZ.

But what Mu didn't anticipate was that the Duel and Buster were with him...nor the fact that Rau's new model was packing some dangerous new equipment - a backpack with what appeared to be four oversized funnels.

"Ah, so you're piloting THAT now," Rau said with a smirk when he got a view of the Strike. "Oh, how happy that makes me! Come, and let me show you MY new toy!"

Immediately, the four oversized funnels launched off of the masked man's mobile suit and flew toward the Strike. Mu swallowed nervously when he saw that these weapons were.

_Geez, when did ZAFT develop FUNNELS?! Man, did I pick the wrong Striker Pack to use..._

Mu had to spend all of his effort trying to dodge Rau's new weapons, as well as the attacks of the Buster and Duel.

"Do you like it, Mu? This DRAGOON system was inspired by the remote weapons controlled by that machine you call Granlif, as well as those used by the mobile suits from the other universe! You can curse your friends as you perish in the void of space!"

But suddenly, Rau felt the sensation again, distracting him momentarily.

"What the?!" he thought out loud; "Is there someone else here like me?!"

Suddenly, several red funnels zoomed in and damaged three of Rau's. Then, the Harmony appeared and dealt a heavy blow to the Buster with its claws before turning to take on the Duel.

"Dearka!" Yzak cried.

"Mu, you of all people should know never to wander off like that," Char said. "I take it the fellow in this white mobile suit is your friend Rau."

Rau was scowling. Who WAS the man that piloted this red titan...and why did he get the same sensation from him as Mu?

"Damn it...I'm gonna have to head back!" Dearka grunted. "Whoever that guy is really knows us like the back of his hand!"

As much as Rau le Creuset desired to tear his nemesis to bits, facing off against someone who was clearly experienced with mentally-controlled remote weapons was not something he was eager to do. He sped away toward the colony.

"Thanks for the save, Char, but I have to be the one to defeat him."

With that, the Strike took off after the GuAIZ. Char opted to let Nicol and Yzak to duke it out. After all, it was a battle between men.

* * *

_Next time, we see what's happening with the other ships and deal with some more Grendizer plot!_


	102. Chapter 69

_Today, we'll do some Grendizer, Voltes V and GaoGaiGar FINAL plot! Also, since we've got two more finales coming up, I think I should hold off on the fighting for now._

* * *

**Chapter 69 – Lovely Envoy From Vega! Sol Masters Emerge!**

Not wasting energy - considering the challenges DREAM had to deal with, Janus couldn't blame the captains of the four vessels for not accelerating up to near light-speed for this reason. Even so, at this pace it would still only take about three or four Earth days to reach Mars, while it took several weeks on the first trip.

This gave Granlif's pilot time to come to terms with what he had just learned about Tara's "marriage", and perhaps see what his fellows thought. The first one he approached was Hikaru Amano, who had basically become Tara's best friend since they met.

"Hey, Hikaru."

"Hi, Jan," Hikaru chirped before noticing tha Janus didn't look very happy. "You look kinda down. Need a good ol' _Gekiganger_-based pick-me-up?"

"No, I just need to ask you something," Granlif's pilot answered. "It's about Tara. Considering you're so tight with her, I thought maybe you could help."

"Oh, you mean the whole 'I'm deeply and sincerely in love with two guys simultaneously' thing?"

"You knew?"

"She told me, duh," Hikaru said with a sigh, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, here's what I think - if you guys have managed to keep a promise between multiple lifetimes, there's no WAY she'd betray you now, especially when you've been fighting together."

"True," the young man said with a thoughtful nod.

"If you're really concerned about losing her, you just gotta win her over again. Do something so wonderful for her that she'll forget all about that other guy...go the extra mile for her!"

"I...guess I'll try that," Janus said gratefully, "Thanks, Hikaru."

"Of coooourse, if you two dooo end up splitting," the bespectacled girl said, gazing seductively into Janus' eyes, "I'M always available."

Janus looked at Hikaru like she was crazy, and then walked away, blushing nervously.

"C'mon, I was just kidding," Hikaru said with an awkward giggle when she realized what she had just insinuated.

* * *

Guy, Mamoru and Mikoto gazed solemnly at the core of Evangelion Unit 01, which had just finished undergoing its latest round of testing. The boy was particularly sad, because he was the reason Shinji and Rei were stuck inside of it.

"Please, don't be sad, Mamoru," Guy reassured him, rubbing the boy's head. "You and Mic were only trying to protect the people of Earth. I'm sure they both understand."

"I just wish I could talk with them," the boy replied. "You know...so I could tell them that we all miss them. Especially my friends."

"Oh, you mean Hana, Reiko, Sueo and Takayasu?" Guy said. "I almost forgot about them...especially Sueo, what with him being Kazuo's brother."

"Sueo's calling her Tangerine Girl."

Mikoto's ears suddenly perked.

"Guy...I just heard something coming from Unit 01's core," she said.

"I didn't hear anything," Guy said, shaking his head.

"Neither did I," Mamoru said.

The sound rang in Mikoto's ear again - it was a faint sound just outside the range of normal human hearing...but not out of an Evoluder's. It was one of many gifts she had gained as a result of her body incorporating the new machine species into itself, just as Guy's body incorporated the G-Stone into itself. But for all of his abilities, superior hearing was not one possessed.

"I wonder...maybe Shinji and Rei can hear us after all? Maybe I'm the only one who can hear them."

The sound rang out a third time - and this time Mikoto's attention was focused entirely on listening to it. She could make out someone's voice in the noise, but she couldn't make out what was being said.

"I'm sorry, but I can't understand the words," Mikoto said after the sound faded. "But I'm sure of it...Shinji and Rei are inside the core, and can hear us."

"Wa-ha!" Mamoru cheered. "Guy, let's ask your dad and uncle if they can do anything about it now!"

* * *

Max couldn't believe who he saw when he arrived at the Variable Fighter hangar - Milia, all dressed up in a pilot suit.

"Milia, when did you..."

"I couldn't just let you drag our daughter along on this dangerous mission," the Zentradi pilot explained. "I won't sit by and let you sacrifice her, Max...even if it is to protect the Earth and Macross."

"Using Mylene as a sacrifice is the last thing I would want to do with her," the _Battle 7_'s captain replied. "It's just that her singing is the only effective countermeasure against the Protodevlin right now, since Basara is being held captive."

Milia sighed and shook her head. "If I had known my daughter was going to end up like this, I would have never made her take those piano lessons."

"At least you and I agree on one thing," Max muttered.

Suddenly, a clatter arose nearby. The two looked up and saw Gamlin lying on the floor, having tripped over who-knows-what.

"Oh...h-hello, Captain and Mayor," the ace said, blushing red with embarrassment. "I'm surprised to see you two together like this..."

"It's not polite to eavesdrop, you know," Milia said, leering at him a bit.

"I d-didn't mean to," Gamlin stammered; "The captain had called me for a reason, and I just happened to overhear the conversation."

"I did call him, as a matter of fact," Max said, attempting to defuse the situation. "I wanted to show his new VF."

Gamlin's eyes widened a bit with surprise as he got to his feet.

"A new Variable Fighter? For me, sir?"

Max nodded. "It's only fair that the leader of Diamond Force, and my daughter's future husband, gets a special VF for such a difficult and important mission."

The _Battle 7_'s captain turned and opened the hangar door with the push of a nearby button, revealing a black Variable Fighter with swept-back wings and a bubble-like canopy.

"This is the VF-22 Strumvogel II, the latest in Variable Fighter design," Max explained, beaming with pride. "It's a collaboration between the boys in General Galaxy and the Junk Guild - it also happens to be only one of two in existence."

"One of two? Oh my," Diamond Force's squad leader exclaimed; "...And by Junk Guild, do you mean that group the pilot of the Astray Red Frame is a part of?"

"Those guys? I hear they've got their fingers in the pies of just about every major weapons manufacturer in the Earth Sphere," Milia added. "I even hear the Junk Guild is collaborating with a whole bunch of manufacturers to make additional equipment for other members of DREAM...oh, and Max - there are actually THREE VF-22s in existence."

"What? But the only ones are mine and Gamlin's...unless..."

"Who do you think had them built?" Milia snapped. "For a genius, you can sure be a dope sometimes, Max. You seriously didn't keep count of all the mechs on your own ship?!"

Almost immediately, the two started arguing again. Gamlin sighed and approached his new craft, with the intention of getting to know its cockpit...

* * *

A Mini-UFO from the planet Vega flew through the space between Mars and Earth, in hopes of reaching the latter. But its pilot was not one of Emperor Vega's troops, nor was she of Boazan or Campbell.

Rather, it was Rubina, the princess of planet Vega itself, and sole heir to the throne of the Vega Empire. She was a thin, lovely woman with cardinal-red hair. In spite of her alien nature, she looked every bit as human as Duke.

And very much like Duke (and unlike her father) she much preferred peace to war.

"It won't be long now," she thought out loud. "Once I reach his flagship, I'll make my father put an end to this nonsense, no matter what it takes."

Suddenly, her craft's sensors picked up four huge energy signatures - clear indications that they were some sort of battleships...but they weren't Vegan, Campbellian or Boazanian.

Then Rubina noticed another smaller, but very familiar signature coming out of one of the battleships, followed closely by two she didn't recognize.

"That's...the UFO Robo Grendizer!" she exclaimed; "I knew it; Duke IS alive!"

With joy in her heart, she accelerated her vehicle closer to the ships, and began to try and open a communication connection to the UFO Robo...

* * *

Daisuke, Hikaru Makiba and Maria Grace flew around space, checking the area around the ships for hostiles. Considering the dearth of cover, being out in the open like this required constant vigilance.

Suddenly, Daisuke's communicator started to crackle as if someone was trying to reach him. Soon enough, his scanners started to pick up the presence of a small Vega craft. But what immediately struck him was that it was exactly that, a small Vega craft. No Saucer Beasts, Beast Fighters nor Slave Monsters.

"Brother, is that a hostile you see?" Maria asked.

"I don't think so," Daisuke replied. "It's definitely from Vega, but..."

"Duke? Duke!" the voice of the UFO's pilot called out. Daisuke was shocked and amazed to hear that voice.

"Rubina?!" he exclaimed, recognizing the voice instantly in spite of not hearing it for so long. "What are you doing here, so far from your people?!"

"Daisuke, do you know this Rubina person?" Hikaru asked.

"She'll explain herself when we return to the _Battle 7,_"Daisuke replied. Of course, Maria knew exactly who it was...her brother's fiancee.

On board the _Battle 7_, a crowd of DREAM members gathered around Daisuke and Rubina, eager to meet someone new, and hear what she had to say.

* * *

"Greetings to you all," the princess began. "I am Princess Rubina, daughter of Emperor Vega and heir to the throne of the Vega Empire. I am glad that you are willing to hear me out - I offer my meager apologies for my father's atrocious behavior."

"I take it you're not in favor of your father's warmongering ways," Liger said.

"Not in the least, nor are the majority of his people," Rubina answered. "However, they were in favor of one of my father's goals - to find a new homeworld to live on."

"Say what?" Akito exclaimed. "So their home base ISN'T on Vega?"

"...Perhaps it's best if I start from the beginning," Rubina said before clearing her throat. "Some time ago, the people of Vega discovered a miraculous substance deep within our planet called Vegatron. Its existence revolutionized our culture, allowing us to advance rapidly. However, that advancement came at a terrible price - after years of exploitation, the entire planet became engulfed in Vegatron radiation and began to die out."

"Gee, that sounds awfully familiar," Kouji muttered, remembering the story of the Getter Ray Armageddon.

"My father began to conquer nearby worlds," the princess explained; "Using an army of Saucer Beasts and UFO Robos powered by Vegatron energy, all in the hopes of expanding Vega's sphere of influence. He conquered the nearby planets of Campbell and Boazan, then set his sights on planet Fleed. I assume Duke has told you the rest."

"Yes, we're familiar with how he came to Earth with Grendizer," Gamlin replied. "But he has been living on the space colony Macross for some time now."

"Oh, Duke..." the red-tressed royal exclaimed as she remembered her main reason for tracking her fiancee down. "I have wonderful news regarding the status of our home planets."

"You do?" Maria chimed in.

"Yes...the Vegatron radiation on both Vega and Fleed has finally been cleaned up thanks to Prince La Gour's Super Electromagnetic machinery..."

"Wait...you said 'Super Electromagnetic', didn't you?" Daijorou interrupted. "Does that mean this La Gour guy knows our dad, Kentaro Go?"

"I would say as much," the Vegan princess replied, not immediately realizing what she was saying meant for; "Prince La Gour and Kentaro Go are one and the same."

"WHAT?!" the three Go brothers cried in unison.

"He used the name Kentaro Go as his alias when he arrived on Earth," Rubina continued. "But after his third son was born, he returned to Boazan to help fight against the oppression of Zuu Zambajil, one of my father's cronies and usurper of the Boazanian throne."

"But that means...we're half-Boazanian," Hiyoshi gasped, shocked and almost horrified at the idea.

"What...oh...oh my...then you three must be his sons," Rubina said to the Go brothers when the implications of her words sunk in; "He always spoke so highly of you."

"Wait a second," Ryoko interrupted. "You mean to say that people born from completely different planets can have kids?"

"Um, helloooo?" Hikaru chimed in, lightly knocking on Ryoko's head; "Jovians are former Earthlings? Mylene is half-Zentradi? Doesn't that ring any bells?!"

"Do you know where our dad is?" Hiyoshi asked hopefully, moving to a topic more important to him and his brothers; "We really want to know!"

"Please, tell us!" Daijourou pleaded. "We miss him so much!"

"I cannot say for sure," Rubina replied; "All I can say for sure is that he is being held captive by my father."

"Then where's Emperor Vega hiding?!" Kenichi cried, getting right in Rubina's face, such were the depths of his desperation; "Where's your wicked...!"

"Kenichi, that's enough!" Ippei cried, pulling the leader of the Voltes team away. "Take it easy!"

"Please forgive the Voltes V team, Rubina..." the pilot of Grendizer said, gently moving the flustered Vegan princess away. "To say that they are concerned for their father's welfare would be a grave understatement. I'll fill you in on everything that's happened."

* * *

Tsukumo couldn't help but feel uneasy about the upcoming battle against his own people as he adjusted the settings of the Daitetsujin that he had spent his time on Macross repairing. Though his people were adjusting well to life on Macross, the former Jovian officer still felt like his mission had been unfinished.

It turned out that Genichiro wasn't among the survivors that DREAM had picked up after the battle with the Z-Master. But Tsukumo's gut told him that the man was still alive...and that was what worried him most. After all, the two were old pals, even before they joined the Jovian military. If they were to meet on the battlefield, he would have to choose between his best friend and his one true love...a choice no one should ever have to make.

It happened that Jiro Yamada entered the _Nadesico_'s hangar to work on his own Aestivalis just as Tsukumo climbed out of his cockpit and back down to the ground.

"Greetings, fellow DREAMer!" Jiro said in his usual heroic, somewhat hammy manner. "I sense that your passion isn't burning as brightly as it should be!"

"It's nothing."

"Ha! Don't try to fool ME! It's clear that something troubles you! Keeping your troubles bottled up only makes them worse! Don't tell me you forgot what happened in _Gekiganger 3_,Season 5, Episode 16?"

Tsukumo chuckled a bit - he knew that episode well. It was a sad episode, where Akira's close friend Yashimoto, who suffered a great deal of psychological trauma that he kept to himself, was turned into a Mecha-Monster.

"Gai...do you remember Genichiro Tsukomi?" Tsukumo asked.

"I met him in the other timeline, in fact," the Aestivalis pilot said after a moment of thought. "He fought alongside the _Nadesico-C _and _Nadesico-__B _against the Martian Successors to atone for the crime he committed under Kusakabe's orders...after all, you were his best friend in that timeline as well."

"I see. But I'm still alive...so I wonder if I'll have to fight him."

Jiro gave the Jovian a hearty pat on the back.

"Fear not, my friend," Jiro reassured him; "If your friend truly believes in Gekiganger and its values, he will understand that the Martian Successors' brand of so-called justice is nothing more than an excuse to be villainous!"

_I hope you're right, Gai Daigoji_, Tsukumo thought.

* * *

Ruri sat at her computer console on the _Nadesico_'s bridge, typing in some commands. Standing behind her was Alouette, who wanted to hang out with her "big sister"; she was reading it as well. Meanwhile, Leo Shishioh was working on another computer, which was hooked up to the console of the ship. The code, a mass of confusing gobbledygook that only seasoned computer experts could read, was for a nasty computer virus that would be used to deal with the Martian Successors.

And now, it was time to give it a live test.

"Is the test system ready, Dr. Shishioh?" Ruri said.

"It's all set, Miss Hoshino," Leo replied,. "We've updated the systems of the other ships, as well as GGG's own security, to protect against it should it fall into the wrong hands."

"All right. Initiating live test of StuxEd in 3...2...1..."

As soon as Ruri pressed the key that would start the test, an animated image of a cartoony, goofy looking, yellow skinned boy with a buzzcut, unibrow, a long dark green coat, a white-and-red striped T-shirt, baggy pants and a vacant, lazy-eyed stare suddenly appeared from the bottom of the screen. She was viewing the havoc remotely, so there was no way for the virus to reach her.

"Hello!" the boy said in a dopey tone. "My name is Ed!"

Ruri couldn't help but notice how it vaguely sounded like Kira. She watched as the cartoon boy started looking around, then running back and forth, spouting random phrases, occasionally tripping and smashing holes in the screen. Error messages started to pop up, which Ed then began to eat while making animal grunts and moans.

And then, multiple copies of Ed started to appear, all doing the same thing. In spite of the apparent chaos, the virus was systematically tearing through every defense the computer could muster, ravaging information and corrupting data like a pack of wild hyenas tearing into an elephant carcass. All the while, Alouette and Ruri watched, unsure of whether to start giggling at Ed's silliness or be horrified at the damage he was causing.

After several minutes of this, the test computer started to overheat and emit smoke, its cooling system shut off and its parts working in overdrive. It didn't take long for the computer to finally die, the circuit boards literally reduced to slag.

"You and those two Coordinators have created something truly devastating, big sister," Alouette said in her usual deadpan manner as she gazed at the completed ravaged victim of StuxEd. "If this code were to leak out onto the net, every system in the Earth Sphere could be laid to waste in a mass of buttered toast, Chunky Puffs and gravy."

But suddenly, alarms started going off on all of the ships...

* * *

This was an enemy that DREAM had not encountered before. Numerous huge, jet-black cubes had surrounded the four ships from all directions, blocking them in every direction. Though they made no move to attack, DREAM took no chances and sent out troops to deal with them.

GaoFighGar, Grendizer, Granlif Yggdrasil, the five Aestivalis, both Super Electromagnetic Machines, Evangelion Unit 08 and all six of GGG's Dragon siblings flew out to meet this enemy. As they did, eleven of the cubes floated to the center of the circle and arranged themselves in an arc. Upon closer observation, everyone saw that each of the cubes had a single passenger. All but two of them were cloaked in hooded robes, but the one standing directly across from GaoFighGar was one of the two exceptions. He was a tall, dignified-looking man with a white military haircut, a coat vaguely resembling that of a doctor or scientist, a cybernetic attachment over his right eye and a large, syringe-like weapon bound to his right arm.

"At last we meet, warriors of the Blue Planet," the man with the syringe said, his voice somehow resonating through the void of space.

Mamoru, however, somehow recognized them, but was too shocked to say anything.

_The Sol Masters?! What are THEY doing here?_

"Before we engage in any hostilities, allow me to introduce everyone..." the man said. "I am Palparepa of the 11 Sol Masters, and these are my fellows: Pisa Sol; Percurio; Puranus; Polturn; P'Tulone; P-Vater; Pillnus; and finally, Pia Decem."

The other non-cloaked Sol Master, Pia Decem, who resembled a gigantic man in spiked armor, leered at DREAM.

"What is it you want with us?!" Daisuke demanded.

"We seek the same objective - the retrieval of the Q-Parts taken by the men from Jupiter. However, we demand that you surrender it to us."

"Like hell, we will!" Ryoko retorted.

"Yeah, you think we're just gonna play nice after you surround us?" Hikaru added. "You guys just picked a fight with the wrong ships."

"Oh, did we now?" one of the hooded figures, who sounded much like a young girl, said before disappearing. Suddenly, another one of the hooded figures disappeared for about ten seconds, then reappeared in place. To everyone's dismay, the two Sol Master reappeared, the smaller one holding Leo Shishioh and the larger holding Rubina. Both were encased in telekinetic bubbles that kept them safe from the lethal effects of the void.

"Little brother!" Liger exclaimed.

"Father!" Guy cried.

"No...Rubina!" Daisuke cried. "You scum...give them back!"

"Retrieve and surrender the Q-Parts to us," Palparepa boomed; "And we shall return these two people to you in exchange."

"Should you refuse," the girl Sol Master added, "You will watch them suffocate in the emptiness of space...and then more and more of those you cherish will suffer the same fate each time you deny us."

"What a low-down, dirty trick!" Jiro said with a scowl. "If they can just teleport and snatch people up as they please..."

"...Fine, we'll do it," Guy answered with a sigh, defeated. He didn't want to lose his father, or anyone else he cared about. As much as he sensed that the Sol Masters were up to no good, the very thought of watching his father die was not something he was courageous enough to watch.

"We'll retrieve the Q-Parts for you," Daisuke said; "But if I find that you so much as harmed a hair on those two...you'll wish you'd never crossed paths with me!"

"We Eleven Sol Masters only do this because no other viable options are present," the girl Sol Master answered. "We hold no particular grudge against you, warriors of the Blue Planet."

"Farewell," Palparepa concluded. "We will appear again once you have successfully retrieved the item we seek." With that, the Sol Masters disappeared, followed immediately by the numerous cubes.

"All units, return to the ships," Max said, feeling exactly the same way everyone else in the group was...

* * *

_Aaargh, filler! Anyway, next time, more Gundam SEED plot, and then we begin the finales of the Nadesico and Macross 7 plots!_


	103. Chapter 70

_More SEED plot! Don't worry, I promise that the next chapter will include Nadesico and Macross 7 finale stuff!_

* * *

**Chapter 70 – ****Mendel's Dark Secret! He Who Craves Ruin!**

"DAMNED NATURAL!" Yzak cried as he lashed out at the Harmony Gundam with the Duel's beam saber. Nicol was able to dodge the attack, but refused to directly attack his old comrade. As the Duel unleashed a large volley of missiles, Nicol countered with the Harmony's sole energy cannon - annihilating the missiles in one shot, but barely missing Yzak.

"Yzak!" Nicol finally cried out. This got the Duel Gundam to stop.

"...N-Nicol?" Yzak gasped. "Is it...really you?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Why the hell are you fighting alongside the Strike?! I mean...you can't imagine how wonderful it is to know you're okay...but if you're really fighting for the legged ship..."

To his surprise, the cockpit of the Harmony opened, and Nicol stepped out.

"Yzak, please...put down your weapon so we can talk."

* * *

The battle could have been going worse for DREAM - while the agile Windams were able to break through the group's battle lines and damage the _Archangel_, the Hi-Nu Gundam, Turn A and Nightingale were able to protect the ship's vulnerable bridge from direct attack while the Super Robots dealt with the Destroy Gundams. Meanwhile, the two Astrays began to push closer to the enemy.

Suddenly, Gai Murakumo saw an opening. He quickly pulled out the Blue Frame's beam saber and rushed toward the _Dominion_'s bridge...

_Azrael...today, this ends!_

But just before he could reach it, several more Thresholds opened, and out popped four black mobile suits. These new suits looked like black Strike Daggers with two horns instead of one, and wore Aile Striker Packs - these were Slaughter Daggers.

The trio was able to deflect Gai's attack with their own beam sabers. They counterattacked, but Gai was able to escape.

Tara, who saw this from a distance, couldn't believe her eyes.

"Geez, where the hell is that guy getting all those mobile suits?!" she exclaimed. "Xemmey, you seriously can't get any identification on them?!"

"These mobile suits are not registering to be normal mobile suits on my energy readings. Rather, they appear to be dimensional anomalies..."

_Dimensional anomalies, _Tara thought;_ Is Atik Yomin that desperate to finish us off?_

"More Threshold signatures, Tara..." Xemmey warned.

"Cripes..."

"Don't worry they appear to be too weak to open," the AI reassured her; "Whatever the enemy is using to summon these other suits is low on energy. Our foe looks like it's going to retreat." Sure enough, the _Dominion _suddenly began to withdraw as Gai finished off the last of the three Slaughter Daggers, while Koji took down the last Windam with a Photon Beam.

"Gai, let's head back!" Tara called out to the pilot of the Astray Blue Frame. "You can take care of Azrael another day!" The Combat Coordinator grimly acknowledged the suggestion and flew back towards the ruined colony, where the _Archangel _was returning to the base for repairs.

"Everyone...Nicol and Mu are missing;" Kira then said. "I'm going to go look for them!"

"Don't do anything crazy, Kira," Koji warned.

"Yeah...we might not be able to bail your ass out," Ryoma added. With that, Kira flew down towards the colony while the others returned to the ships.

* * *

Yzak and Nicol stood face to face, their mobile suits standing still behind them. Yzak also held out a pistol, pointing it at his green-haired ex-comrade.

"You're the one who went off to become my enemy!" Yzak yelled.

"Um...I don't ever recall becoming your enemy," Nicol replied.

"Shut up! You're nothing but a traitor!" the pilot of the Duel yelled, clenching the gun a little tighter.

Suddenly, Nicol spotted the Freedom flying overhead, and remembered something.

"Betraying the PLANTs is that last thing I'd ever want to do!" the pilot of the Harmony replied, shaking his head in disbelief at such an accusation. "It's just that...I can't follow orders in a war whose sole purpose is to destroy every last Natural!"

This caused Yzak to relax his guard, unsure of how to react to hearing his dear friend say this.

* * *

Mu rushed after Rau, ducking into cover every time the masked man fired then unleashing a volley of his own. Both men were desperate to kill the other, but neither was capable of landing a hit, so the chase continued, making its way into the depths of Mendel itself.

"Tell me, Mu...do you recognize this part of the facility?" Rau taunted again as both hid behind cover. Rau fired a few shots as Mu peeked his head out.

"Why would I, idiot?!" Mu retorted.

"Oh, you don't?" Rau said with mock surprise. "What a shameful crime for you to be so ignorant!" The masked man fired a few bullets - this time, one did hit Mu, but only in his hip joint, and not even near a major blood vessel.

"Mu!" a voice he recognized called out.

"Kira!" Mu cried. He spotted the young pilot entering the room - to his surprise, he was holding a pistol as well - but it was clear the Coordinator wasn't comfortable holding it at all.

_Kira...Yamato? _Rau thought, recognizing the name, having heard it from Athrun. All this time he had been fighting against that boy, never knowing who he truly was. _He survived after all..._

The masked man grinned. Fate had brought him back here, and now he could inflict the greatest despair on Mu and the pilot of the Freedom Gundam.

"What thrill it for you to join us, Kira Yamato...pilot of the Freedom!" he called out with sinister excitement. Kira spotted Mu next to a large structure on the far wall, and quickly rushed to his side, and immediately saw his comrade's wound.

"Mu...your leg..."

"It's nothing...why did you come here?"

"We couldn't just leave without you," Kira replied. "What would we say to Captain Ramius?"

"Well, if you intend to use that thing," Mu said, glancing at the pistol in Kira's hands, "At least release the safety on it."

Kira awkwardly released the safety on his gun, so now it could actually fire the weapon if it came to that. Of course, Mu couldn't blame Kira - the boy had never used a gun other than those on his mobile suits.

"Come," Rau then called out, his voice echoing throughout the chamber, to the place where everything began; After all, this is where you were born, right, Kira Yamato?"

The young Coordinator gasped.

"Kira, don't listen to a word he says!" Mu growled, trying to keep his comrade's mind on the situation. "He's just trying to confuse you...come on!"

With that, the two hurried onward against all common sense, following the sound of Rau's voice as it beckoned them to him...and towards a fateful revelation.

* * *

Rau quickly flipped through a discarded binder, trying to see if there was anything else he could dig up about the nature of the project being done in this lab, knowing full well that Kira and Mu were drawing ever closer. He needed something, anything to inflict despair upon them and give him the greatest satisfaction at putting an end to their worthless existences.

Soon, he found something. It was a data sheet, which had a picture a woman with reddish-brown hair on it, along with an image of a developing female fetus.

"Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu," Rau muttered, reading off the woman's name as it resonated in his mind; "So, even one of NERV's greatest minds got involved in this mess. It's too bad her daughter isn't here to see this. Still, such is fate."

Suddenly, several gunshots rang out, and Rau heard the sounds of people running over the catwalk, but then they stopped, as if they had paused in the middle. The masked man picked up his gun and approached the door before firing a few shots.

"Tell me, Kira Yamato, don't you recognize this place? These vats, and the dead, wrinkled monstrosities within?! Do you lack memories of them?"

He waited as Mu and Kira finally burst into the room. Mu was clearly undaunted, but the pilot of the Freedom definitely looked flustered...he was starting to crack, to fall apart under the weight of the truth.

Suddenly, Rau saw another opening and fired. But this time he didn't shoot to kill - the bullet instead struck Mu's shoulder. Kira rushed out of hiding to ensure his friend's safety, then took aim at Creuset.

"Don't worry, you two," Rau said as he neatly placed everything back in the binder. "I wouldn't have gone through the trouble of luring you here just to kill you. I want you to learn the truth of this place first."

He tossed it in their direction. The first item to plop out was a picture frame - which contained a copy of the very same picture of Kira's mother, holding the newborn Kira and Cagalli in her arms. Then, amongst all the data sheets, a picture of a young blond boy riding on the shoulders of his equally blond father. This, Mu recognized.

_That's...my dad..._

"This ruined colony is a forbidden, sacred place," Rau began. "It is the remains of a dream held by fools who believed themselves to be gods."

Kira stood there, his hands trembling.

Tell me something, Kira Yamato...did you know that your parents were not your biological parents?"

Rau calmly fired the last few rounds in his clip, causing the young Coordinator to dive for cover. Kira had suspected as much after seeing the picture, but he never fully came to terms with the idea.

"I didn't think so," he said smugly as he loaded a fresh clip. "If you knew, you wouldn't have turned out like you did. You would not have been so normal, so mentally stable. When I first heard your name from Athrun, it didn't immediately occur to me that you were that boy; I had assumed you and your sister had perished along with your biological father, Dr. Ulen Hibiki. You were, after all, Blue Cosmos' biggest target at the time."

At long last, Rau felt it was time to cut loose, to let the mask of his cool, calm self fall away, revealing the psychopath beneath. He had even been practicing.

"But you survived and grew up," the masked man said in a more dramatic manner, confusing Mu and Kira further; "You threw yourself into the war, and still you survived! Tell me, why do you think that is?"

"I-i-it's because of my friends!" Kira replied, trying very hard not to seem flustered. "The people in DREAM who helped me get this far!"

Rau fired a few more shots and let out a laugh as Kira dived for cover again. He knew that as long as he didn't let his guard completely down, the boy whose destiny was intertwined with his would not bring himself to fire.

"Oh, you do make me laugh, Kira Yamato," the masked ZAFT pilot said with great amusement. "But no, that's not the real answer...the answer lies within your true nature."

"What, then?!" Kira cried. "What am I?!"

"You are the dream of humanity...the Ultimate Coordinator."

Kira gasped.

"It was Dr. Hibiki, your father, who perfected the artificial womb for such a purpose," Rau continued, relishing the look of horror on the Ultimate Coordinator's face. "However, there were numerous failures before he got it right, none of which survived. But you, his own son, out of the countless children, survived!"

Mu, sick of hearing Rau rant like this, popped up and fired several shots - but again, Rau was able to dodge the bullets by ducking behind a corner. But instead of confronting him, Mu realized that it was time to go.

"Kira, don't let him confuse you!" Mu yelled as he pulled Kira down. "You're seriously going to take that psychopath's nonsense at face value?"

It was then that the pilot of the Freedom saw the notes on Asuka's mother, and remembered the conversation they had before they left.

_Asuka and the others have every right to know this truth..._

Kira picked up the paper, quickly folded it and stuffed it into one of the pockets of his pilot suit as he and Mu took off running.

Rau was about to give chase when he remembered something - he had to deliver the key to his stooge. The masked man found a spot where he could send a signal, and did so.

"This is Creuset; Go ahead and move in," the masked man said. "...And notify my guest to prepare for her departure. It is of the utmost importance that she be ready to leave upon my return."

* * *

"Three _Nazca_-class are near us?!" Murrue exclaimed when she heard the news from the bridge. "Great...just when he think we have the Earth Alliance out of our hair, ZAFT shows up."

"We could really use those Carpenters right about now," Bright sighed. "I suppose we can't send someone to look for Kira and the others?"

"No, we cannot," Lacus said,. "We will need as much fighting strength as we can for the battles ahead. Even if we lose Kira, Mu and Nicol, we must continue to fight. We also don't know when or where the _Dominion _will attack again."

"Nor will we know what we'll be up against," Zero added. "Our enemy has the ability to summon mobile suits out of nowhere, and its not outside the realm of possibility could face something that rivals even a Super Robot or the Turn A in power."

"Then we'll just have to make a run for it," Bright said decisively. "Let's finish up whatever repairs we can and then get away as fast as possible."

"But we can't just leave Mu and the others here!" Murrue suddenly protested. "They..."

"You have something to say, Captain Ramius?" Zero asked, wondering what Murrue was thinking when she said that.

"...Never mind," Murrue replied, her heart aching at the thought of leaving Kira and Mu behind, even though they had no choice at this point...

* * *

"By the way, Mu la Flaga, " Rau declared as he walked down the stairs into the darkened chamber, his weapon ready to fire at a moment's notice; "Since you've been my nemesis for so long, I'll tell you my secret!"

"Damn him..." Mu growled under his breath as Rau began his revelation...

"You see, I was not born naturally either," the masked pilot began. "I was genetically modified in the embryonic stage as well. My existence was the result of the dreams of foolish men who wanted man to go beyond George Glenn, the first Coordinator!"

Rau flicked a switch, turning on one of the video screens, shedding some light into the room.

"That man had no idea whatsoever that he would be responsible for so much chaos, a chaos that would engulf the world in all-consuming darkness! First, people wanted to have their children custom-made...they wanted the child of their dreams!"

Rau flipped a second switch, brightening the room even more as another screen turned on. He spotted Kira's shadow sticking out against the wall, and started to approach slowly, knowing that Mu was probably close by.

"But it was a dream that people bought at a steep price, so it's only natural that people would desire for it to come true! No one wants their personal dreams destroyed, am I right?"

Kira briefly considered risking it to shoot Rau, but he had to duck down again as a bullet missed his hand by millimeters.

"That was what drove them forward!" Rau continued, his voice getting louder and more maniacal; "The demands that people labeled it their fondest wishes and demanded that they come true!

_Damn it...will this guy ever shut up? _Mu thought.

"And what have they gained from all of it? What lies beyond the dream? What awaits us at the end of progress?!"

Rau grinned widely.

"...**OBLIVION.**"

_No...that's not...that's not..._

"Its a cycle that repeats throughout our history," Rau ranted; "People become curious about something, and become eager to obtain it...and then by the time they finally get it, they forget why they wanted it in the first place!"

"SHUT UP!" Mu cried, firing at Rau, but still missing. The masked man fired back, blowing out the screens he had turned on, and destroying glass jars, cupboards and other delicate scientific instruments. Mu rushed to another corner while his nemesis turned to focus on him; Kira was too paralyzed by despair to do much anyway.

"They become envious, then they hate each other, and then they kill each other!" Rau retorted. "It's a cycle that's hard-wired into our very genetic code! So...why deny ourselves? Let's all kill each other until we're all satisfied! It's what we all really want!"

"What gives you the right to make that judgment?!" the Strike Gundam's pilot yelled as he fired the last few shots in his clip.

"It was the will of the great god!" Rau declared with a crazed cackle as one of the bullets whizzed by him, just above his ear, clipping off some of his blond locks. "I am the only one in the universe who possesses that right! I alone have been graced with the ultimate understanding of human nature! I alone have the right to pass judgment on the human race!"

_The great god...could he mean Atik Yomin? _Mu thought as he reloaded.

"You see, Mu...your father, Al Da Flaga, was an arrogant fool," Rau continued, approaching Mu's position. "When the Flaga family was disowned by the Britannian royalty because of his wife's inferior status, Al sought to redeem himself in his own mind by obtaining immortality. As result, I was born...yes, my dear nemesis, I am a defective clone of your foolish father."

That his father had created such a monster, and that the monster he was fighting was, in essence, his father...both declarations chilled Mu's very soul...

* * *

"Captain, three _Nazca_-class ships are headed this way!" one of the _Dominion_'s operators called out as Muruta Azrael continued to shake, rub and fondle the crystal cube he had used to summon those mobile suits.

"Maintain our position and see what they do," Natarle commanded. "We can't afford to make the first move." She then turned to Azrael. "Sir, how did you summon those mobile suits? None of those suits matched any of our records, and had performance beyond anything in our arsenal!"

"They still weren't very dependable, I'll say that much," Azrael quipped with a frown. "Perhaps when I figure out how to really make this thing work, I'll do better. As for what this is, I'm afraid you don't have sufficient clearance for that knowledge. But still, you are right to do so. We've lost most of our mobile suits, save for our three X-Numbers. And in the business world, you usually don't want to act first if you can't afford to take the loss."

Natarle sighed and turned back toward the front of the ship, watching as the _Nazca_-class drew ever nearer, and began to wonder if she was truly on the right side of this conflict...

* * *

"The pilot of the Freedom is the person who piloted the Strike on that day," Nicol continued; "And he's a Coordinator as well. On top of all that, he and Athrun were friends since they were little."

Yzak couldn't believe it. All this time, he had been fighting Athrun's old friend.

"But me? I'm not quite as devoted or resigned to the cause as they are," the green-haired Coordinator continued; "But in traveling with him and the rest of DREAM, I watched a lot of things; I saw the events in Alaska and at Orb...after seeing what happened there, I truly realized that Lacus Clyne was right - we can't go on fighting like this. I could never rejoin ZAFT now and just do as I'm told."

"Nicol!"

* * *

"Y-you'd think I'd believe that bull?!" Mu retorted.

"I don't want to believe it either, my friend," Rau said as he drew closer. "But that's the reality of things. But another reality is that the final door will open, and I shall be the one to open it, bringing this world of infinite ambition to an end! This shall give the conceited fools who flounder about in it their deepest, most heartfelt wish!"

Kira snapped out of his brief funk when he heard those words. He finally understood it: Rau was a monster of the worst kind, more than any other enemy he had met so far.

"No, I won't allow it!" he cried, bounding out of cover and firing several shots. Rau, however, was the quicker draw. Rau's shot and Kira's first shot grazed their target's arm; but the second hit the masked man near his eye, grazing his forehead and blowing his mask clean off. It was then, and only then, that Mu got a good look at the face of his archenemy.

Rau's face looked exactly like his father's, right down to the sapphire-blue eyes, which looked almost sad for a moment.

"Heh...what do you think you can do about it?" the clone of Al Da Flaga chuckled, his blue eyes and voice seething with equal malice. "There's nothing you can do! There's nothing ANYONE can do! The spiral of hatred will continue to spread across the Earth Sphere, consuming everything in darkness!"

Leaving his mask, Rau took off running. Mu tried to shoot him while his back was turned, but his wound suddenly throbbed in pain, causing him to collapse.

"Mu!" Kira exclaimed as he picked up his comrade and started to help him walk out. But as they walked by Rau's fallen mask, Mu suddenly nudged Kira.

"Get that for me, would ya?"

"Um...okay," Kira said in a confused manner, gently bending down and picking up the white mask.

"Thanks," Mu said with a smirk. "I just...wanted a little memento of this encounter. After all, I finally saw what was beneath the mask of that...grk!"

"Take it easy, Mu," Kira said, helping Mu stand again. "Save your strength."

* * *

Nicol, seeing that he couldn't convince Yzak, turned around and walked back towards the Harmony as the scarred Coordinator struggled with himself over whether or not to pull the trigger. Both young men stumbled as the colony began to shake.

Just then, a voice sounded from his communicator. It was Rau's.

"Yzak, do you hear me? We're leaving."

Nicol sensed it.

"Yzak, I still think of you as my friend and comrade-at-arms," Nicol said, turning back to his old friend. "But if you insist on being my enemy, then feel free to shoot me."

"Nicol! You're being deceived!" Yzak cried.

"I dunno," Nicol sighed as he stepped on the cable he used to get up to his cockpit. "I wonder who's really being deceived..."

* * *

"Nicol! Kira! Commander! Answer me!" Mirallia cried, desperately trying to get a hold of any of the trio.

"This is Harmon...I can...ear you, just...real well!" Nicol's voice came over the communicator, some of the words cut off by static. "There, can you hear me now?"

"Yes! Please, hurry back! If you don't, the others are going to leave without you!"

"Everyone, please wait and let us board!" Kira's voice then called out. "I've got Mu with me...but he's injured!"

_Please hang on, Mu, _Murrue thought, dreading what Mu's condition was. _I...I..._

* * *

Flay was surprisingly ambivalent about leaving, more than she ever expected to be after spending months in the company of her captor. Not only had he treated her with kindness and respect, but Rau had shown her what it was like on the other side of the Earth/PLANT conflict, and it had opened her eyes.

Coordinators in general were not monstrous at all - they had homes, families, and dreams just like Kira did. Oddly, Rau spoke little of these things in relation to himself. Indeed, she had never seen his face beneath the mask.

At least not until Rau burst in, suffering what she recognized as one of his attacks. She got a fleeting glimpse of his blue eyes, as she watched in horrified pity while her host groped through his desk drawer for his pills, and desperately swallowed seven of them. He then reached into the drawer and pulled out one of at least four other masks just like the one he had lost before clipping it on, his hands trembling as the pills went to work.

Finally, he calmed down and pressed a button on his desk, holding it down. They spoke about whether her pod was ready.

After a brief exchange, Rau released the button, smirked and turned to her, making her tremble. As much as he treated her kindly and respectfully, Flay never could look at Rau in the eye without feeling uneasy. He opened his drawer for a third time, took out the disk containing the N-Jammer Canceler plans and handed it to her.

"My dear, I require your assistance one more time," he said in his smooth, gentle tone. "This disk contains what I am wagering will be the key to the final door. Once it reaches the Earth Alliance's hands, the war will end. Now...hurry!"

Those words ran through her mind again as she watched the stars go by as she floated through space towards the _Dominion. _She soon saw the ship come into view...and then she noticed its cannons seemed to be aiming directly at her.

"Wait!" Flay cried, opening a special rescue channel. "Don't shoot! I'm Flay Allster! Please, I beg you, don't shoot! I...I have a key with me that can end the war!"

* * *

"Allster..." Azrael said thoughtfully when he heard Flay's desperate cries. "Allster...isn't she..."

"Yes. She's the daughter of the late Vice Foreign Minister, George Allster. She was on the _Archangel _at about the same time I was; but last I saw her was in Alaska. This could easily be a trap."

"She also mentioned that she has a key to end the war," the leader of Blue Cosmos replied, having a hunch as to what the key was. "That's a statement one doesn't make lightly. Doesn't it make you curious? I certainly am. Have a squad bring it aboard."

"Captain, the _Nazca_-class vessels are withdrawing!" one of the operators called out. "It looks like they weren't lying for once."

"This is Captain Badguriel of the Earth Alliance assault ship _Dominion_," Natarle said, identifying herself and the ship to Flay. "I've just received orders to retrieve your pod. A retrieval squad will be receiving you as soon as we can."

"Natarle? Oh god, Natarle! It's you!" Flay cried ecstatically, overjoyed to hear a familiar voice. "Thank you, thank you, oh god, thank you!"

"Just make sure you bring me that key, Miss Allster," Azrael chimed in. "I've been expecting it for some time now..."

* * *

_Creuset's finally gone off the deep end, the Earth Alliance has the N-Jammer Canceler plans, and DREAM is too busy rushing off to crush the Martian Successors to do anything about it! How badly will this turn out? We won't find out for a bit. Next time...we FINALLY (for real this time, I swear) begin the final events of Nadesico and Macross 7! _


	104. Chapter 71

_Ladies and gentlemen, it's finally time. It's finally time to give Haruki Kusakabe what's coming to him! How badly will he suffer? And what of the Protodevlin? Find out today!_

* * *

**Chapter 71 – Fated Battle on Martian Tundra! Secrets of the Protoculture! (Part 1)**

In the deepest level of the Martian ruins, a young girl with blond hair in short pigtails paced about, looking rather worried. The last thing she could remember was being given a metal plate on a length of cord before being shoved into that strange white light.

"Give it to the sign of peace," she muttered to herself. "I dunno what that means...I just hope that sign gets here soon...and maybe it'll know where Akito is..."

* * *

The eight ships decided to meet on the surface of one of Mars' twin moons rather than around the planet itself, in order to avoid attracting the enemy's attention before the attack.

"Since the Martian Successors are still preparing for a full-scale invasion of Earth, they probably have all their red-shirts still hanging around, so we'll be facing the bulk of their forces," Jiro explained to the commanders, drawing upon his memory of the battle that he had survived in the alternate timeline. "But since we still have OUR dear Captain Misumaru, they don't have any Class-A jumpers."

"But they have Threshold tech, remember?" Bright said; "They may not even need to use boson jumping to get around."

"Oh, well...that puts a damper on anything I could contribute," Jiro sighed.

"So then it's the usual plan," Yurika said. "We just power on through like we always do."

"Not this time, Captain," Ruri said; "Yamato and I worked on a little secret weapon that should knock them out easy. We may not have to expend any energy actually fighting them. We'll be able to save our resources for the Protodevlin."

"What kind of secret weapon?" Zero asked. "I never thought Kira would be the type to create such a thing."

"It's not a weapon of typical warfare, but of cyber-warfare. To make a long story short, it is a weaponized computer virus, called StuxEd, which is specially programmed to take out the entire Martian Successor force without us having to fire a single shot. It will hack into, hijack and disable anything and every one of their systems."

"A computer virus?" Zero added, remembering that he had used such a tactic as well. "A fine idea. But how could you know what sort of defenses they have?"

"It doesn't matter. This is the sort of program that acts with a sledgehammer rather than as a surgical knife - fitting for our group, I think..."

* * *

To think that he'd come this far, just by following his big brother. It was still unbelievable to Rolo that he could ever leave Earth, let alone come all the way to Mars. What was more, he had gained so many comrades who were willing to overlook his bloodstained past enough to accept them into the fold.

His acceptance was helped along by Nunnally's enthusiastic support; the way she always spoke up for him, the way she always tried to cheer him up, and the way she would always hear him out...they all were things he had never truly experienced prior to meeting Nunnally.

More than ever, Rolo understood why his big brother was so fanatical about making his sister happy. Indeed, the boy ex-assassin couldn't help but wonder if there were other ways he could make Nunnally happy, especially now that Shinji was gone.

On the _Nadesico_, he plopped himself in a seat beside one of the few people besides Nunnally and Lelouch that he found himself able to connect to, while the other was working on lunch. The third was lazily scribbling on a sketchpad.

"My body is blazing with passion!" Jiro declared before he felt his stomach growl as his pal placed the plate of mouthwatering food before him. "No...wait...that's just hunger."

"Hello, Gai; hey, Akito...give me the usual." Rolo said. The only reason he had bonded with Gai was because he was Akito's friend, and they both liked _Gekiganger_.

"Ah, how goes it, Rolo?" Jiro said. "Ready for the big rumble against the Martian Successors today?"

"I guess. Listen...can I trust you two to keep something a secret?"

"I don't know if you can trust Gai," Akito laughed as he watched his pal devour his food at breakneck speed. "But I'll hear you out."

Rolo looked back, and saw several other DREAMers sitting at the various tables, chatting it up. He leaned over and beckoned Akito closer. Tara's ears perked and she listened in.

"Akito...I...um...I like Nunnally. A lot."

"She's your sister, right?" Akito said with a reassuring smile. "There's nothing wrong with showing affection toward your sibling..."

"Um...it's not like that..."

Akito looked dismayed at what Rolo seemed to be implying. "Please tell you're not actually related to her."

"N-not by blood anyway."

Tara began to imagine Rolo and Nunnally together, doing all sorts of cute things young couples would do.

"Omigawd, that's so cute!" Tara blurted out loudly. "C'mon, Rolo! Tell her! Tell her how you really feel! You and Nunnally are perfect for each other! It's like..."

Rolo blushed with deep embarrassment and mortification as Tara continued to shout out the praises of Rolo's affection for his adopted sister. In desperation, he activated his Geass, then bolted out of the cafeteria.

Once he had gotten out of range, Tara suddenly ceased her squealing once she realized he was gone, and then further realized that she had essentially blurted out his darkest secret to everyone present, especially when she saw Akito looking absolutely dumbfounded at her behavior.

* * *

"My friends! It is our job to bring peace and order to the universe," Kusakabe declared to the armies of the Martian Successors gathered across the base, "and to build a prosperous future for all of humanity through the power of boson jumping!"

If there was one thing Haruki Kusakabe was extremely good at, it was making a rousing speech - though the same could be said of other madmen in these conflicts.

"However, there is one major obstacle to our goal - the meddlesome Earth Alliance government and their lackeys, the paramilitary force known as DREAM! They came to us under the pretext of peace, only to have our people slaughtered by abominations never known to our kind before, and even used one of our men as their pawns! They are nothing but deceivers and villains! We must never forget that there is only ONE TRUE RIGHTEOUS PATH!"

The crowd let out a great cheer...save for Genichiro. Instead, he silently wondered why he was following along with the admiral now...after all, he had spared his best friend's life.

_I wonder...maybe it should have been me who died that day_, the Jovian officer said to himself, _instead of all those people..._

* * *

Misato heard a knock on the door of her quarters on the _Wunder_. She opened the door and saw Mari standing there in her plugsuit, a big smile on her face and carrying several boxes.

"Can I help you?" she asked, puzzled as to what she was doing here.

"Oh, just making a special delivery," the pilot of Unit 08 answered. She strode into her captain's room and put the boxes down on her bed.

"Um..."

"Open 'em!" Mari said, still grinning. "They're presents from Amuro!"

Misato's heart skipped a beat. On the one hand, she knew that the Londo Bell commander was already taken, but on the other hand, something about him just left her knees weak. Considering that her last boyfriend had perished in the aftermath of Second Impact, she had no one in her life to fill the void Ryoji did.

She opened the boxes one by one. In it, she found a red coat with black buttons and a metal collar, a red hat with some sort of metal insignia on it, a black turtleneck sweater, long black tights and high-heeled boots to match. It looked quite similar to her current outfit, but she could tell it it just pulsed with authority. It was a nice present, but Misato was somewhat disappointed that a bathing suit wasn't among the packages.

"Hey, you're the captain of the _Wunder_, aren't ya?" Mari chirped. "So Amuro thought you should have a proper captain's outfit. I just happened to remember what your outfit was like in...you know..."

"Thanks, Mari. I'll try it on right now."

* * *

"New weapons?" Ryoko said with interest as she, Asuka, and Izumi watched the _Nadesico_'s mechanic crew outfit the five Aestavalis with new, halberd-like weapons.

"Yup. It took a long ass time, but I've developed a weapon that can pierce a Distortion Field instantly, and probably any other kind of barrier that works under the same principle!" Uribatake explained. "I call it...the Field Lancer!"

"Geez, all you did was take a progressive knife and tie to a huge stick," Asuka said, rolling her eyes. "Some inventor you are."

"Well excuuuuuuse me, princess!" the mechanic yelled. "While I sometimes have stand on the shoulders of giants to do my work, you have no right to call my blood, sweat and tears a rip-off!"

"Hey, it was MY mother that developed the principles behind the progressive knife! I'm not going to let a dirty old man like you just rip off my mother's hard work!"

"Why you little..."

The two continued to argue. Ryoko suddenly heard the sound of someone munching on popcorn. She turned and saw Izumi pop a piece into her mouth as she watched intently.

"Um...where did you get that?"

"Mmmm...kettle corn. Want some? I think this is going to get good."

Sure enough, Asuka and Uribatake started brawling, kicking up a cloud of dust as they comically wrestled, tussled and punched, yelling and cursing as they fought. Meanwhile, Ryoko was too baffled by Izumi's behavior to make any moves to stop the fight.

"Heh-heh...nice!" Izumi said. "This is more fun than a barrel of funnels!"

"Um...don't you mean a barrel of monkeys?" Ryoko asked.

"Come on...you can't spell 'funnels' without 'fun'!" the other Aestivalis pilot said with an impish chuckle.

_God...she must be desperate, _Ryoko thought. Not wanting to deal with any more craziness, she walked away, leaving the two combatants to duke it out with Izumi munching away...

* * *

In the depths of the _Arc Gurren_, the head of Lordgenome slept, quietly processing the data he and Zengar had gathered. Suddenly, he woke up and noticed that someone had simply appeared inside the room: Kaworu.

"Hello there...it seems you've gotten much smaller since I last saw you."

"...Tabris," the biocomputer said, pausing that process to speak with the boy-Angel. "What is one born from Adam doing fighting alongside those born of Lilith?"

"I am the Angel of Free Will," Kaworu answered with a smile. "I chose to help the Lilim overcome their fate, and to help bring the one SHE treasures most to his senses. Why do you help those who oppose the Anti-Spiral?"

"Because unlike you," Lordgenome replied; "I am not in this state of my own free will. Of course, I bear no resentment to those who brought me back."

"Perhaps you've finally escaped your thousand-year doldrums, Spiral King?"

"Perhaps," the disembodied head said with a smirk. "This has been a very interesting experience overall. But tell me...is the pilot of the Lifthrasir..."

"Yes, and she is already somewhat aware of her nature," the Angel-boy added. "However, it appears the enemy has been stretching the truth somewhat. I assume the same goes for the pilot of Granlif."

"I have told him what I know about his nature."

"Good. The day when Lilim can choose a future other than annihilation draws ever closer."

* * *

"Sir, we're detecting eight Earthling vessels descending from the atmosphere several clips southeast!" one of Kusakabe's subordinates called out.

"They were foolish to attack while our battle power was still concentrated here...ready our forces. We'll lay waste to them here and now."

Descending from the atmosphere came DREAM's small fleet of ships, with the _Battle 7 _and _Nadesico _leading the charge. They stopped just short of the ruins as they spotted the Jovian battle-fortress hovering in front of the ruins.

"Hello, everyone!" Yurika chirped as her image appeared onscreen inside the battle fortress. "I'm Yurika Misumaru, captain of the United Federation of Nations flagship _Nadesico_! Jovian Vice Admiral Kusakabe, if you'd be so kind as to come with us, we can..."

"Ha!" Kusakabe replied defiantly. "I shall not surrender to an evil Earthling!"

"Then will you listen to me, Vice-Admiral?"

"What?!"

At that moment, Tsukumo's Daitetsujin came to the front lines.

"You?!"

"Vice Admiral, what kind of justice involves destroying those who seek peace, and abandoning your people? I say there is no justice in that! But I understand now...the justice that DREAM embodies is the same kind that _Gekiganger _teaches us! They went out of their way to fight against the monsters who destroyed our people's homes, and then granted them the chance to start again!"

"Naive fool! Justice is worthless if it cannot achieve one's ends! Justice that cannot ensure everlasting order is pointless! Therefore, in this case, the ends DO justify the means!"

"Haruki Kusakabe," Zero suddenly chimed in. "I heard you say 'the ends justify the means', didn't I?"

"What's your point, Earthling?" the leader of the Martian Successors replied coldly.

"Those who believe that do not subscribe to any form of justice at all!" Zero declared indignantly; "They are villains who only twist and distort the truth for their own selfish purposes! Your whole endeavor has been nothing but a mad grab for power!"

"SILENCE!" the Jovian roared. "We will not be denied!"

"Okay, then. You asked for it," Yurika said with a smile. "Ruri, would you be so kind as to introduce Mister Kusakabe to our dear friend Ed?" With that, she disappeared off their screen.

Ruri smirked as she and Omoikane unleashed DREAM's secret weapon. Suddenly, something appeared on the Martian Successor's communication screen: the same yellow-skinned cartoon boy from before.

_"Hello, my name is Ed!"_

"Sir, something's hijacking our systems!" one of the Jovian operators called out as Kusakabe watched with a look of pure bewilderment on his face as Ed began to wreak havoc.

_"Buttered toast!"_

"Sir, the units...we're losing control of them!" another operator cried. "All of ours systems are under attack by some sort of virus! Our security measures are being devastated!"

_"Gravy!"_

"Do something, you nimrods!" Kusakabe roared. "Cut the power!"

_"One plus one equals one on a bun!"_

"We can't! The code to the manual override switch has been changed!" the operator cried out in dismay. "We can't open the door to the generator room!"

_"CHUNKY PUFFS!"_

At first, the Jovian leader didn't know what to do, but then he remembered...the gift that Gabriel had given him. The key, she told him, that would unlock the full potential of the ruins.

"Calm down, everyone! Even if their little virus cripples every last one of our defenses, our righteousness, combined with the power of the Q-Parts and the ruins, will see us through to victory!"

From his pocket, he extracted a cube very similar to the one Azrael had. He raised to the light, and it began to shine brilliantly as it reacted to the presence of both the ruins and the Q-Parts...

* * *

"All Jovian weapons in the area have been completely disabled," Minato said. "Looks like our little friend Ed did his job."

"Captain..." Ruri chimed in suddenly before Yurika could even breathe a sigh of relief; "There are a large number of Threshold signatures coming from within the ruins."

Suddenly, dozens upon dozens of Muzurus, Shishikis and _Gekiganger_-type machines began to pour out of ten or so different Thresholds.

"You're kidding...that's the same crap the Earth Alliance forces pulled on us!" Domon exclaimed. "How the hell is he doing that?!"

"You fools!" Kusakabe laughed. "By combining the power of the ruins and the Q-Parts we have obtained, we Martian Successors can reach beyond time and space to borrow manpower from our fellows wherever or WHEN-ever they might be!"

"Okay, new plan..." Yurika said once she heard this. "Any ideas?"

"Let's just blow the thing to bits!" Viral suggested. "If the ruins are so important to these Martian Successor jerks, then let's make sure they can't use it!"

"Those ruins may be a relic of great value!" Max protested; "We need to get to the ruins and stop whatever it is that's allowing their reinforcements to keep coming before we're overwhelmed!"

"Akito," Uribatake called out; "It's time to put the Field Lancer to the test!"

The Aestivalis pilot spurred his machine over to the ruins, dodging several Muzurus. When a Shishiki barreled straight towards him, he readied the Field Lancer and thrust it hard. The weapon slipped through the Distortion Field with alarming ease, destroying it in one heavy blow.

"Ha-ha! Works like a charm!" the _Nadesico_'s mechanic cheered.

"Akito Tenkawa!" ChoRyuJin called out as he engaged a Tetsujin that would have otherwise attacked Akito. "You must reach the deepest level of the ruins to stop these enemies! Shatter those barriers with your new weapon!"

As the Aestivalis pilot reached the first layer, he saw Mylene's Thunderbolt VF flying near him.

"Mylene?! What are you doing?!" he exclaimed. "You were supposed to stay on the _Battle 7..._orat least until the Protodevlin show up!"

"The ruins...ever since we got here they've been calling out to me," Mylene replied.. "Besides, Exedol told me to go...that the ones who created these ruins have been waiting many ages for me."

"Okay, fine. Just stay back and let me handle these Distortion Fields!"

Akito drove the weapon into the field and pushed as hard as he could against it. Mylene started to sing Totsugeki Love Heart to boost the spirit of the _Gekiganger _fan...

* * *

It was a frantic battle unlike any other. DREAM had to sortie all of its available forces to deal with the endless armies of the Martian Successors. And considering how much trouble they initially had with a small number of them, their frustration was multiplied a million-fold by having to face an army of hundreds, if not thousands. And they had to stall long enough for Akito to get to the lowest level of the ruins.

Nunnally couldn't understand why her Geass wasn't working - she couldn't read their movements at all...it was as if the lines of the future were becoming looped and tangled by the very act of boson jumping.

When a Muzuru appeared behind her, she couldn't react quickly enough to avoid the attack. However, someone did save her - a red Variable Fighter that wasn't Basara's. A barrage of missiles blasted through its Distortion Field, annihilating it instantly.

"Princess Nunnally, are you sure you want to be out here on the battlefield?" a voice she recognized addressed her over the radio.

"Mayor Jenius?! What are you doing out here?! You should be back at Macross!"

"Please, call me Milia," the Zentradi pilot replied. "Right now, I just want to protect my daughter, Mylene."

The memory of her mother's final moments, which had been spent protecting her and Lelouch, flashed in Nunnally's mind, but she shook off the feeling of sadness. It was in the past, and she couldn't let herself be controlled by those memories.

"I have someone I want to protect too," Nunnally replied. "That's why I'm fighting."

"Then hop on. We'll help each other out."

The Mark Nemo hopped aboard Milia's Sturmvogel as they took off into battle once more, flying by the Gundam ALEX B-Type.

"Man, these things are fast!" Christina exclaimed as her machine's AI-controlled funnels missed a Shishiki, which then attacked her, only for her to block it with her beam saber.

"That's because you're relying too much on those fancy funnels of yours, missy!" Chibodee replied as he bashed a Muzuru's face in before turning gold to ready Gundam Maxter's ultimate attack.

"BURSTING! MACHINE GUN! PUUUUNCH!"

Chibodee let out a flurry of attacks that smashed a pair of Tetsujins to bits while Tsukumo's custom Daitetsujin flew overhead. He soon spotted a familiar looking custom Daimajin - Genichiro's.

"Tsukumo Shiratori!"

"Genichiro Tsukomi! Why do you fight for the man who abandoned his people in their darkest hour?!"

"You're the one who abandoned your people!" his friend replied angrily; "Because of you, all that's left of the proud Jovian Federation is our small group of gallant..."

"Gallant?!" Tsukumo exclaimed indignantly; "You call attacking innocent people GALLANT?! Haruki Kusakabe is a liar and a hypocrite! His idea of justice is twisted and corrupt! GEKIGAN BEEEEEAM!"

The Daitetsujin fired a gravity blast which hammered his opponent and sent it spiraling to the ground.

"Surely even you understand this, my friend!" Tsukumo cried when he saw that Genichiro's machine had survived. "Stop fighting for something you don't believe in! If you truly believed in Kusakabe's justice, you would have actually killed me, wouldn't you?!"

The Jovian couldn't help but see the wisdom in his friend's words. He never really did believe in Haruki's words...he just felt he had no other choice.

"Tell me then, Tsukumo...did any of our people survive besides you and the Martian Successors?"

"Yes. Almost four thousand, including Yukina," Tsukumo replied. "The Earth colony Macross has accepted them into their population, and most have begun their lives anew."

"That's good," the Jovian said with a satisfied smile. "Then go, and be happy with your..."

But before Genichiro could finish his sentence, Hokuten's Yatenkou mech Boson Jumped just above him, allowing him to jam his spear into the Daimajin's cockpit, killing Genichiro instantly, much to his friend's abject horror.

"And that's one traitor eliminated," the Martian Successor said with a chuckle before turning his attention to Tsukumo, whose face now wore an expression of berserk grief...

* * *

Just as Akito's Aestivalis expired from all the strain it had been put under, Mylene and Akito finally reached the deepest level of the ruins, where they found the little girl waiting with the golden statue. Already, lines were forming on her body - signs that she was about to boson jump.

As Mylene got out of her pink Thunderbolt, the girl and saw the statue start to glow in her hands, reacting to the presence of the half-Zentradi musician. They had told her that the statue would do so when the sign of peace arrived. She looked up and saw the two approaching quickly.

"Miss lady! Mister Akito!" the girl called out. Akito, to his surprise, vaguely recognized the girl. He couldn't place where he had seen her before, but the pilot knew he had seen her before.

"Um...do I know you?"

"Mister Akito? You don't remember me? It's me, Ai! I'm so glad you made it! I was so scared that I'd never see you again!"

"What are you doing here?" he exclaimed, unsure of what to think.

"I don't know, but I really, really need to give this to that lady!"

Ai frantically shoved the statue into Mylene's hands, then threw herself into Akito's arms, crying and wailing like this child she was. Not knowing what else to do, he embraced her back.

"It's okay, Ai," he said, doing his best to comfort this girl whose face he barely remembered. "Everything's gonna be fine. You're a strong girl, so just hang in there."

"Please don't let me go, Mister Akito, I'm scared! I'm..."

Ai suddenly disappeared in the flash of light that came with a boson jump. It was then, and only then, that Akito remembered her.

"Ai...that girl...she was on Mars with me...on that day..."

Meanwhile, Mylene, in averting her eyes, accidentally tripped and cut her arm on a sharp rock sticking out the ground near the cube.

Instantly, the metal plate started to react and shine, as did the mysterious cube, which then projected a glowing, faceless humanoid figure made of light.

"To the ones who have found this place - the sign of peace has arrived to break the seal, and so I have awakened."

"...The sign of peace?" Akito said, baffled.

"One whose blood is mixed with those of different races," the figure answered; "That is the sign of peace."

"Hey, I bet he means you, Mylene; I mean, your dad's an Earthling, and your mom's a Zentradi, right? That makes you HALF-Zentradi."

Mylene smiled awkwardly.

"The device you see before you is our race's greatest achievement - a means to go beyond the boundaries of this universe and confront enemies from other dimensions and timelines. It was all for the purpose of combating the Protodevlin and the so-called servants of the great god."

"...Atik Yomin..."

"We created the energy beings called Protodevlin to use as weapons to combat the servants of the great god. They would devour the spiritual life force, or Spiritia, from our enemies and allow us to use it to fuel our own weapons."

"But our enemy was very cunning. They turned the Protodevlin against us, and they began to devour our race's Spiritia. The number of creatures possessing Spiritia diminished rapidly, and such lifeforms came very close to extinction in this universe."

"To combat them, we created what you call boson jumping to transcend time and space, so that we could overcome our foes. Boson jumping, you see, actually warps the jumper through time as well as space. This device is used to ensure the jumper reaches its destination."

"However, in the final hour, a mysterious power that slept within a small number of our people was able to force the Protodevlin into a deep sleep - Anima Spiritia. As a result, the last remnants of our people sealed this device away so that it could never be used for destructive ends."

"If the Protodevlin should awaken, all Spiritia-based life forms in the universe will once again be in danger of extinction...and if Anima Spiritia has died out by that time, then there will be no stopping them."

"My message has been delivered, and functionality of this device shall cease. However, before that, I shall send you back to your allies and grant you power to face the Protodevlin."

"Wait!" Akito cried. "If you stop functioning, then all the Boson Jumping that happened throughout time will have never happened...and then..."

"Events that occur as a result of this device's existence shall remain...for you see, every choice that is made results in the birth of a new reality..."

Suddenly, lines began to form all over Akito, causing him, Mylene and their machines to disappear in a brilliant flash of light...

* * *

_Don't worry, there's more to this finale...next time, we can finally begin the last battle of Macross 7! And don't worry, Kusakabe haters...that jerk IS going to get what's coming to him...until next time, folks!_


	105. Chapter 72

_Now, we begin the final events of Macross 7, and give Hokuten and Haruki Kusakabe their well-deserved deaths!_

* * *

**Chapter 72 - ****Fated Battle on Martian Tundra! Secrets of the Protoculture! (Part 2)**

The Varauta and Protodevlin were on the move. The battle between DREAM and the Martian Successors had spurred the alien force into action. On Gepelnitch's orders, they would lay waste to the ruins and ensure that none could stop the Spiritia Farm's completion.

Only Sivil was left behind to keep an eye on Basara. Unbeknownst to her fellows, however, she was the last person they would want keeping an eye on the rock star and linchpin to the whole plan.

"Basara."

The rock star sat up and saw her approaching, carrying an electric guitar.

"Oh, what's up, Sivil?"

"Here," she said, presenting him with the instrument. "Play."

Basara gratefully took it and almost immediately began to sing Power To The Dream and play with more passion than ever. Meanwhile, the now-friendly Protodevlin started to bob her head to the melody...and then suddenly, a faint, but slightly melodic whisper came from her mouth.

"P...power...to the...dream...pow..er...to the...universe..."

"Yeah! Come on! Let's hear it, Sivil!" Basara cheered as Sivil struggled to raise her voice. But the Protodevlin soon felt something filling her. The feeling quickly reached its peak and both started to sing together. Sivil's singing voice was actually superb - it even rivaled that of Mylene and Lacus.

But more importantly, Sivil had discovered something incredible...singing could even allow Protodevlin to self-generate Spiritia!

"Basara! Singing make me produce own Spiritia!"

"Really? Awesome! Guess you won't need me or your little Spiritia Farm anymore."

"Yes! Must tell Lord Gepelnitch! Hurry!"

Sivil unlocked the door to Basara's cell, then surrounded both the singer and herself in the same energy barrier she used to fly through space and took off out of the fortress.

As they flew through the labyrinthine halls, Basara found himself reminiscing about his childhood.

The singer remembered standing before a mountain on an extremely windy day, playing his heart out on an acoustic guitar too big for him...he had always believed that one day he would move that mountain with the power of his singing.

But getting a Protodevlin to sing, to him, was like noticing that the mountain had moved a few inches...

* * *

As soon as Akito and Mylene were warped out by the spirit inhabiting the strange cube, the numerous Martian Successor troops that Kusakabe had yanked from other timelines all disappeared at once, leaving only Hokuten and a few of his personal cronies.

But to further add to Hokuten's troubles, Akito and Mylene reappeared. While the musician was still in her custom Thunderbolt, Akito had a very different machine - a bulky yet sleek Aestivalis-like machine in black and red armor. The only exposed part, its hands, were covered by a pair of arm-mounted machine cannons. Of course, Akito's cockpit changed in a completely unnoticeable manner, so he had no idea that he had a new machine at all.

"Hey, Akito!" Judau quipped, instantly sensing his ally inside the black machine. "Where'd you get that piece of work?"

"Well, I'll be!" Jiro exclaimed when he recognized the machine. "It's the Black Selena!"

"Black Selena? You mean the mech I used in that other timeline?!"

"Indeed, Akito Tenkawa..." Hokuten interrupted. "But don't expect to win just because you have a superior mech. This time I'll wreck it and finish you and your friend Yamada off."

"Oh, really?" Jiro said. "May I remind you that we have some FRIENDS along?"

At this, the other members of DREAM that were along for the ride surrounded Hokuten and his cronies.

"Well, I'll have to admit I'm outmatched this time. But there's always next time. Until then, Earthlings."

But when the sinister pilot tried to Boson Jump, nothing happened, which caused the usually cool and collected Hokuten to finally lose his cool.

"What? N-n-no...I can't jump..."

"Time to finish you off for good, evildoer!" Tsukumo roared. "For the sake of peace, and so that Genichiro can truly rest! Akito Tenkawa! Gai Daigoji! Let's finish him together!"

Hokuten's flunkies rushed in to stop the attack, but a quick Fire Blaster from Mazinkaiser and Breast Fire from Mazinger Z eliminated them all, leaving the now terrified Hokuten all alone.

"GEKIGAN BEEEEEEEEAM!"

Tsukumo fired a massive gravity blast that hammered the Yatenko hard and sent it sailing. Meanwhile, Akito and Jiro rushed in, readying their Distortion Fields for one final attack.

"Taste the true fist of justice, evildoer!" Jiro bellowed.

**"FINAL BLOW! DYNAMIC...GEKIGAN...SPAAAAARK!"**

The Black Selena and Super Aestivalis rammed into the heavily damaged Yatenko simultaneously, catastrophically shattering it into pieces, which then disintegrated into cosmic dust. Even Hokuten himself was ripped apart right down to his very atoms.

"Woo-hoo! Go, Akito!" Yurika cheered. "That was amazing!"

"No signs of movement from the remaining disabled troops," Minato said with a sigh of relief. "It looks like we did it this time."

With that, Ruri reconnected to the disabled Martian Successor base, where a flustered Kusakabe had watched everything in absolute dismay. Even with the power of the ruins and the Q-Parts, his dreams had been shattered.

"So, Kusakabe, are you ready to surrender?" Yurika said once visual contact was established.

The Jovian admiral sighed. Knowing he was facing a foe that even he could not defeat, there was no other option in his mind, as fighting to the death against such powerful foes would be pointless.

"Very well...but I want your word that my subordinates will be taken care of and treated fairly."

"A wise decision, Haruki Kusakabe," Zero said. "However, we cannot say the same for y-"

"Commander," one of the _Ikaruga_'s operators called out. "We've got a huge Protodevlin and Varauta force approaching from the east!"

"Lacus...looks like THAT one is with them," Andrew said grimly.

"Heads up, everyone!" Geki Hyuuma called out; "Looks like big-and-ugly's back!" Indeed, spearheading the force of Variable Fighters and battleships was the titanic Glavil. Also along for the ride was Gilgil and Gavil, each in their own VFs.

"Man, we didn't even get a chance to repair and resupply," Koji growled.

"It doesn't matter," Max said. "We have to put an end to their menace here and now." The spectacles-wearing captain then turned to his Zentradi XO.

"Exedol, take over; I'm going to sortie...have the crew ready my Sturmvogel, then prepare to initiate transformation sequence once I've launched."

"We might want to hold off on that for a moment," the wrinkled giant said. "It seems our large friend is up to his old tricks."

Max turned back to the monitor and saw Glavil was charging up a mouth blast, hoping to blast all eight ships in one shot.

"All units! Evasive maneuvers!" Bright cried.

Glavil unleashed the massive shot - which also happened to be where the Jovian battle-fortress was. However, it was even less mobile than the sluggish battleships - meanwhile, its Distortion Field couldn't handle a direct hit like that, and it quickly started to break down. Unsurprisingly, it couldn't remain airborne; the fortress crashed a little ways from the ruins, reduced to a smoldering wreck on impact.

Kusakabe didn't have time to cry out before a nearby explosion caused by the force of the crash utterly consumed him - silencing the Martian Successors at last.

"So much for putting him on trial," Hyoma quipped awkwardly as he and the rest of DREAM gazed at the remains of their enemy.

"We can contemplate it later," Gamlin said as he readied his own Sturmvogel for combat against the Protodevlin; "There are bigger problems staring us in the face..."

* * *

Seeing the destruction that FLEIJA had caused made Nina realize the gravity of her crime in opposing Euphemia's wishes for peace. But tonight, she would set the wheels in motion to set things right, and perhaps even win the recognition (or perhaps even the affection) of her goddess.

The girl struggled against the stormy waters in a small inflatable raft, with a briefcase chained to her arm to prevent it from slipping away, her desire to be united once more with Euphemia being the sole thing that kept her sore body rowing.

But suddenly, a large wave capsized her tiny vessel, plunging her into the cold waters. However, her life-vest kept both her and the case from sinking, buoying her near the surface.

Of course, being the smart girl she was, Nina knew that unless help arrived, she would either die of hypothermia or be caught in the ocean current.

_No...I can't die here...not until I warn Princess Euphemia..._

While the wait felt like an eternity, it wasn't long before Nina heard the sounds of VTOL aircraft flying overhead. She looked up, and saw they were not military craft, but rescue craft...and they had the insignia of the United Federation of Nations on them.

The craft came down, hovering just above the water. A ladder was dropped down, which Nina gratefully took hold of, and managed to pull herself out of the water, her renewed hope also giving her the strength to do so. She was helped up by a few of the rescue workers...one of which recognized her and she recognized.

"Nina!"

"Shirley?!" Nina exclaimed as the craft took off. "What's going on?! Why are you..."

"I volunteered with the UFN Coast Guard. What are YOU doing out here?"

"I...I have some important information for Princess Euphemia and DREAM. Please, take me to Giga Float!"

"Hey, Fanette," one of Shirley's coworkers, a Japanese man, said. "You know this girl?"

"Yes...this is Nina Einstein. She's one of my old classmates...and I think she's also one of the heads of Invogue."

"...You're the girl who created that bomb?!" the man exclaimed. "You...you scum...because of you, my wife and children are gone! There's not a speck of them left! "

"I-I-I'm sorry," Nina replied with a sob, knowing all too well the gravity of the slaughter caused by FLEIJA. "I truly am...that's why I have to see Euphemia! To make sure no one else has to suffer because of me!"

The man scowled at the anguished scientist, but made no further moves towards her.

* * *

C.C. yelped in terror as she saw the Turn A Gundam zoom by the monitor screen in Zero's chamber on the _Ikaruga_, wiping out a small contingent of enemy VFs with the Moonlight Butterfly. Bereft of her memories, she was nothing more than a time-displaced slave girl who could do nothing but sit on the sidelines and watch as her master and his friends fought with all their might against this horde of iron demons on this strange blue and red world.

As she tumbled backwards from the shock, C.C. struck the wall, jarring the door open, revealing a full length body mirror, which her gaze quickly locked on to. It was the first time since losing her memory that she had seen her own reflection. For a moment, C.C. didn't recognize herself, since she assumed she was still not an adult quite yet.

But her thoughts were interrupted when the door to the room opened, revealing Zero there, wheeling a small cart with a single covered dish on it. The Shinkiro had taken substantial damage during the battle, and Zero opted to return to the _Ikaruga _to have it repaired. Of course, C.C. was too easily spooked to recognize the voice, and remained hiding behind the sofa.

"I brought you some food to eat," he said kindly; "It should help calm your nerves."

When C.C. didn't move from her hiding place, Zero removed his mask, revealing Lelouch beneath it.

"It's only me," he said, reassuring his amnesiac companion. He then pulled the cover off the dish, revealing the food beneath - a eight-inch pizza looked positively decadent, with sauce and mozzarella poking out of the lovingly kneaded crust; the center was covered in three different cheeses, with pepperoni & chives on half of the slices, while crisp broccoli and rich, fatty sausage decorated the other half. The girl looked like she was staring at the food of the gods...she had been served good food before, but nothing like this.

"You don't remember, do you?" Lelouch said as he picked up a slice and took a bite.

C.C.'s stomach growled a bit from hunger, much to her embarrassment. But Lelouch smiled and placed the food down on the table.

"It's pizza...I had Tenkawa make one before we got here. Go ahead - try it."

The girl smiled with amazement, and hurried over to the table, kneeled down and took a few eager sniffs of the pizza. It smelled as heavenly as it looked.

"It's all right...you can eat."

"

* * *

kay!" C.C. stammered excitedly. She picked up a slice of the pizza and took a bite. Immediately, the many flavors coursed across her taste buds, and her eyes sparkled with delight...she had never tasted anything so delicious. Fearing that Lelouch might take it from her, the green-haired amnesiac began to stuff the food into her mouth, devouring the entire slice in three bites.

"You like it?" Lelouch asked.

"Oh yes, it's good...really, really good!" C.C. replied as she stuffed another slice into her mouth, too engrossed in all of the rich flavors to notice the shaking of the _Ikaruga_ as its Radiant Wave Shield took hits from a few missiles.

"I'm glad you like it," the student replied. "You go ahead and eat. I'll be back later, okay?"

Lelouch put his mask back on and headed for the bridge. He had to ensure that the _Battle 7_'s trump card would be unleashed without a hitch...

* * *

"Man...when these humans get so good?!" Gilgil growled as he missed the Zeta Gundam yet again with his VF's missiles. "Damn you..."

Kamille wheeled around and readied the Zeta's strongest beam weapon - the Hi-Mega Launcher, which was folded onto its back for convenience.

"Go away!" the Newtype cried as he fired the large cannon. The Protodevlin was barely able to dodge, taking a hit to his machine's right arm.

"Damn iiiiit!" Gilgil roared. "I won't lose to you! I'll never be able to face Lord Gepelnitch until I prove my worth! DIE, HUMAN!" The Protodevlin charged in recklessly, not caring that Kamille was charging up another shot. Unfortunately, the cannon went off before he could get close enough to attack directly. He took the hit at point blank range, destroying his machine and sending him flying.

But being a Protodevlin, Gilgil not only survived the shot, but the impact on landing as well. As he lay there in the cracked ice, fuming over his humiliating defeat, he saw a battleship that he knew very well flying overhead.

_That's...Lord Gepelnitch's flagship!_

* * *

"Well, that battleship screams 'Big bad's personal ship', don't you think, Xemmey?" Tara quipped as she saw Gepelnitch's flagship approach after blasting down a Varauta VF.

"Come in...this is Exedol. Please have Olendra and Mylene hurry to the Macross Cannon.

"Huh? What's going on?" Tara asked. "Is there some plan that I'm in the dark about?"

"The commanders didn't tell you?" Janus said as he followed along, having got the message as well. "I think Captain Jenius wants us to give the Macross Cannon a big ol' power boost with Mylene's help,"

"Not exactly. I want you two to open a Threshold on the body of Gepelnitch. Mylene's song energy will then be added to that of the Macross Cannon."

"So in other words..." Tara said with an impish grin as they reached the _Battle 7_, which had transformed into its robot form; "We're going to give that freak the worst case of indigestion ever?"

"That's an interesting way to put it...but in essence, yes," the Zentradi said. "By overloading it Spiritia, Gepelnitch's body will hopefully break down."

Granlif and Lifthrasir landed at the tip of the Macross Cannon while their pilots readied to perform their role.

"Xengar, Xemmey, you know what to do!" Janus said eagerly as Mylene landed behind them. "Mylene, do your thing!"

"Yes...I'll sing as hard as I can!"

The half-Zentradi musician began to sing, while a blue Sturmvogel watched from a distance.

_Mylene...I know you can do it..._

"Threshold generation complete," Xengar said.

"The Sound Buster Cannon is fully charged," one of the _Battle 7_'s operators called out as she watched her monitor. "Whenever you're ready, Captain!"

Max took a deep breath.

"SOUND BUSTER CANNON...FIRE!"

The Song Energy-boosted Macross Cannon fired a powerful pink sphere which zoomed into a Threshold right in front of the barrel. The energy was instantly sent right into Gepelnitch's body, overwhelming his body with power and causing the flagship to tremble.

But something was going on within Gepelnitch - the energy he had absorbed was causing his body to change and mutate as his Protodevlin form began to awaken.

"Ha-ha!" the Protodevlin's leader cackled. "Such power! Yes! So much Spiritia!"

But his glee turned to dismay as he felt the power continue to grow faster and faster. He then realized that his worst fear was coming...his powers were running out of control, and before long he would become a Spiritia Black Hole.

Indeed, the sheer energy he was giving off caused a weird, Threshold-like dimensional anomaly to form just behind him while his body began to change and grow. After a few moments, his true form, a massive tentacled monstrosity the size of a small city with a face made of black flame, two gleaming yellow eyes and hand-like yellow tentacles, burst out of the ship.

"No! This...this will only lead to destruction!" Gepelnitch cried as his humanoid body was slowly into his gigantic Protodevlin form. "My Spiritia Dreaming..."

"Holy crap, what the hell is that?!" Ryoma exclaimed.

"Max...what's going on with Gepelnitch?!" Hayato yelled.

"Oh dear...I've made a grave mistake..." Exedol lamented. "Instead of overloading Gepelnitch like we thought, all we've accomplished is cause its power to run out of control!"

"So then...Gepelnitch will truly revive..." Max lamented.

Gavil and Glavil also realized the gravity of the situation as the many yellow tendrils spread out across the area, grasping every sentient individual they could.

"Lord Gepelnitch, please stop!" Gavil cried as he struggled to break free. "You're going to suck the universe dry!"

For Simon, watching Gepelnitch's Protodevlin form spiral out of control was particularly jarring.

_This...this is just like...the Spiral Nemesis!_

* * *

Nina sat in a waiting room near the office where Euphemia was working. As she waited, the girl nervously drummed on the briefcase she had in her lap. It would be the first time in months that she would see her. But even so, the girl was trembling with anxiety and excitement.

A Black Knights member suddenly entered the room.

"The princess will see you now, Miss Einstein."

Nina stood up and entered the room, her heart racing as she saw Euphemia standing there, a kind smile on her face as always. With Suzaku gone to who knows where and Shapiro rotting, she had her beloved all to herself."

"Good evening to you, Princess," Nina said, nervously curtsying.

"It's nice to see you again, Nina," Euphie replied. "And you don't need to be all formal with me. Just call me Euphie."

Nina swallowed nervously, then placed the briefcase on the princess' desk and removed the cuff that kept her precious cargo close to her. She unlocked the sealed case and opened it, revealing a slew of slightly damp papers and data disks.

"What's all this, Nina?"

"Critical information regarding Prince Schneizel's plans."

Euphemia took out one of the disks and inserted it into her nearby computer. After a few moments, data began to be displayed on screen, including a computer-generated image of what appeared to be a vaguely fish hook-shaped flying fortress with a castle on top, and some weird machinery toward the bottom.

"What is this?" Euphemia said, puzzled as to what she was looking at.

"Prince Schneizel is using the Emperor's absence to set his own agenda in motion," Nina explained. "He intends to use this battle fortress, which he calls the Sword of Damocles, to control the Earth Sphere."

"No...my brother would never..." the princess gasped, never realizing just how insane Schneizel was.

"He plans to achieve his goals by arming this fortress with numerous FLEIJAs, which, when properly positioned, could strike any city on Earth, and even some of the PLANTs. And meanwhile, it is equipped with a Blaze Luminous system to ward off attacks."

"Oh my..." Euphie said, shaking her head in dismay. "But how do you know all this?"

"It's because I helped create both FLEIJA and much of this fortress," Nina said, looking away in shame.

"How far along is its construction?" Euphie asked as she continued to peruse the files.

"About ninety percent done. The Blaze Luminous was being installed the day I fled...but the launch won't be for another few months yet."

"...Nina, you realize you're betraying your homeland, right? Is this r-"

"I...I DON'T CARE! I'd betray Britannia another thousand times if you asked me to!" Nina cried, her emotions once again erupting fiercely. "I'd have killed Schneizel myself if it made you happy! I even tried to kill that monster Shapiro for your sake!"

Euphemia knew that Nina liked her, but she had never known just how strong the girl's feelings were, nor could she understand why. All Euphie had done was keep her spirits up during a hostage situation back before the first Black Rebellion.

"With this information, we might be able to stop my brother and prevent more pointless deaths. Nina, I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

The bespectacled girl's heart soared. She had finally been acknowledged by her idol! It was like a dream come true.

"But...I'm afraid I can't return your feelings...my heart belongs to my Knight, Suzaku Kururugi."

The high that Nina had been experiencing came to an abrupt halt, returning her to the sad reality.

"Even so," Euphemia said kindly; "If there's anything I can do for you, please tell me."

Nina's emotions cried out for her to request that Euphie make sweet love to her, but she knew all too well that it would not make her idol happy.

"Please...l-l-let me work for you," she stammered as she came to grips with reality. "If I can't be with you, let me at least help you make your wish for a better world come true! I...I'll start by developing a countermeasure against FLEIJA!"

The princess smiled for a second before feeling a little weary - she had no way of knowing, but the outer range of Gepelnitch's had already reached Earth...

* * *

"Oh no...we too late..." Sivil gasped when she saw the growing form of Gepelnitch as they approached the icy battlefield.

"Geez, what is THAT thing?!" Basara exclaimed.

"That's Lord Gepelnitch. True form is Spiritia Black Hole. He'll consume all Spiritia in universe before long."

"Heh...not on my watch! Get me back to the _Battle 7 _fast! We're gonna stop Gepelnitch and make him listen to my song!"

As Sivil closed in, the rather worried DREAM was frantically unloading everything in their arsenal to slow Gepelnitch down. But nothing except for Song Energy and Disc M seemed to have any effect, and even those two did next to nothing. And meanwhile, the Spiritia-sucking aura the great Protodevlin was emitting was draining everyone's Spiritia at an ever accelerating pace.

"Tara," Xemmey said. "I am detecting another Protodevlin signature approaching from the southeast."

"Damn it, we don't...have time..." Tara groaned trying her hardest to keep from succumbing to Spiritia loss. "We've gotta deal with this...stupid Spiritia Black Hole..."

"Tara, there's...someone with it," Janus panted. "It looks like Basara!"

She watched as Sivil phased through the walls of the _Battle 7. _Moments later, his voice could be heard over all of their comm channels as his custom Valkyrie zipped out of the _Battle 7_'s hangar with Sivil in tow.

"Guys, hold up! Don't leave me out of the party!"

"Basara?!" Hikaru Amano exclaimed. "Oh man, you're a sight for sore eyes!"

"Yeah, sorry about that. Mylene, Ray, Veffidas!"

"Gotcha, Basara! What number do you have in mind?"

Basara didn't need to say anything else before he and the rest of the band started to belt out Try Again with all of the passion and hot blood they could muster, though now Sivil was adding her voice to theirs. The massive influx of Anima Spiritia quickly revived the weakened pilots of DREAM, who ceased their attack, putting all their trust and hope into Fire Bomber's song.

"It is...useless..." Gepelnitch moaned. "I cannot...be stopped now."

"Man...even Try Again isn't working?!" Koji exclaimed. "That's the most hot-blooded song Basara's got!"

"No...I've still got one more!" Basara yelled. "This one's a number I've been saving...Mic Squad! Everybody! LET'S DO IT!"

"Okay!" his fellow Fire Bomber members declared.

"C'mon, let's rock and roll, my brothers!" Mic Sounders the XIIIth cried. The other twelve members of the Mic Squad, long since repaired since the Z-Master battle, all deployed from the ships and gathered around Fire Bomber.

"Accept your hopelessness..." the lead Protodevlin moaned loudly.

"HEY, GEPELNITCH!" Basara yelled. "**SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO MY SONG**!"

With that, Fire Bomber and the thirteen Mics began playing a song that no else had heard up until now. However, Janus did recognize the lyrics.

Hagane no Passion...the song he had named.

The song's lyrics and melody filled DREAM with unbelievable energy, and they all began to sing along as if they had known the words instinctively.

Then, the surviving enemy troops also began to sing, both Protodevlin and Varauta. Just like Sivil, the energy vampires began self-producing Spiritia like normal life forms could. As the melody resonated across Mars, Gepelnitch suddenly felt himself struggling to raise his own voice. The massive dimensional gate that his Protodevlin form was coming out of began to shrink down as its power slowly faded.

"Even within the dark void, song makes Spiritia flow out like fresh water," Gepelnitch uttered ecstatically as his monstrous shape began to shrink. "At last...I understand...the joy of generating one's own Spiritia!"

The gigantic monstrosity's massive tentacles began to disintegrate into glittering golden cosmic dust as the Protodevlin in its center began to sing. Soon, Gepelnitch once again assumed its human-like form, though now its body had spiky green armor and his hair seemed to float upwards as if being blown by a strong and steady gust of wind.

"So...it appears the gateway to Anima Spiritia exists within me as well," the Protodevlin leader said. "Thank you, Anima Spiritia, for this gift."

"Sure, no prob," Basara replied with a grin.

The Protodevlin flew up to meet the waiting Glavil and Gavil.

"We have no need for this galaxy anymore...with the power of song, we can have our Spiritia Paradise!"

"Yes!" Gavil cheered.

Gepelnitch then turned to Sivil.

"Sivil - I would have you remain here in this solar system. We Protodevlin still have to fulfill our ancient mission, but right now you are the only one who can. Go with the bearer of Anima Spiritia and sing with him. Warriors of Spiritia...I bid you farewell!"

"Yes, Lord Gepelnitch!"

With that, the surviving Protodevlin and Varauta forces took off to the heavens, leaving only the elfin Sivil behind.

Basara smiled and looked up as their former enemies flew away.

_Sing, you guys, let the galaxy hear your song!_

* * *

_Well, hopefully you guys liked it. I still find it hard not to rush things, though. But I don't know exactly how I could extend these battle scenes. Anyway, next time, we've got some more GaoGaiGar FINAL plot!_


	106. Chapter 73

_While Macross 7 and Martian Successor Nadesico's plots have finally come to a close, it's not quite time for DREAM to head back to Earth. There's more GaoGaiGar FINAL plot to cover!_

* * *

**Chapter 73 – The Sleeping Angel! Palparepa's Sinister Gift!**

Without Haruki Kusakabe to lead them and the power of Boson Jumping to transport themselves across space and time, the surviving Martian Successors were powerless. Tsukumo Shiratori, however, personally petitioned for their freedom and the right to make a new home on Macross with their fellow Jovians, which the commanders accepted with various degrees of hesitance.

But there was little time for celebrating, even considering that the return of Basara and the resolution of the conflict with the Protodevlin was worth having a party for. With the Q-Parts safely in hand, DREAM knew it wouldn't be long before the Sol Masters would appear, and that Rubina and Leo's safety could be assured. More importantly, they needed to repair and resupply their damaged machines, as well as rest their bodies after the two harrowing battles.

Not knowing when the prisoner exchange would take place, Mamoru decided to take the opportunity to explore the rest of the planet. Of course, with no Martian Successors or Protodevlin to worry about, DREAM gave the alien boy the freedom to go wherever he felt like it.

"I wish I could show Hana all this," Mamoru thought out loud as he gazed out at the beautiful landscape, the results of years of tireless work by the countless nanomachines that made the planet safe for humans to live on without protection.

As he landed at the other side of a ravine, he heard something squawk nearby. He saw what appeared to be a colorful parrot, vaguely resembling ones he had seen in pictures at school, perched on a rock. But the fact that its body was colored like a beautiful, fiery sunrise and that sparkling light surrounded it definitely clued Mamoru in that it wasn't any Earth parrot.

What was more, the parrot seemed to be excited that Mamoru had found it. As the winged boy approached, the bird leaned forward, as if awaiting the opportunity to hop onto him.

"Hi!" Mamoru said. "How ya doing?"

To his surprise, the bird took off, swooping back into the ravine, leaving a trail of sparkling light as it flew. Mamoru's instincts told him that the bird wanted him to follow, so he did...

* * *

Guy, Liger, Daisuke and the commanders of DREAM stood across from Palparepa and Pia Decem, preparing to make the exchange. Guy and Daisuke each held one of the Q-Parts. Meanwhile, a pair of floating telekinetic spheres appeared, revealing a perfectly unharmed Rubina and Leo. Both were weeping tears of joy at seeing their loved ones again after their time alone.

"Do you have that which we seek?"

"Right here," Daisuke said as he and Guy held up the Q-Parts.

"Excellent. Come forward and give them to Pia Decem, and receive your loved ones from him."

Guy and Daisuke walked forward to meet the armored Sol Master, who carried the two hostages telekinetically and met halfway. The Evoluder and Fleedian handed over the Q-Parts to Pia Decem, who examined them intently. Satisfied, he released Rubina and Leo, who immediately ran over to embrace their loved ones, while he returned to Palparepa's side. Both instantly knew that these two were not imposters, but truly were the people they fought to win back.

"It is done," Palparepa said with a satisfied smirk. "We thank you, warriors of the Blue Planet. And now, we bid you farewell!"

The Sol Master opened a pair of huge butterfly wings on his back, which seemed to fill the air with a sort of glittering pollen as he flew upward before disappearing through an ES Window.

As the glittering pollen spread out, feelings of contentment and peace seemed to fill up just about everyone present. Indeed, they hadn't felt this relaxed in ages, if ever. Taiga took a moment to look around at the beauty of the landscape.

"You know...now that the Martian Successors and Protodevlin are gone," he said wistfully, "This might be a good opportunity to take a nice vacation...to kick back and relax."

"Yeah...Akito and I know a whole bunch of neat places that might still be intact," Yurika added with a giggle. "We have pretty much the whole planet to ourselves."

"I don't know..." Bright said, unsure about the idea at first. "Well, I guess a little rest wouldn't hurt. Maybe a week or two? Earth time, of course."

"I concur," Zero added. "It will be good for morale."

"Rubina, we haven't had time alone in a long time," Daisuke said with a smile to his fiance, who smiled back. Little did they know that this sudden desire to relax was sudden for a very good reason.

* * *

Misato and Amuro sat outside, lounging in the sun. The Newtype was lazily playing a game on his computer, while the _Wunder_'s captain finished chugging a can of beer. Other members were lazily or excitedly performing other recreational activities.

"Hey Amuro," Misato said groggily. "Toss me another beer, will ya?"

"Sure," the Hi-Nu's pilot replied with a smile. He picked up a can and tossed it Misato's way. "It's not we're going to be piloting any time soon." Despite her inebriated state, she was able to catch the beer and open it, then drinking the beer down in several

"Mmmm...OH...YEAH! WA-HAAAAAAAAA-YEEAH!" Misato cried out as she slammed the can on the ground "Nothin' like nice, cold drinks to relax after all that fighting!"

After a few moments, she unsteadily got up and walked over to the Newtype, then plopped herself on the edge of his chair and gazed at him with seductive eyes.

"Y'know...yer even hotter after a few drinksh." Misato slurred.

"Oh...um...thanks," Amuro said, not sure of how to feel about Misato coming on to him.

"Somethin' about ya...I can't playsh it...but it's like we were destin'd to be togetha..."

"I'm ch-charmed, but you must know that I'm a-already spoken for, Captain Katsuragi..." the Gundam pilot stammered awkwardly.

"C'mon...you know you want this..."

Unfortunately, it just so happened that Chan, in a similar mood to Misato (minus the drunkenness) happened to enter. To Amuro's surprise, the blue-haired woman wasn't the least bit angry at seeing Misato flirting with her boyfriend.

"Hey, Amuro...room for one more?" Chan said with a seductive wink.

"The more, the merrier, I always shay!" Misato slurred before letting out a large burp. Amuro and Chan burst out laughing, too relaxed to care about any form of decorum...

* * *

After what felt like an hour, the bird finally landed on a ledge a thousand feet about the floor of the canyon, which itself was about a half-mile deep. The parrot contentedly preened itself as Mamoru landed.

The ledge had a cave opening just large enough for him to comfortably walk through and stand in - it would be a tight fit for an adult, though. He changed back to his normal self and peered inside - it was almost completely dark after the first hundred feet or so. But when he stepped out, he saw the parrot fly in.

"I wonder what this bird wants me to see," Mamoru thought as he followed it into the cave, using the trail of sparkling lights to light his way...

Before long, he found the bird perched on what appeared to be a simple perch carved out of green crystal. The wall itself seemed to be covered in these same crystals as well...and these crystals were ones that the boy remembered...

"G-Crystals?! But I thought that..."

He then felt the pendant on his neck resonate. He looked toward the wall and saw a door carved with the same glowing G symbol that always appeared on the G-Stones. The wall opened up, revealing a silver Threshold.

This time, the bird made no move to enter. Instead, it fluffed up its feathers, tucked its beak underneath one of its wings and closed its eyes, as if going to sleep. But Mamoru's natural curiosity moved him forward, and after assuming his winged form once more, he stepped into the Threshold.

The boy felt his body being stretched out all the way to his very atoms as he was sucked in. Then after a length of time that felt both like an eternity and an instant, he returned to normal on the other side.

He found himself in an impossibly gargantuan chamber that seemed to stretch for miles and miles in every direction. He had appeared near the center of the chamber, where an immense dome with a huge door on it sat...and sitting parked next to the dome was something he had dared not hope to see again...the J-Ark. Even better, he saw Soldato-J and Kaidou examining the door.

"J! Kaidou!" he cried out as he hurried toward them.

"Mamoru?" his friend exclaimed, shocked to hear him again.

"Kaidou, I can't believe it! You're alive!"

"Latio, it is good to see you again," J said. "Though it seems destiny has united us here for a reason."

Mamoru looked up at the door - it had the same symbolism on the TZUM and TZIM systems, though he had no way of knowing that. However, the fact that the very top circle seemed to be pulsing, alternating between yellow and pink, seemed to make Mamoru understand.

"Kaidou...have you tried opening it with your purification?"

"Yes, but that doesn't work."

"Hmmm...hey, Kaidou. Do just as I do, okay?"

Kaidou nodded and stood next to him

"Two powers become one..." Mamoru said to himself. He mimicked the stance GaoFighGar used whenever it used Hell & Heaven. Kaidou did the same.

"Gemu-giru-gan-go-gufo..."

Just like with Hell & Heaven, both boys had to strain a bit to clasp his hands together as he chanted.

"Viiiita!"

Instead of the usual tornado, small green beams shot out of their clasped hands, striking the circle. The circle stopped pulsing, turned green momentarily...and then the whole door crumbled to pieces, revealing a blank wall behind it.

"Um...I think we did something wrong..."

_No...you have broken the first of the ten seals. Well done. _

Both Mamoru and Kaidou looked around.

"Who said that?!" Mamoru exclaimed. "Kaidou, J...you heard that voice too?"

"I did," Kaidou said.

"I guess your senses are greater than mine," J said. "I hear nothing besides our voices." Suddenly, a white silhouette of a six-winged woman with long hair appeared before the two boys' eyes.

"Children of the Trinary Solar System," the figure said in a gentle feminine voice, "it is a joy to finally meet you at last." Kaidou, however, looked rather displeased to see this figure.

"You...you're Iophiel, aren't you?!" he said angrily, pointing accusingly at the figure; "You're the one who caused the Zonder to go out of control!"

"Yes...and for that, I cannot possibly apologize enough."

Kaidou's expression softened again, and he lowered his hand.

"As punishment for that crime, I sealed myself in here," she explained. "But now that you have come, I can finally begin my atonement. Right now, all I can do is manifest this ethereal, incorporeal shape and offer those who can sense my presence words of hope and encouragement. But perhaps if you break more seals, I can lend you more aid."

Her form started to fade away.

"I'm sorry, but I can't maintain this any longer. I must rest more and regain some of my strength."

"Wait...how do we break the other seals?" Mamoru asked loudly.

"The energies your friends command...they are the key."

"Great, we'll go get them and be right back!" the son of Cain said.

"It won't be that easy. Once you leave, the Threshold where you entered from will disappear forever. You must find others like it...but first...your friends...protect..."

With that, she faded away completely.

"Wait! What do you mean?! Are my friends in danger?!"

"Mamoru, let's hurry."

"Yes. If GGG and DREAM are indeed in danger, then we cannot waste another moment!"

* * *

Of course, not everyone was affected by whatever was causing this sudden bout of laziness and relaxation. Those whose bodies were primarily machines remained their usual selves. While androids like Xemmey, Xengar and Miku or cyborgs like Renais and Guy Shishioh were unaffected overall, the GGG robots found themselves in a rather unfortunate bind.

"What's happening?!" Mic exclaimed as a pair of restraints bound his arms to his chair.

"We need to perform a full shut down if we're to able to do full maintenance on you," Kazuo said.

"But...if you do that, we won't be able to start up in case of emergency!" FuRyu exclaimed.

"Hey, you guys are made for combat, right?" Chizuru, who was watching her fellow Combattler pilot Kosuke help out, replied. "Now that everything's peaceful, we can't afford to waste energy on things we don't need."

"Is this GGG's official decision?" Volfogg asked.

"Indeed," Taiga's voice came over the loudspeaker. "The time has come for us to reflect on our past actions...we, who have sought peace for so long, have done nothing but fight. To be quite honest, it's rather hypocritical, isn't it? So, instead of doing that, we'll resolve the remaining conflicts through peaceful means."

"But..."

"Begin the shut-down process," Taiga ordered.

One by one, the the light in the Brave Robot Corps members' eyes darkened as their systems completely shut off.

* * *

Renais couldn't understand it. While she wasn't able to contribute much to the effort against the Martian Successors and the Protodevlin beyond teaming up with KoRyu and AnRyu, she was still a GGG member, and the way everyone was behaving worried her to no end. When even her own father stopped caring about the Earth, she knew something was messing with the minds of GGG and DREAM.

However, her expression showed nothing of her worry as she leaped and bounded through the _Battle 7_, where GGG had taken up residence for the duration of the trip.

Suddenly, a red whip shot out of the darkness and wrapped out Renais' cyborg arm.

The figure was a very strange one - it was of a well-proportioned woman in a red dominatrix outfit with a yellow mask, spiked bracelets and collar, chain earrings and necklace, and strangely, wasp-like wings and stinger. Her left arm had a stinger of sorts as well.

"Well, well, looks like someone hasn't succumbed to Palparepa's little gift."

"A Sol Master!"

"You can call me Pillnus, love. Come, let's dance!"

The Sol Master unleashed a wave of searing flames from her left arm, forcing Renais to leap away.

"EQUIIIIIP!"

Just as she did against Gimlet, she readied her combat cyborg form. However, the savvy fiend had a trap ready as soon as Renais' transformation was complete. She unleashed several chains from her body, which proceeded to wrap themselves around the cyborg's limbs.

In a matter of seconds, Renais was bound by the chains, strong enough to withstand even her cyborg body's might. Pillnus, satisfied, approached her victim, and then began to seductively and cruelly lick her cheek.

"Ah, there's such a fine line between pleasure and pain," Pillnus mused, enjoying every moment of watching Renais squirm. "Since we can't pacify you with the former, perhaps the latter will be more...effective."

Pillnus moved away and turned around, pointing her rear-mounted stinger right at Renais. The Sol Master then buzzed in and jammed the needle into the cyborg's body, injecting another kind of poison into her veins.

The painful memories Renais had forced into the darkest recesses of her mind came flooding back - the BioNet scientists who modified her and the pain they put her through...the crimes she was forced to commit in BioNet's name...and the emptiness of life after her father saved her. And through it all, she could only repeat the same two words...

"It's hot...it's hot...it's hot..."

Satisfied, Pillnus licked Renais one more time, then disappeared into an ES Window.

Hours passed, and the horror refused to end. She was forced to relive her anguished past, and the emptiness of being unable to touch anyone as a result of her modifications.

But after what felt like an eternity, Renais' waking dream was shattered by the sound of the chains that bound her being snapped. She began to fall, but someone grabbed her arm before she fell. She looked up, and saw that Sivil, the newly joined Protodevlin, had just saved her. Sivil's body was more than capable of handling the intense heat Renais' cyborg body gave off.

The cyborg looked over to a nearby catwalk and saw Basara standing there, happy to see someone else who wasn't affected by this strange affliction.

"Thanks a million, Sivil!" he called back.

"No problem!" the Protodevlin chirped, her smile revealing her small fangs.

"Well, from the looks of things, you're not being affected by whatever is going around," Basara said as Sivil set Renais down. "I'm glad Sivil and I weren't the only ones unaffected."

"I suppose I can say the same to you," Renais replied. As Basara reached over to touch her, she shied away.

"Don't touch me," the cyborg warned as she unsteadily got to her feet; "Or else you'll get burned."

* * *

Guy piloted GaoFighGar (which had remained fused after the battle, something DREAM's commanders suggested) over the Martian landscape, looking for the source of the strange signal he was receiving. His search took him to the Mycenaean ruins that the _Nadesico_'s crew had discovered on their first trip here. Sure enough, she saw the cloaked figures, with Palparepa in the center.

"Palparepa!" Guy declared, pointing accusingly at the winged Sol Master.

"Guy Shishioh...I knew you would come."

"Shut up! Tell me what you're really up to! Why did you want the Q-Parts?! If you don't...I'll..."

"Up to?" the girl Sol Master said with surprising bluntness. "Our purpose is simply to rebuild the Trinary Solar System. To that end, we need the Q-Parts...or rather, the machine they combine into - the Pas-Q Machine."

"Pas-Q Machine?"

"It is a device of amazing power created by our forebears," Palparepa explained, "Using dark matter as an energy source, it is capable of creating replicas of virtually anything, even entire solar systems."

"But if that's all you wanted, why target us? Why didn't you retrieve the Q-Parts yourselves?! At the very least, we could have helped you!"

"Because THEY would have interfered again," the girl said.

"They?"

"I believe they call themselves Atik Yomin," the girl said. "They seem to fear that the over-consumption of dark matter will cause this reality to collapse in on itself."

_So that's it,_ Guy said to himself. _Dark matter fills the universe like a balloon...remove it and the universe will simply deflate!_

He again pointed accusingly at the Sol Masters.

"I may not have an understanding of true justice, but I know there are people I must protect! For their sake, and for the oath sworn through courage, I'll put an end to you Sol Masters right here, right now!"

"Bravo, King of Braves," Palparepa replied confidently; "Allow me to be your opponent, then." He floated through the air, and a huge object resembling a ball-and-stick model of a molecule appeared.

"CHEMICAL FUUUSION!"

The Sol Master merged into the molecule, which then burst into countless particles, which then reformed into a new shape - a gigantic white robot with purple armor on its chest and feet with a snake motif, great cloak-like back armor, and a visor similar to the Turn X's. Six needle-tipped cylinders were attached to its back.

"PALPAREPAAAAAA...PLUS!"

GaoFighGar and Palparepa Plus stared each other down while the other Sol Masters retreated. After a few moments, GaoFighGar attacked first, smashing his foe in the face, though the white mech was able to counterattack with equal force...

* * *

"Big sis Mikoto!" Mamoru exclaimed when he saw Guy's beloved starting to doze off at the table. She was in a pretty yellow and white lace dress. The table itself was covered with all sorts of delicious food, as well as a bottle of wine in a bucket of slowly melting ice. He hurried to her side and began to shake her.

J looked around and carefully noted all of the strange particles in the air.

"Paras Particles. So, the Sol Masters are finally making their move."

"Paras Particles?" Mamoru said, having never heard of them before.

"They were invented by Abel of the Red Planet," Kaidou explained, "to calm the mind and induce nerve relaxation, similar to the way Zonder Metal was supposed to relieve stress for the people of the Purple Planet.

"However, it seems the Sol Masters have inundated the entire Martian atmosphere with them," J then said. "As far as I know, only those who have a G-Stone or J-Jewel are immune to the effects of Paras Particles."

"Well now, I wouldn't quite say that," a voice Mamoru recognized called out from nearby. Stepping out from behind some rocks came Basara, Sivil and Renais.

"Basara! Renais! you're all right!" Mamoru exclaimed joyfully before noticing Sivil. "Oh...um...who's she?"

"Sivil. Now member of Fire Bomber and..."

"Let's cut the introductions," Renais interrupted, "And figure out how to fix this!"

"I'll see if Tomoro can figure out an antidote," Kaidou said, starting back towards J-Ark. "The fact that Basara is also immune gives me some hope."

Basara grinned, and readied his guitar, which he happened to have on him.

"If my song can stop a Spiritia Black Hole, then this ought to be cake!"

Basara began to play Try Again, allowing the Anima Spiritia to flow out of him and work its way into Mikoto's system. To Mamoru's delight, the GGG operator began to awaken, the power granted to her by the new machine species working in overdrive.

"Unh..." she groaned. "Wh-where am I?"

"Big sis Mikoto!" Mamoru cried ecstatically, hugging Guy's girlfriend tightly.

"Mamoru..."

"Welcome back, Mikoto Utsugi." J said with a little smirk.

"Soldato-J? I-I should be saying the same to you. We all thought you had..."

"It's a very long story, Miss Mikoto," Kaidou said. We can figure things out aboard the J-Ark."

Suddenly, Mikoto gasped and clutched her chest as her heart suddenly cried out in agony. It was always the feeling she got whenever she felt like she had either just lost him or was about to lose him.

"Everyone...Guy is..."

"We have no time to waste!" J declared, pointing westward. "We must hurry to the King of Braves' side!"

* * *

The two Super Mechanoids were equally matched in every respect, and both Guy and the Sol Master were equally skilled pilots, so neither was able to gain an advantage over the other. The Sol Masters, however, saw no need to back up their compatriot.

Guy soon realized that he couldn't overcome this enemy alone. He needed an advantage.

"Max! Misato! Yurika! Zero! Anyone! I need some back-up!" he called out.

Palparepa smiled smugly.

"Everyone...please!" Guy cried. "We joined forces for the sake of bring peace to our two worlds! If we give up now, all of our battles will have been meaningless! Please, someone...lend me your strength!"

No response. But even so, the Evoluder refused to give up. Even if he was all alone, he couldn't afford to lose his courage.

"Pitiful humans...you are so weak," Palparepa taunted coldly. "Without someone to fight by your side, you are helpless; alone, you are powerless. You have no right to live...and so, I shall end your life now!"

With those words, the six cylinders on Palparepa PLUS' back detached themselves like funnels would, but instead of attacking Guy, they connected to each other, in two groups of three, and connected to the white machine's hands. They then split into particles and reformed into a strange arrangement with a yellow and red sphere in the mix.

"**GOD AND DEVIL!**"

"In that case," Guy replied courageously. "Then I'll counter with **HELL AND HEAVEN!**"

Both combatants, their trump cards ready, then charged forward at each other, both bellowing in a loud and hot-blooded manner. They met with tremendous force, the spacetime ripples resulting from the impact coursing across the planet.

And just as before, GaoFighGar and Palparepa PLUS were equally matched.

The girl Sol Master turned to one of her fellows.

"Their power is about even, isn't it?" she quipped.

"...It is, Palus Abel," the cloaked figure replied. "Shall I?"

"...Be my guest."

The figure bounded upwards and landed on Palparepa's shoulder, momentarily diverting Guy's attention. The figure then cast his cloak...revealing the body of Cain.

Seeing the man who had entrusted Galeon and Mamoru to him...the one who had given him the strength to use **THE POWER **in the final battle against the Primevals...it was enough to make Guy's attack falter ever so slightly.

Palparepa PLUS took advantage of this moment of weakness and smashed into GaoFighGar's chest with its God & Devil attack. The sheer energy caused GaoFighGar to break down, bits and pieces flying everywhere even as Guy himself was struck by the attack. Indeed, it was so agonizing that he didn't feel pricks on his head and neck as something attached to it...

* * *

Mikoto and Mamoru watched in horror as GaoFighGar collapsed and fell apart, defeated.

"No...Guy..." Mikoto wept. "It's...it's happening again, Mamoru...I...I...killed him! I killed Guy!"

"No, Mikoto Utsugi. You must not blame yourself," J growled. "It was the 11 Sol Masters who destroyed the King of Braves...and for that, they WILL NEVER BE FORGIVEN!"

"MEGA FUSION!"

J-Ark transformed into King J-Der and landed on the battlefield where the Sol Masters were.

"11 SOL MASTERS!"

"Ah, Soldato J-002," Palus Abel said smugly. "How nice of you to join us. Since it's clear you came for the King of Braves, we'll happily give him to you...that is, if you can defeat your friends."

Suddenly, the various Q-Parts began to float and orbit around Palus Abel before flying up and connecting themselves in such a way that a star shape was formed. It then began to shine.

"No...they've assembled the Pas-Q Machine?!" Kaidou exclaimed. "Then that means..."

Dozens, if not hundreds of paler-hued copies of the Brave Corps. began to appear out of thin air, filling the sky with the numbers.

"Well, isn't this just peachy?" Renais sighed.

But just as it seemed things couldn't get any worse, the various shattered parts of GaoFighGar began to shine and disintegrate, only to reintegrate into their original form. Those on board King J-Der could immediately tell that there was something horribly, horribly wrong with it...especially when they heard Guy's voice.

"Terminate..."

"Terminate..."

"Terminate..."

**"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"**

* * *

The door to one of the large vaults inside GGG's Orbit Base was smashed to the ground just inches from Akiko Hirata, who had been sent down with several other employees to check on activity inside one of the vaults.

Out of the now unsealed chamber came Galeon, who had been awakened by some unknown signal. The mechanical lion let out a few short roars, then frantically began to look for some sort of exit. The crew working with the ex-ZAFT scientist began to panic, fearing that Galeon had lost its mind, but the Coordinator noticed that the robotic beast was taking pains to avoid trampling anyone underfoot...it was trying to escape, but it needed to protect someone...

"Hangar! This is Hirata! Open the bay doors and let Galeon out! I repeat, open the bay doors and let Galeon out!"

"Ma'am, we were told not to..."

"Let Galeon out! I'll take responsibility for this, just let that lion out!"

* * *

_Next time...well, I'll be continuing up this bit of GaoGaiGar FINAL plot. But I promise it will be awesome!_


	107. Chapter 74

_And now...awesomeness begins. I've been itching to do this part for a really long time, and now it's finally time to bring forth one of the strongest Super Robots ever!_

* * *

**Chapter 74 - Kaworu Nagisa's Farewell! Its Name is Genesic!**

Unbeknownst to J and the others, the power of Basara's music had affected more than just Mikoto. Other members of DREAM whose were more than mere human beings started to come around.

The first to come around were Mylene, Ray and Veffidas, who had been engaged in a lazy board game of Zentradi invention near where Mikoto was when the Paras Particles had finally rendered them unconscious.

"Man, what a nice nap!" Ray said after letting out a great yawn. Suddenly, the sound of a large explosion came from nearby, and they nearly jumped out of their clothes when they saw King J-Der sliding by.

"Hey...isn't that King J-Der?!" Mylene exclaimed.

"GRAAAAAGH!"

They looked up and saw GaoFighGar coming down on J's gigantic mech.

"Guy! Get a hold of yourself!" Renais' voice called out.

"He's under the Sol Masters' control! We must keep him away from the ships!" J cried. "J-QUATH!"

The gigantic white machine fired its signature weapon, knocking Guy far away, giving King J-Der a moment to get to its feet before quickly shifting back to its battleship form. Meanwhile, Sivil phased through the walls of the ship with Basara in her telekinetic bubble.

"Members of Fire Bomber...it seems the power of your Anima Spiritia is capable of breaking this wicked spell," J said. "Use that power to awaken our comrades...I will do what I can to keep Guy Shishioh busy...I'm his target, after all!"

"You betcha!" Basara replied, giving a snappy salute. "Let's go, guys! Time to give our pals a wake-up call!"

The members of Fire Bomber, now five strong now that Sivil was with them, hurried to the _Battle 7_.

"Everyone, brace yourselves...we're going into orbit."

With that, J-Ark sped off into the atmosphere, barreling through the Brave Corps replicas, with GaoFighGar in hot pursuit...

* * *

Kaworu, unlike the others, had not been affected at all by the Paras Particles. However, he didn't want the Sol Masters to get a hold of Unit 01's core, and thus had remained by it since the whole fiasco began. But when he saw the battle between GaoFighGar and King J-Der, he knew that it was time. In every go-around at life, Kaworu had surrendered his existence so that the world Shinji lived in could continue.

He turned to the core where Shinji and Rei slept, and gently placed his hand on it, allowing him to speak with the resting pair.

"Shinji-kun..."

_Kaworu?_

"I'm afraid it's time to say goodbye."

_...What?!_

"You don't need me anymore. You have the strength to stand on your own...and people who will help you rise again if you should fall. Besides, you resent me for corrupting Nunnally, don't you?"

_No! I...I just overreacted! I'm sorry, Kaworu...please, don't leave!_

"If I don't, the world DREAM has fought so hard to protect will be destroyed."

_Kaworu..._

"Don't be sad, Shinji. We'll meet again in another lifetime, just like Janus and Tara did."

_Y-you promise?_

"Yeah."

* * *

Tara and Janus had dozed off in the former's room on the _Nadesico_, their bodies overcome by the effects of the Paras Particles. But when the sound of Basara's music (and the Spiritia that accompanied it) reached the room, Tara let out a yawn and stretched her arms out.

Suddenly, Jiro opened the door to her room.

"Hey you two, get your asses..."

He had unexpectedly got a very good look at Tara's exposed chest.

"...Good morning, sunshine..."

Frantically, Tara yanked the sheet off of Janus and covered herself, blushing beet red. Janus was in nothing except his boxers.

"Geez, Gai, have you heard of using the buzzer?!" Tara cried angrily.

"S-sorry," Jiro stammered, "I-it's just that I heard that Guy Shishioh's gone crazy or something, and we need all the firepower we can get! Get yourself dressed and head for your robot, pronto!"

With that, Jiro sped off down the hall to awaken the other DREAMers aboard the _Nadesico_. It was then and only then that Janus started to come around. He sat up and watched his girlfriend frantically get her bra and shirt on.

"Ugh...morning," he grumbled, having missed everything.

* * *

Princess Euphemia sat down in the UFN video conference room on Giga Float and waited. Most of the negotiations between Britannia and the United Federation of Nations had been done in this manner. But for Euphie, this talk would probably decide how the relationship between her homeland and the UFN would play out.

Nina's revelation about the Sword of Damocles had sent chills throughout the member countries' representatives. They already knew of the devastating power of Nina's cursed weapon, so a floating fortress that could fire off multiple FLEIJA warheads was a grave threat to all of its member nations. Unsurprisingly, Euphemia volunteered to negotiate directly with her brother and talk some sense into him.

Soon enough, a shot of Schneizel appeared in a small window onscreen, sitting at his desk. Cornelia appeared in another window, looking serious.

"Big brother Schneizel...big sister Cornelia," Euphie greeted them in a surprisingly grim tone.

"Dear little sister Euphemia, it's good to see you again," Schneizel replied. "This was rather unexpected. But since you're going through official channels, I suspect this isn't merely a social call."

"Then I won't beat around the bush, big brother," Euphemia said as the blueprints that Nina had given her appeared onscreen.. "Do you recognize these plans?"

Schneizel didn't look flustered at all. He had a feeling that this would happen, yet chose to let it play out anyway.

"Yes, I do," the prince replied. "What of it?"

"I understand that you commissioned the creation of this fortress, the 'Sword of Damocles', which will be able to launch FLEIJAs across the world when completed."

"I do not deny it," Schneizel said frankly, almost nonchalantly. Cornelia, however, was understandably shocked. She had absolutely no clue about her half-brother's plans...and considering how she admired him as a firm but just Prime Minister, this was like a slap in the face.

"I see," Euphie said. After a moment of thought, she asked another question.

"Were you intending to use the Damocles as a tool to dominate the world?"

"Of course not," the prime minister said as he clasped his hands together. "I only wanted to give people what they wanted...peace throughout civilization."

"You do that in complete disregard to humanity's true nature," the pink-haired princess replied. She had a feeling that she was in over her head, matching wits with Schneizel, but giving up now would leave a bad taste in her mouth.

"That's a matter of opinion," her brother said with a chuckle. Cornelia's expression turned from shock to bewilderment, stunned that her less-than-bright little sister was daring to debate with the genius of the family.

"So...you think you can just keep the world frozen in time as it is," the young princess continued, her eyes starting to shine with passion and determination. "But life without change is anything but that! You can only call it experience, and even that's stretching it!"

"But if you link experiences together, you get knowledge, right?" Schneizel asked. To his surprise, Euphie just sighed and shook her head, ashamed at her brother's words.

"Schneizel...you're something, you know?" she said, almost sadly. "You're...so caught up in yourself that you don't see it...

But that sparkle of determination only intensified. While Schneizel remained undaunted, Cornelia was in awe of her little sister's fervor. She almost sounded like Zero in terms of tone.

"All you want is the present!" Euphie continued. "But what Zero, DREAM and I want...is the future!"

"But the future may prove to be worse than the present," the prince replied, without missing a beat.

"No! The future will be BETTER!" Euphie said, her emotions now completely driving her words. "No matter how long it takes, people will continue to seek out happiness!"

"But that will only create greed and strife." Schneizel said before letting out a laugh. "Dear Euphie, once again you let your emotions get in the way of your reason. Hope and dreams are nothing more than aimless fiction."

"Big brother...it's only because you're a member of a royal family that you see things that way!" the princess continued, now clenching her fist. "You do nothing but look down on other people from above! But...people...day after day, they struggle against sadness, and they carry on searching for happiness! That's what I've seen!"

"You're a royal yourself, which makes all your talk nothing but sheer hypocrisy on your part," Schneizel said, believing that he had trapped her. "You're trying to seize the empty Britannian throne with the backing of the UFN."

"This isn't a power grab, nor do I necessarily want to be Empress!" Euphie replied, trying not to be flustered at the accusation. "I just want to make this world better and more peaceful!"

"And in order to do so, you would have DREAM squash anyone who held any form of ambition. In that respect, you and I are no different. Peace and free will are simply incompatible, my dear sister."

For Schneizel, that was check. He calmly awaited his sister's attempt to stave off defeat.

"Maybe you're right about me fearing ambition," the princess replied. Cornelia sighed.

"But there's one big difference between us," she then declared, getting to her feet; "I refuse to sacrifice countless innocent lives to achieve my ends!"

"Change requires sacrifice, my dear."

"That may be true...but it doesn't have to be made in blood!" Euphie cried. "For a world where peace and free will CAN exist together, I'd GLADLY sacrifice my own happiness!"

For one to suffer for the sake of complete strangers - a truly selfless act, and one Schneizel could never even imagine himself making. But Euphemia had willingly chosen to hang the sword of Damocles over her own head...something only an idealist like her could do.

"Euphemia, you truly amaze me. Perhaps if there were more rulers as selfless as you, I wouldn't have needed to create the Damocles. But unfortunately, there aren't. My position remains unchanged."

"But..." Euphie exclaimed.

"I'm sorry," the prince said with a sigh. With that, he severed the connection. Cornelia, aghast at her brother's words, shook her head in dismay.

"Schneizel...you're seriously going to use that weapon?!" Cornelia cried. "Are you truly so heartless?!"

The prince chuckled amiably. "How could I use it, after being so soundly defeated like that?"

Cornelia looked confused. "Wait...you just said..."

"All the subtlety in the world is useless against a mind like hers," Schneizel mused. "With Zero, I was able to play to his ego, to slowly rip off his mask until everything laid bare. But Euphemia never wears a mask, for she never had anything to hide! She always displayed her true face...and that, dear Cornelia, is why I've fully decided to endorse her as the successor to Father's throne..."

* * *

As it completely escaped Mars' atmosphere and reached orbit, J and the others watched as GaoFighGar and the replica Braves followed him upward. But then, a replica Goldymarg broke away from the group, and transformed into the Goldion Hammer and attached itself to GaoFighGar.

"GOLDION...HAMMEEEER!"

The other replica Braves rushed past J-Ark, each striking it as it passed, weakening the battleship's Generating Armor. The ship switched back to King J-Der to effectively meet Guy's assault.

"J-QUAAAAAAAATH!"

The two attacks met with incredible force, and both struggled to overpower their foe.

But slowly, the mind-controlled King of Braves began to advance, the fake Goldion Hammer overwhelming King J-Der.

"Guy...is this...really him?" Mikoto gasped.

"He's...he's under the control of the Sol Masters!" Mamoru answered, terrified to no end at having to confront the man he called big brother.

Meanwhile Palus Abel and Pillnus watched the struggle with great amusement from aboard a gigantic, dark-gray battleship.

"Oh, I do so enjoy watching them crack," Pillnus said.

"Our chances of victory are as absolute as physically possible," Palus Abel replied. "Let's savor this moment...the destruction of both G and J is at hand."

But suddenly, someone appeared in between GaoFighGar and J-Ark - the tiny figure of Kaworu, holding back the Goldion Hammer with his AT Field.

"Kaworu?!" Mamoru exclaimed.

"I won't...let you...defeat them..." he grunted, straining with all his might to withstand the incredible power of the Goldion Hammer. "I won't let you...deny these Lilim...their future!"

"Out of the way! You'll be disintegrated!" J cried.

"I am well-aware of that..." Kaworu answered as his AT Field began to weaken; "But rather than continue to serve as the enemy's puppet...I would rather become sparkling light!"

"Mamoru Amami! Guy Shishioh! Everyone! Believe in victory, and never forget your courage!"

"Evoluder Guy...the Chemical Bolts' hold on your body remains perfect," Palparepa said as he watched from the nose of the Sol Masters' battleship. "No matter how strong your will, you cannot break free. Your flesh is still mortal after all...and no mortal can escape my control!"

GaoFighGar lurched forward as the Goldion Hammer shattered Kaworu's AT Field and turn him into light. However, at the very last moment, the replica Goldymarg, for reasons beyond its own understanding, realized what it had to do. With a loud cry, it self-destructed.

The resulting energy waves caused by the simultaneous demise of Kaworu and the replica Goldymarg annihilated the replica Brave Corps robots instantly, and forced the Sol Masters to back off. GaoFighGar and King J-Der, unsurprisingly, also took heavy damage, forcing the latter to switch back to the form of J-Ark.

Mamoru and Mikoto found themselves flung outside the ship and sent streaking towards the Mycenaean ruins where the battle had all started, blacking out as they tumbled through the vacuum of space.

Palparepa noticed another green streak appear, catch the pair, then descend to the ruins.

"Palus Abel, it appears that IT has arrived," he said telepathically to his leader. "Shall I follow?"

"By all means," Palus Abel replied. "It looks like I'm going to be rather busy with this last survivor of the Soldato Division."

As she said this, the battleship launched what appeared to be a wave of toy-like, propeller-driven fight planes that sped toward J-Ark like the infamous kamikaze fighters from the past. They smashed into the gigantic white machine. Then the battleship started forward, its sharp prow keened to impale J's machine...

* * *

A violent crash knocked Renais, J and Kaidou off balance, and causing much of the room's structure to collapse.

"Damn it, get a hold of yourself," Renais grunted at J as he lay on the floor, exhausted from the previous battle.

"J, please hold on!" Kaidou cried.

"I'm...sorry...the J-Jewel's power...has been drained..." J said in between heaving breaths. "Arma...get away...before she comes...find...the others..."

Kaidou nodded, turned into his winged form, and flew out into the open.

As she knelt near the Soldat, pondering what to do, her G-Stone started to throb again. Just in time too - a familiar red whip burst through the ceiling. Renais did a spin kick to deflect it, and saw Pillnus swoop in. With a smirk and a jiggle of her breasts, the bee Sol Master fired another blast of fire, forcing Renais to flee. However, she stumbled for a moment, and was quickly engulfed by the searing flames. But Renais' cooling coat activated, extinguishing Pillnus' fire.

J watched this whole display, even though his hat and hair concealed his eyes.

"Funny...we've only just met, yet she's already concerned about me," he muttered.

"EQUIIIIP!"

Renais activated her combat mode and bounded at Pillnus, hoping to take her out quickly. But then something else burst through the ceiling, smashing Renais in the back and sending her crashing into the floor.

"Pia...Decem..." J grunted as he beheld the black armored knight. Guy's cousin twitched a bit, then got to her feet - only to have a chain wrapped around her neck and be yanked toward Pillnus. The sight of this particularly angered J for reasons he couldn't understand, which in turn gave his drained J-Jewel a quick jump start.

"Time for a spanking, my little kitty!" the buxom Sol Master said with a laugh. But to her surprise, J suddenly bounded in, smashing the chain in half with a single flying kick...only to be sent flying himself by her armored compatriot. Renais, momentarily forgetting the immense heat she always generated managed to grab J just before they hit the wall.

"Well, aren't you the tough one...J..." Renais grunted, smiling a bit.

J smiled back, and revealed one of his sky-blue eyes, the exact color of Renais' own. "You're no slouch either, woman...no, Renais."

Renais helped J to his feet, then pulled out a shotgun from her coat.

"Hang on, J...we haven't...lost yet!"

* * *

Mamoru and Mikoto blinked as they awoke, and found themselves in what appeared to be a room made entirely of a one massive G-Crystal. Several such crystals jutted out. But what immediately came to their attention was a familiar robot lion.

"Galeon!" Mamoru said excitedly when he saw his old friend. "You're awake!" The metallic beast let out a short roar, as if it was trying to tell his charge to do something.

After a few moments, Mamoru realized just what Galeon wanted, and began to concentrate, raising both hands in the same manner. The lion began to glow as energy from the G-Crystal coursed through its body.

"Mamoru...where are we? And what's Galeon doing here?"

"We're inside the G-Crystal, and I think Galeon brought us here. I'm trying to restore his original programming."

"Original programming?"

"Yeah; it turns out that Galeon's REAL purpose was to oppose the Sol Masters!" Mamoru explained. "Unfortunately, the birth of the Z-Master prevented it from being used for its true purpose until now."

"Well, I'm glad it awoke in time."

"And so are we."

The two looked up and saw Palparepa and the other Sol Masters looming above.

"I thank you for leading us right to both the G-Crystal and Galeon," Palparepa said in his usual cold, smug tone. "You see, while the energy of our power source, the Loud G-Stone, far exceeds that of your G-Stone...its power fades before the Genesic Aura emitted by the G-Crystal."

"But the only time the Genesic Aura fades is when Galeon is recharging...its...energy..."

"Yes! Now, the time has come for the G-Crystal's ultimate demise!"

The Sol Masters warped away, and landed atop a small fleet of the onyx cubes in orbit around Mars. Several of them had gathered in a circular formation over the Mycenaean ruins.

"SOUL WAVE, FIRE!"

The cubes unleashed a volley of purple energy bolts, striking the ruins and blasting them apart in a catastrophic explosion that rocked the entire planet. It revealed a massive green crystal, easily dozens of miles across; this in turn was blasted by the Soul Wave. In a matter of moments, the G-Crystal was shattered into countless pieces, many of them blown out into space.

But through it all, Mamoru and Mikoto survived, thanks to the protective barrier the boy could manifest at will. Unfortunately, Galeon lost any footing, and it started to tumble downward.

"Big sis Mikoto, please hang on!" Mamoru cried.

* * *

Guy, barely conscious, found himself floating in a dark-green and black void.

"Why...why do we fight?" he muttered. "What does it even mean? Because of it...I've lost everything."

"You haven't lost anything, Guy Shishioh," Kaworu's voice came from the void. His image, faded but discernible, appeared before him.

"I..."

"Do you remember that day?" Kaworu continued. "The day you, Mikoto and Mamoru all swore an oath? It is because of that oath that you have all been able to fight for this long. You must not give up!"

"But I..."

"The G-Stone was created to be a source of life, and you are a source of strength and courage for so many people."

"Am I...still that sort...of hero?" Guy asked weakly as tears started to form in his eyes and fall upward. "Because of me...you were..."

"I was more than happy to give my life to protect you and everyone else. It is, after all, what we are prepared to do by its very nature."

"Then please...let me return," the cyborg pleaded weakly; "To the place where I belong...and to the oath sworn through courage..."

"Remember your courage, Guy Shishioh," Kaworu said as he gently reached down and pulled the Chemical Bolts out of Guy's neck. "And ensure your friends never forget it either...for courage has the power to create miracles..."

* * *

Galeon hovered helplessly and silent as Pei La Cain flew down toward it and then paused a short distance from it.

"Behold our power!" Palparepa boomed. "And witness OUR Fusion!"

The Cain lookalike began to glow as he approached, as did Galeon's eyes. But as he drew close enough to touch the robot lion's nose, its mouth suddenly opened...revealing Guy inside. Expressions of rage and confusion crossed the faces of every Sol Master who witnessed it.

"Guy!" Mikoto cried joyfully to see her beloved safe and sound.

"I knew it!" Mamoru cheered. "I knew Galeon would know who the real hero is!"

"Impossible!" Palparepa exclaimed. "He freed himself from the Chemical Bolts?!"

"An oath sworn through courage is greater than any mere flesh!" Guy declared before looking up at Mamoru and Mikoto.

"Mamoru...Mikoto...I'm fine now. No matter who the enemy is, I'll face them. I am an Evoluder and this is the proof of my courage!"

Pei La Cain prepared to deal with Guy, but the Evoluder was quicker on the draw.

"GENESIC AURA!"

Galeon released a powerful energy wave that spread across space and even to Mars' surface, sending Pei La Cain flying.

"So...it seems the fates of the Gods of Creation and Destruction are intertwined after all."

"FUSIOOOOON!"

Just like old times, Guy and Galeon performed Fusion, transforming the latter into GaiGar. But thanks to the power of the Genesic Aura, the awakened GaiGar was far stronger than even GaoFighGar.

As Mikoto and Mamoru watched this, the former noticed five hexagonal G-Crystal panels floating nearby. She then heard the voice of Iophiel speaking to her once again.

_The Sol Masters, with the Pas-Q Machine in their grasp and the Loud G-Stones that grants them energy, wield the power of regeneration. The only thing that can overcome this power...is the power of destruction. _

"Destruction?" Mikoto mumbled.

_The destruction embodied in the G-Stone is not final - it is the hope of a new start from zero. It represents the challenge that infinite possibility brings. Shatter the crystal seals, and let the power of infinite possibility guide you to victory!_

Mikoto suddenly ran out of the protection of Mamoru's shield and bounded straight toward the passing crystal seals. Her Evoluder body allowed her to survive in the vacuum without any form of protection, an ability she shared with Guy.

_Please...Guy...protect Mamoru...protect everyone!_

She clenched her hand into a fist and prepared to smash them just as she did so often before...

"GENESIC...DRIIIIIIVE!"

With all her might, she smashed her hand into the central seal. After a few moments, the seals began to emit an unbelievable amount of energy and green light. Then five green Thresholds appeared, and out of them came five streaks of light. They zipped about and quickly rushed toward GaiGar, who was about ready to enter battle.

Mamoru, however, recognized the green streaks.

"Those are...the Genesic Machines!"

The first to reveal itself was a dolphin-shaped machine...

"...ProtectGao!"

The second was a mole-like tank with a drill nose...

"...SpiralGao!"

The third was a shark-shaped machine...

"...BrokenGao!"

The fourth was another mole-like machine...

"...StraightGao!"

The fifth and final one resembled a great bird of prey...

"...And GadgetGao too!"

The five Genesic Machines began to orbit GaiGar.

"OKAAAAY! **FINAL...FUSION!**"

The Final Fusion process worked similarly to its Earth-made incarnations - SpiralGao and StraightGao formed into its legs, while its normal arms folded out, allowing ProtectGao and BrokenGao to lock together and form its shoulders. Finally, GadgetGao attached to GaiGar's back, using its talons to grip the shoulders and form two new arms. However, the hands it extended resembled golden claws. Finally the helmet dropped onto GaiGar's head, this time creating a long, flowing mane of orange hair.

It was the greatest God of Destruction and the ultimate form of courage. The struggle that preceded its birth had been incredible, but at last, the strongest King of Braves was born...

Genesic GaoGaiGar.

The power being emitted by this ultimate machine was absolutely mind-blowing. Guy knew he could take on all of the Sol Masters at once and come out on top with no problem.

But as Guy aimed the Broken Magnum at Palparepa, the voice of Iophiel resonated in Guy's ears.

_The Pas-Q Machine...you can ruin their plans if you destroy the Pas-Q Machine...aim for the point where all of the parts meet..._

He didn't know who this person speaking to him was, but he believed the truth in her words. Adjusting his aim slightly, Genesic GaoGaiGar unleashed the flying fist. It whizzed by Palparepa's head, then curved as it headed straight for the Pas-Q Machine, which hovered just behind the battleship.

With one terrific blow, the machine was blasted to pieces, causing the dark matter it had absorbed thus far to return to the universe.

_That's impossible! _Palus Abel thought. _There's no way he could have known the Pas-Q Machine's weak point...unless...unless SHE told him!_

"Palparepa, we're leaving for now. Unfortunately, it seems our enemy has a very knowledgeable ally on his side."

With that, the cubes, the battleship, and the Sol Masters all warped away. Moments later, a familiar voice came over Guy's radio...Kaidou's.

"Guy Shishioh! You're okay!"

Guy looked down and saw all of DREAM's ships rising out of Mars' atmosphere. His friends had arrived to help...of course, there was no need now. But the hero still smiled and acknowledged his fellows before piloting Genesic GaoGaiGar toward the _Battle 7_...

* * *

_Emperor Muge Zolbados. Mister Cohen and I are very thankful for your patronage. Isn't that right, Mister Cohen?_

_Indeed, Mister Stinger! If your men had not dug us out from our rocky tomb, we would have surely been trapped for all eternity!_

_Just understand that my patronage is not given lightly. I expect nothing less than complete cooperation from you. _

_If our enemy is Atik Yomin, you'll find no better ally! They have been our enemy since our existence began!_

_Tell us, though...why did you turn against them?_

_That ungrateful Britannian Emperor killed an important liaison of mine...his own brother, no less. What's more, that ungrateful fool stole the Code that I had planned to use...I cannot brook such disrespect. I will show that arrogant angel why my empire spans ten thousand separate realities... _

* * *

_And that's it for GaoGaiGar FINAL plot for now. Next time...I think I'll write some more character interaction rather than combat. _


	108. Chapter 75

_I figured I'd bring in another non-fighting-centric chapter before we move forward with more SEED and Geass plot._

* * *

**Chapter 75 - A New Britannia Dawns****! The Schemes of Madmen Move Forward!**

On Zero's request (and much to Yurika's chagrin) Akito was transferred over to the _Ikaruga _for the trip home, since the ship's regular chef had been injured during the previous battles and couldn't perform his duties. It also happened that C.C., curious about the ship and tired of being cooped up in Lelouch's room, nervously crept inside, hoping she wouldn't get caught and beaten. Unfortunately, Akito quickly spotted her.

"Hey," Akito exclaimed when he saw the girl sneaking around; "What are you doing in here, it's..."

"I'm sorry!" C.C. cried as she cowered in fear of being beaten. "Please don't beat me hard...I just wanted to look around!"

_Beat her? What the hell is she talking about?! Is this girl SERIOUSLY Zero's most trusted confidante?_

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you," Akito said gently. "Anyway, my name's Akito Tenkawa."

C.C. perked up when she heard the name.

"Tenkawa? You're the guy who made that yummy pizza!"

"Y-yeah, I did; glad you liked it," the Aestivalis pilot said with an awkward chuckle. "Listen, I'm working on dinner, so unless you know how to cook, you're gonna have to leave."

"No, I can help!" C.C. replied eagerly. "Please, please, pleeeease let me help!"

"Okay then," Akito sighed. "How about you chop up those pieces of meat there?"

"Yes, right away, sir!"

C.C. walked over to a counter where several large steaks were stacked on a tray next to a cutting board, upon which a sharp carving knife sat. Eagerly, the amnesiac girl began to chop away while Akito returned to his own job.

But C.C.'s enthusiasm made her reckless - her knife slipped at one point, and in a frantic attempt to avoid getting hurt, she ended up getting hurt anyway, cutting her left ring finger a bit and dropping a few pieces of meat on the floor. The clatter of the knife and her cry of pain alerted Akito, and reflexively, she began cowering in fear.

"Take it easy, you're bleeding..." Akito exclaimed when he saw blood ooze out of C.C.'s wound.

"No, it's okay," C.C. said in a reassuring tone. "I get cut up all the time like this...bleeding actually feels kind of nice when it's cold outside...even if it does sting a bit. It's better than hurting somewhere you can't reach...right?"

"Yeah...I guess," Akito said, baffled by C.C.'s words. "Let me get the first aid kit."

She watched Akito fumble through the various drawers and cupboards until he found the kit in question. He extracted some antibiotic gel and a box of bandages from it, then proceeded to apply one to the girl's cut.

"There," Akito sighed. "Listen, I'll take care of the rest. Thanks for your help, though."

C.C. nodded and began to leave, staring at the bandage with a small smile on her face, while Akito half-wondered what cosmic force conspired to bring this event about...

* * *

In the depths of the Geofront, Gendo Ikari and his confidante Kozo Fuyutsuki gazed up at a dark green Evangelion with a thin red visor. It was a mass production model, though not the same as the ruby-lipped EVA Series. The two men then looked down at a console in front of them, displaying readings on the unit's functions.

"The Dummy System is working well, Ikari," Fuyutsuki said as he nodded satisfactorily. "I think we may be ready for a field test."

"Yes," Gendo replied, terse as ever. He walked over to a low table where a Japanese variation of chess was laid out, with Fuyutsuki sitting down across from him. The two men began to play.

"But using the Mark 06 as a base...I'm surprised you cared so much about aesthetics, Ikari."

"Hm."

"On the other hand, I never did like those clownish abominations that the old men insisted on using."

"Indeed."

There was a brief pause before Fuyutsuki smiled and made another move, one which put Gendo at a great disadvantage.

"Your strategy is awfully weak today."

"So it seems."

"You're thinking about the First Child, aren't you, Ikari? About her, Shinji, and that boy who looks like 00."

Gendo furrowed his brow, as much as of resentment for his partner being right as he was thinking about his next move.

"It's like he's stealing Yui from you," the older man continued. "I suppose that explains Unit 01's rejection of the Dummy System, not to mention the girl's insubordination."

"I suppose."

"So, what will you do? As long as DREAM has Unit 01's core, we can't move forward with our own plans."

Gendo made another move, one that put him right back in his usual position of strength.

"We wait, and hope the old men don't nuke our species into oblivion first."

* * *

The _Dominion _floated a distance from a massive ZAFT asteroid base, the unassailable Boaz, flanked by four _Agamemnon_-class ships. Far ahead, an army of Alliance mobile suits (including those from alternate timelines) went toe-to-toe with ZAFT and Vega Empire troops.

"Captain," Flay, now on the _Dominion_'s bridge crew, called out. "We've confirmed that the advance teams have the enemy forces sufficiently occupied."

"Excellent," Azrael said with sinister excitement. "Deploy the Peacemaker squadrons, and have the Living CPUs guard them - since DREAM isn't here, perhaps I'll finally get some results out of those morons."

The four _Agamemnon _class ships deployed several dozen Moebius mobile armors, all carrying a single large missile, with the Calamity, Raider and Forbidden Gundams flying nearby.

"Looks like they're not here this time," Orga said with a smirk. "Maybe we'll finally get through a mission without being punished!"

"Yeah! Time to kick ass and chew bubble gum," Clotho cackled; "And take a wild guess on what I'M out of!"

The Druggies zoomed in and began cutting a swath through the ZAFT forces. Soon, one of them spotted a Boazanian Beast Fighter.

"Whoa! That must be a weapon used by those Vega alien guys!" Shani exclaimed. "Let's blow it to bits!"

The trio zoomed in and commenced to lay a beating on the Beast Fighter, scrapping it in under a minute flat by working as a team, just in time for the Peacemakers to get close.

"For the preservation of our blue, pure world!" the Moebius pilots called out before launching their payload. Their missiles sped at the gigantic base and struck their target, immediately detonating on impact. The remaining Earth Alliance troops withdrew to avoid what was coming.

It wasn't nukes the Peacemakers were deploying...they had launched FLEIJAs.

The bombs acted much like they did in Earth's atmosphere - they consumed everything in their radius before collapsing in on themselves. But even without air, the sheer number of near-simultaneous collapse effects caused the very fabric of spacetime to quiver for a few seconds.

"Whoa!"

"Awesome!"

"So bright!"

Natarle and Flay couldn't believe their eyes when they saw the effect of the weapons - Boaz had been filled with holes like Swiss cheese, while any of ZAFT's surviving forces in the area had been completed obliterated by the collapse effects. It was destruction on a scale beyond anything they had ever seen.

"Well, that was a cop-out," Azrael quipped. "ZAFT's mighty fortress, destroyed just like that. To think, I was actually going to use regular nukes...of course, these are even better! Not only are they more effective, but they don't leave any nasty radioactive fallout!"

"Sir," Natarle said uneasily. "I know they are the enemy, but did we really have to use such ludicrously powerful weapons? Do you have any sort of compassion for them?"

Azrael chuckled. "My dear Captain, I consider myself a compassionate man above all else. I'm not one to send MY subordinates to die in battles they cannot hope to win. Anyway, our next target will be their home base..."

* * *

The PLANT Supreme Council and Emperor Vega's generals watched in horror as Boaz was consumed by FLEIJAs. Heinel gritted his teeth, remembering what had happened to his home planet during Vega's conquest. Both Rau Le Creuset and Emperor Vega, however, seemed pleased as to how things were going, even though neither knew of the others' true plans.

"DAMN THOSE NATURALS!" Patrick Zala roared, enraged to a degree he hadn't been since the Bloody Valentine.

"Hmph. So those nitwits in Britannia finally show their true colors," Emperor Vega said. "That just goes to show that you can't trust any Natural, even those that you think see eye-to-eye with you."

"What are your plans, Chairman?" Rau asked.

"I suggest we give those Naturals a taste of their own medicine," the alien emperor said. "I shall deploy my own soldiers to Earth's moon and take Ptolemaius Base, trapping them on Earth. From there, we can lay waste to their capital cities with our Vegatron Bombs!"

"But Chairman..." said one of the PLANT Council members, who happened to be Nicol's mother.

"We have no need for the Earth!" Patrick boomed. "We are Coordinators, the next step in the human race's evolution! It is our destiny to travel the stars!"

He then turned to Rau.

"Creuset!"

"Yes, sir?" the masked man replied, saluting.

"I am going to Jachin Due. We'll make the Naturals' judgment twofold by using GENESIS!"

Rau smirked. He didn't care how powerful the Vegatron Bombs were - just firing that superweapon at the Earth would be sufficient to achieve his goals.

"Blaki, Zuril, Heinel...come!" Emperor Vega ordered; "We must make our own preparations!"

* * *

Nothing made Lelouch's heart ache more than seeing Nunnally cry, but all he could do was listen to her as he gently caressed her hair in the privacy of his chamber on the _Ikaruga _as it passed into Earth-controlled space en route to Macross.

"Kaworu's gone, big brother!" Nunnally said in between sobs. "First I lose Shinji and Rei, and now I've lost Kaworu too!"

"It's okay, Nunnally;" Lelouch reassured her. "Rolo and I are still here, and don't forget about Suzaku."

"But I...I didn't even get the chance to say goodbye...or thank him..." Nunnally said with a sniffle. "Because of Kaworu, I'm able to see your face again! Without him, I'd just be a burden to you!"

"Nunnally, please..." her brother replied. "You were never a burden."

"Big brother...Kaworu was the one who gave me the Mark Nemo, and..."

"Um...Mistress?" C.C. suddenly chimed in. Lelouch looked up and saw the green-haired girl clutching a box of bandages in her hands. "Please, take off your clothes."

Nunnally ceased her sobbing and looked up, her cheeks stained black with tears, while her brother looked on, completely dumbfounded by C.C.'s behavior.

"C.C., what do you think you're..."

"Are you hurting somewhere?" the girl said in a concerned tone. "If it's some place you can't reach, I can help!"

"...Someplace I can't reach..." Nunnally murmured.

* * *

Miku returned yet again to the medical ward where Masato remained in a coma...only to find him awake at last, staring at himself in a full-length mirror.

"Masato! You're awake!" she exclaimed. Her happy expression turned back to one of sadness when she saw that Zeorymer's pilot was looking rather distressed.

"Miku...just who am I?" he asked. "Am I Masato Akitsu...or am I Masaki Kihara? Am I both of them? Or am I neither of them? I just don't know."

"You..." the android replied, approaching him and gently clasping his hands; "You're who you believe yourself to be."

"That's the problem," Masato replied, shaking his head. "The wills of those two people have fought inside me for so long, yet neither one has the advantage. The boy Masato Akitsu screams in refusal to succumb to the will of the madman Masaki."

Miku looked away for a moment and thought, then gazed back into the eyes of the boy she cared for so deeply.

"Masato, y-you don't have to pilot Zeorymer anymore if you don't want to," she said timidly. "It's because you were forced to pilot it that you're like this."

Masato again shook his head. "The one thing I do know that both Masato and Masaki want to defeat Hau Dragon, and thus I feel that I have to keep going. Besides, I may yet find my answer along the way, and I'll need you and Zeorymer to help me."

"Don't forget everyone else," Miku added, smiling again. "Let's go see them...I'm sure they'll be happy to know you're back."

* * *

Not long after returning to Giga Float, a Britannian transport arrived on Giga Float rather unexpectedly, and with some surprising passengers to boot: two of Suzaku's old coworkers in the Britannian Army, and the Knights of Three and Six.

"Lloyd! Cecilia! Guys!" Suzaku said happily when he saw his old comrades, despite them technically being his enemy. He was joined by Zero, Rakshata and Kallen.

"You're looking well, Suzaku," Lloyd quipped. "Having fun playing Black Knights up in space?"

"He is not a member of the Black Knights, Lloyd Asplund," Zero corrected the earl. "Even as a member of DREAM, he continues to serve as Princess Euphemia's Knight."

"Let's get straight to the point," Kallen said, leering at them a bit; "Why are you here?"

"We've come on behalf of Prime Minister Schneizel el Britannia and the Imperial Senate," Cecilia explained politely. "They seek peace with the UFN and its member nations."

Lelouch and Kallen couldn't believe their ears. Had Britannia, the archenemy of the world, seriously just thrown in the towel? They had just created FLEIJA, a weapon of unimaginable power...what would possess them to give up now?

"What prompted this, might I ask?" Rakshata said suspiciously. "I find it hard to believe that the mightiest empire in the Earth Sphere would just wave the white flag in the face of a bunch of ragtag rebels like us...unless they've become terrified of my genius!" Lloyd rolled his eyes.

"His Majesty's absence has been long enough that the Imperial Senate had to pick a successor to the throne," Anya answered.

"Take a wild guess who they chose, Suzaku!" Gino Weinberg said with a wide grin. The Knight of Seven unsurprisingly, realized exactly who they had picked.

"Euphemia...is going to be Empress?" he said. "You're joking."

"See this?" Gino said, holding out a sheaf of papers. "This document contains the approval signatures of Prince Schneizel and the Senate members, as well as three-quarters of the living royal family members..."

* * *

The news of Euphemia's imminent coronation spread like wildfire across the Earth Sphere, and anyone who paid any attention to world affairs knew what that would entail. To those in the Areas that were oppressed by the Britannian Empire, it was music to their ears. At long last, they would be free, and would be able to reassert their national identities once more. They could hold their heads high and not have to pay lip service to an empire.

But Britannia itself was divided. While there were plenty of Britannians who accepted this change, those who benefited from exploiting the conquered subjects of the Empire were loath to give up their ability to do so, especially the nobility.

Of course, Schneizel had expected as much. There would likely be uprisings from those who supported the old policies, but that always came with change like this - after all, Euphemia was virtually the polar opposite of her father.

"Schneizel..." a familiar, commanding voice said as the prime minister entered into the throne room. In the light of the full moon, he could see Charles, sitting on his throne and looking rather annoyed.

"Your Majesty?!" the flustered second prince exclaimed, dropping the papers he was carrying.

"What is the meaning of this, Schneizel?" Charles said indignantly, his leering purple eyes piercing through the darkness; "Placing Euphemia on MY throne while I still live?"

"The world assumes you to be dead, father," Schneizel replied, collecting himself and the dropped papers. "You were absent for long enough that the Senate had to choose a successor. Britannia is not yours alone to rule."

"I AM the Empire," Charles boomed, "And as such, this nation has spoken for itself, Schneizel."

"The Senate unanimously approved Euphemia," Charles' son retorted, "as did three-quarters of the royal family, including your own children; And right now I stand before you as head of the Imperial Senate and as your son."

"Are you saying that I am not fit to be Emperor?" the Emperor replied, his voice growing more commanding, and his eyes blazing with a calm madness as he rose to his feet; "In that case, as Pope of the Eden Vital Order and Emperor of Britannia that I am, I hereby issue THIS decree: Let the Senate be dissolved; Administration, judiciary, military, let them ALL be put on hold!"

Schneizel couldn't help but wonder if his father had gone off the deep end in his time away.

"From this moment forward, I am the existence that exceeds all other rulers...the Absolute Emperor!"

Charles then raised a clenched fist.

"Furthermore, let the Holy Britannian Empire ITSELF be dissolved...and in its place, let the Holy Theocracy of Eden Vital arise!"

"Have you gone mad, Father?!" Schneizel finally cried. Charles looked down. Without so much as a single gesture, Charles somehow caused a Threshold opened just to his left.

Sticking out of it were the head and left arm of an EVA Series, which reached out, grabbed the terrified Prime Minister, and bit him in half, sending blood spraying everywhere, even on the Emperor himself. The creature grinned, dropped Schneizel's remains to the ground, then withdrew into its portal.

"I am not mad, Schneizel," Charles said coldly; "The world is."

* * *

"Boaz was blown up by WHAT?!" Athrun exclaimed in horror when he heard the grim news from GGG in the commanders' meeting room on Giga Float. DREAM's other commanders, Hayato, Gai Murakumo and Guy Shishioh were also listening in.

"FLEIJAs," Alouette replied. "The same weapon that NERV used on the Tenth Angel. Since the weapon requires a fission reaction to activate, it must be that Blue Cosmos got its hands on the plans for the Neutron Jammer Canceler."

"Damn it! Who knows how my father will react?!" the Justice Gundam's pilot cried angrily. "He might even use THAT!"

"That?" Alouette asked.

"We're going to need some specifics, Athrun Zala," Taiga said. "Please, what do you mean by 'That'?"

"..GENESIS," the Coordinator said grimly. "It stands for 'Gamma Emission by Nuclear Explosion Stimulate Inducing System'. All I know is that it was developed after the Bloody Valentine as a defensive weapon, and it uses nuclear reactions to fire a massive burst of gamma rays."

"Gamma rays?!" the pilot of GaoGaiGar exclaimed.

"So basically, we're facing down the one thing capable of wiping out all life on Earth in the blink of an eye," Hayato said nonchalantly. "That's just great. Makes me wish we had Shin Dragon with us."

"To be quite honest, we're hardly in any position to be accusing ZAFT of using world-threatening weaponry," Gai Murakumo chimed in. "We've got enough firepower to raze the biosphere thirty times over."

"Yes, but we use that power to defend our world!" Guy replied.

"And ZAFT thinks it is doing the same thing," Hayato said. "As does Blue Cosmos. At least, that's what they preach."

"That, Hayato Jin, is what differentiates DREAM from its enemies," Zero said in disagreement, stepping forward. "Patrick Zala and Muruta Azrael's words are nothing but hypocrisy that hides an agenda of complete genocide. I'm sure we all understand that our goal is nothing of the sort."

"We should make that statement clear to the rest of the Earth Sphere," Taiga said thoughtfully; "And I think I know how..."

* * *

In spite of the ongoing hostilities in the heavens, DREAM decided to take the time to celebrate Euphemia's coronation as Empress now rather than later. It would also be a good gauge to see how the other major powers would react.

Euphemia, even as she looked over her new royal attire in a mirror on the wall of her preparation chambers aboard an _Avalon_-class carrier, still wondered if this was all real. She had never wanted to be Empress - she just wanted to create a world where Lelouch and Nunnally could be happy. But she would not back down - she intended to show Schneizel the strength of her resolve.

The empress-to-be took a deep breath as she heard the sounds of the opening fanfare begin on her screen. She watched the camera pan over the four Knights of the Round who had chosen to side with her - Suzaku, Gino, Anya and Tara, the latter having accepted the position again. The two men stood to the right, while the two young women stood to the left.

She saw Nunnally and her siblings further down, while Zero and the rest of DREAM's commanding officers, including Bright and Taiga stood across from them. Standing next to them was Kaguya Sumeragi...

It was then that Euphie noticed something amiss...where was Schneizel? He, of all people, was supposed to be present for such an event.

_I guess he's preparing for the inevitable chaos that will occur because of this_, she thought. With that, she stepped out onto the ship's balcony, just as the ship gently landed near the stage, allowing her to look at the assembled throng. The crowd consisted primarily of Japanese people, but there were a fair number of Britannians among them as well. With a sigh, the soon-to-be empress began to speak to her subjects...

"Right now, the world is plunged into chaos, the likes of which have never been seen before; chaos created in part by my father, the late Emperor Charles. However, this shall not be the revival of the tyrannical rule of the old Britannia. I have personally resolved to take over the throne from him in accordance with the imperial laws and work to undo the damage caused by my predecessors."

"Charles once said that people are not equal, and in a way, he was right. Some people are better at certain things than others. But the very fact that this inequality exists is all the more reason why it is INEXCUSABLE for those with power to oppress those without power!"

A great cheer came from the crowd.

"To that end, I hereby declare the..."

Before Euphemia could finish, the gigantic screen that was showing Euphemia suddenly began to change, as if something else had hijacked the connection. After a few seconds of static, the gigantic visage of Charles zi Britannia appeared, sending a cry of shock from the crowd.

"Hear me, Zero! Heed me, foolish soldiers of DREAM!"

_No...impossible! _Lelouch thought, terrified beyond words. _How can he be alive?!_

_What?! But I'm sure of it! There's no way he could escaped that pocket universe! _Tara thought, also shocked to see Charles alive and well.

"So, Zero, you thought this foolishness would surprise me?" Charles taunted; "What nonsense."

_Father, is this your doing? _Euphemia thought as she stared at her screen in disbelief. _Did you stage your own disappearance?!_

"I don't mind, though," he continued; "The Holy Empire of Britannia, which composed one third of the world, is dead. You are crowning an empress without subjects, a ruler without territory! I, however, rule that which has risen in Britannia's place...the Holy Theocracy of Eden Vital!"

"Holy Theocracy of Eden Vital?!" Koji exclaimed. "What on earth is he yammering about?!"

"You see, Zero, you fail to comprehend who holds the reins of history," Charles declared, grinning in an unnerving manner; "Schneizel believed that he did, and it cost him everything. But if you wish to take them, then have at me! I, Charles the Absolute, will gladly battle you for control of the world!"

Just then, a large force of Britannian and Earth Alliance ships and mobile weapons appeared over the horizon. But of graver concern were numerous EVA Series, all soaring gracefully but ominously through the air. Also among them were the other Knights of the Round, including Bismarck and the Knight of Ten, Luciano Bradley.

"Are you prepared to wager everything? After all, that is the very essence of war! Come then, and face us, who hold the reins of history in our hands! **JEDE SELEE IST EINE!**"

The Eden Vital cultists and loyalists in that vast group all began chanting that last phrase in unison, the words rallying them like a war-cry.

"Did he say 'Every soul is one'?" Asuka, who sat in the rear of the audience, exclaimed when she recognized the words. "Geez, that guy SERIOUSLY needs to work on his German."

"Looks like this timeline's SELEE has no sense of subtlety at all," Mari said to herself with a small chuckle. "I'd have thought their first official move against us would be not be quite so...y'know, bombastic."

* * *

_I can't believe it, but we're almost at the home stretch! Stick around, because the battles to come are going to be beyond anything Banpresto has currently done!_


	109. Chapter 76

_The end draws ever closer. I think at this point the story will probably end at around Chapter 90 or 100. I'm really excited for the next few finales, as I really plan to make them epic!  
_

* * *

**Chapter 76 – Eden Vital Attacks! Massive Clash For Japan's Future!**

"Everything seems to be going quite swimmingly, Lord Metatron," Samael said as he and the other general of Atik Yomin watched the battle between DREAM and the Emperor's forces unfold from within their fortress. It was the first time they had all been assembled in what seemed like forever.

"Yes," Raziel agreed, "we were wise to give those men those mass-production TZIMs. It should speed things along now." Uriel, Raphael and Kushiel nodded in agreement.

"But weren't these the very devices that brought ruin upon your people, Lord Metatron?" Gabriel asked. "Why give them out?"

"You should know that already, Gabriel," Uriel said derisively.

"Yeah, do you even pay attention?" Samael laughed. "Or do you spend all your time trying to look pretty for whenever you show your face to mortals?"

"I am merely concerned that Metatron's decision runs counter to our goals," Gabriel replied. "Please, Holy One, grant us your wisdom."

"Those mass-production models lack that sort of power," Metatron explained calmly without missing a beat; "Besides, they can only call upon allies from futures other than their own..."

* * *

"So, apparently we shouldn't have all left," Murrue said to Zero as he prepared for battle within the Shinkiro. "It looks like the enemy really has taken over the Tokyo Settlement."

"While I never expected Schneizel to nominate Euphemia as Empress on his own, but I did figure that we would have to take the settlement by force at some point."

"That's our Zero!" Yurika chirped. "Always thinking five hundred steps ahead!"

"But priority number one remains guarding Giga Float, right?" Bright asked.

"Exactly. At the very least, we need to keep the enemy away long enough for the citizens to evacuate."

"Then it's Orb all over again," Mu sighed.

"Except the enemy has those EVA Series," Misato added. "I have a hunch that Emperor Charles is closely tied to SELEE...Mari told you all about them, right?"

"You mean that shadowy group that's supposedly been controlling every government on Earth for as long as anyone can remember and are trying to cause Human Instrumentality or something?" Yurika replied.

"That's why we need to keep the _Wunder _out of battle," Mu added. "Because if they get their mitts on Unit 01's core...well, bad stuff's gonna happen."

"Agreed," Zero said decisively. "Now, we'll divide our teams up like so..."

* * *

"Ah, it's ready at last!" Jeremiah said excitedly, clasping his hands together as he spotted his new mech in one of the hangars on Giga Float; "The instrument with which I will show them my loyalty...the Sutherland Sieg!" It resembled the Siegfried used by V.V., but with a very different weapon arrangement, and the head of his Sutherland poked out of the front.

It was but a small bit of work that had been done on DREAM's machines during the trip to and from Mars, as well as the week prior to the coronation.

"Yes, that thing is quite a marvelous work," Rakshata said contentedly as she watched this from above. "Too bad neural interfaces are so expensive and difficult to mass produce. You'd think I'd have gotten more help from the Nanbara Connection and Big Falcon, though."

"The one that the Siegfried uses is completely different from the one used on Combattler and Voltes," Lowe replied. "Speaking of Knightmares, how goes the Energy Wing System coming?"

"The one on the Guren is all ready to go," Lloyd said excitedly. "But I'm going to do some more fine tuning on the Lancelot's. There's no way I'm going to put Rakshata's flawed design work on MY favorite guinea pig!"

"Trying to one-up me as always, I see," the Indian scientist huffed before turning to Lowe. "At least my dear friend Lowe admits that my genius is superior!"

"I dunno, I'd like to see you figure out how to equip a Lohengrin positron cannon on a mobile suit," the junker said awkwardly, trying to defuse the situation. But all it did was annoy Rakshata more. Before long, the two rival scientists were exchanging angry words, forcing Lowe to scurry away to get the Astray Red Frame ready...

* * *

Anya Alstreim reminded Janus a lot of Rei, based on what Tara had told him. He figured that since it would be their first battle together, he at least try to get to know the girl.

"Hey...you're Anya Alstreim, the Knight of Six, aren't you?"

"And you are?" she asked in a monotone that was eerily similar to that of his 'little sister'.

"Janus."

Anya pulled out her cellphone and started flipping through the records she had.

"Oh, yes. You're Tara Zifell's boyfriend and pilot of the Granlif Yggdrasil. She told me about you."

She then raised her cell phone and snapped a picture of him.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"To remember you by," she answered bluntly.

"But we just met," Janus said, confused.

Then he remembered hearing Tara talk about her...Anya not only had no memories, but was incapable of forming any new ones on her own...she had to rely entirely on her cell phone. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder as she bent down to put her cell phone away.

To his surprise, the girl perked right up, then turned to him again. He immediately noticed that her eyes seemed even duller than they already were, and that she was smiling...which looked incredibly unnerving. He then noticed a faint red circle around her irises.

"Oh my, to think I'd stumble into you here, of all places!" Anya said excitedly, clearly not herself. "I could have sworn you were..."

Anya took a second look, then realized that it wasn't who she thought it was, then frowned.

"Oh, it seems YOU have that ability too. I'm surprise it survived the split."

"Who are you, and what did you do with Anya Alstreim?!"

"Like I'd tell you. You'd know too much, little reject. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other things to attend to."

With that, Anya, under the thrall of this unknown individual, walked away. Janus blinked a few times, then realized it would probably be a good idea to follow her...

* * *

The mission was twofold - first, DREAM and its forces would have to push the Eden Vital troops away from Giga Float, then capture the Tokyo Settlement, which had been taken over by both Eden Vital forces and Britannian army divisions loyal to the old regime.

To that end, Lelouch knew exactly how to divide up DREAM's forces to maximize its battle strength on both fronts.

The defense of Giga Float would fall to the Super Robots, including the two remaining Evangelions and the newly acquired Genesic GaoGaiGar. The capture of the Tokyo Settlement would fall to the mobile suits, Knightmare Frames, Variable Fighters and other agile mechs.

"As we predicted," Li Xingke said confidently, "the enemy is shorthanded on the south end."

"Hey, Amuro," Kamille said as as the Hi-Nu dropped into the city beside the Zeta. "You feel that pressure? I think there's another Newtype here..."

"You might be imagining it. With the exception of Mu and Rau le Creuset, there aren't any Newtypes native to this universe..."

Suddenly, a huge, bulky golden Knightmare came flying in from afar, striking fear into Kamille's heart when he recognized the aura.

_That...that can't be...that couldn't possibly be Scirocco! _he thought.

But it wasn't Paptimus Scirocco at all - it was Clovis, swooping into battle with the Bedivere, a custom-designed Knightmare that was almost exactly as the same as The O, Scirocco's special mobile suit. The only differences were the presence of Knightmare weaponry and being only slighter larger than a typical mobile suit. Flying alongside it were two much smaller Knightmares: the Galahad and the Percival.

As Clovis moved in, he sensed the presence of an aura that was incredibly familiar to him, yet was sure he had never sensed before.

"Kamille...Bidan..." he muttered as the name of the aura's owner flowed into his mind.

"Yes, sir, that's the name of the pilot of the Zeta Gundam," Bismarck said. "How do you know him?"

"It doesn't matter right now...I shall challenge the Zeta Gundam," Clovis commanded. "Bismarck Waldstein, find the Lifthrasir and do what you must to capture its pilot alive; Luciano Bradley, I leave you to hunt down Zero."

"What?" Bradley, the Knight of Ten, whined. "I thought you hated that whore for betraying you! C'mon, let me kill her! I've got my own score to settle with her!"

"My father commanded you that for the time being, my word was equal to his own, no?" Clovis replied smugly. The orange-haired knight grumbled and took off to look for the Shinkiro.

"Your devotion to Lady Tahra is touching, my lord," Bismarck said. "Very well, I shall bring her to you." With that, he took off as well.

The Bedivere closed in on Kamille, who was forcing a Gareth away, and launched a slash haken. The Newtype was able to dodge the attack in time and fired his beam rifle at the Bedivere, which blocked the beam shot with a blaze luminous similar to that on the _Avalon_.

"You!" Kamille cried, still mistaking Clovis for Scirocco. "You're supposed to be dead!"

"I get that a lot, you know," Clovis chuckled. In Kamille's mind, the prince's voice was blended over with Scirocco's, which only infuriated him further. The Zeta's beam saber clashed with the Bedivere's own repeatedly, neither one able to land a solid hit, even when they exchanged rifle blasts.

"Damn you, why won't you just GO AWAY?!" the Zeta Gundam's pilot screamed in frustration, emitting a torrent of psychic pressure, forcing the Bedivere back. But the wily Clovis fired a pair of hadron blaster shots, damaging the Zeta and stopping it in its tracks.

"My, my, what a temper," the Britannian prince chuckled as he took aim with his hadron blasters. "Well, time to finish you off, Kamille Bidan..."

Suddenly, a mega beam shot struck Clovis' Knightmare from behind, making the shots fly off in a completely different direction. He turned around and blocked a second shot with the blaze luminous, and found himself staring at the Psyco Gundam mk III, which drew a beam saber.

"Loathsome man from Jupiter!" Four cried angrily; "I won't let you destroy Kamille's soul again!" She took a few steps toward the Knightmare and lashed out with her machine's fist, then sliced with her beam saber, slashing the Bedivere's left arm and leg off.

"Curses! I guess I pressed my luck too much," Clovis grunted. "Time to get out of here..."

"Oh no, you don't!" the Cyber-Newtype yelled. But when she tried to deliver the finishing blow, a Gareth rushed in front of the Bedivere, taking the blow intended for him. Not about to waste the soldier's sacrifice, he spurred his machine into a retreat, dodging shots from Four's colossal Gundam...

* * *

"PROTECTO SHAAAAADE!"

As the artillery fire rained down on Giga Float, Genesic GaoGaiGar's barrier served as an umbrella, blocking all of the shells and energy blasts with ease. Meanwhile, the other Super Robots fought their hardest, even as the roughly one million Japanese people scrambled to evacuate from their floating home. In particular, they were headed for transports ready at the mass driver to launch them into space, where they would be taken to temporary shelters on Macross.

"C'mon people, move it, one at a time, don't shove!" Asuka yelled as she tried to keep the frantic crowd in order. She would occasionally pause to fire off a few rounds

Suddenly, an EVA Series swooped down, carrying one of those all-too-familiar two-bladed weapons. Memories of the pain she had been inflicted back in the Ruined World came rushing back, paralyzing Asuka where she stood and causing the crowd to panic even more.

But before the mass-produced Evangelion could strike, the Dan Kuu Ken came zooming in, and struck the monstrosity in the head, sending it staggering away before it tumbled into the water, taking the sword with it.

"Great...now we have to go down and get it," Shinobu groaned. The voice of her dear Shinobu made the frightened teenager shake off her fear-induced paralysis.

"Hey, it was your idea to throw the sword!" Masato replied in an annoyed manner. "Who are you trying to impress, anyway?"

"Can it, you two. It's not like we don't have spares," Sara sighed.

"Shinobu! I knew you'd save me!" Asuka cheered.

"We would have done the same for any other of our teammates," the Cyber Beast Force's leader replied. "But don't keep relying on us to bail your ass out whenever you get in a pinch!"

"I'm sorry," Asuka said meekly, trying to act all sweet and nice.

"Just concentrate on keeping these people safe!" Alan said as Dancougar took off again.

* * *

Bismarck cut down a pair of Akatsukis as he looked around for his target - the Lifthrasir. Even though he was aware of her split nature, the Knight of One did grow to like the girl, if only because of her similar personality and skills to Lady Marianne.

Soon enough, he spotted Lifthrasir Titania taking out a Windam.

"Tahra Zifell, Knight of Eleven!" he roared, catching Tara's attention before charging at her.

"Tara, that appears to be the Knight of One's personal Knightmare Frame," Xemmey warned. "You'd best be..."

"I know. You think I'd forget the man who taught me how to use a sword?"

She managed to parry the Knightmare's attack, but with surprisingly difficulty considering the size difference.

"I see that you have a new machine, my student," Bismarck said with a laugh.

"Lord Bismarck," Tara said respectfully, her memories of his lessons making it difficult to accept him as an enemy even as she fired several shots at him, "why are you still supporting the Emperor? Euphemia was crowned empress!"

"If you were able to understand my reasons at all, we would not be fighting each other. Nonetheless, I was ordered by Prince Clovis to bring you back to him."

Tara paused. "Clovis...is here?"

"Tara, stay alert!" Xemmey said loudly, snapping Tara out of her momentary daze quickly enough to block Bismarck's next attack. "We can't get distracted, even for a moment, against this foe."

* * *

_Do you hear it?_

_Hear what?_

_I hear...battle. I hear war...suffering...chaos._

_I don't hear anything. Maybe it's your imagination?_

_You can't possibly not hear it. Everyone's out there, fighting, while you and I are just..._

_Even so, I like it here; I like being in here with you! I don't want to go out and fight. I don't want to be alone again..._

* * *

"Excellent, excellent; your swordplay has vastly improved, and your manipulation of those Thresholds is simply splendid!" Bismarck cried joyfully after taking a solid hit from Lifthrasir. "Now I can finally stop going easy on you!"

"...Going easy on me?" Tara exclaimed. In response, the ties that kept Bismarck's eye closed then snapped off, revealing a Geass eye. Bismarck, somehow, obtained a Geass power.

"As a fellow Knight, I must warn you that I have the power to see a few moments into the future! Now...try and get me!"

Tara, even while knowing it was probably a trap, made Lifthrasir Titania dive into a portal. Bismarck's Geass power immediately went to work - he saw a red image of his opponent reappearing just to his left. Sure enough, another portal opened right where Bismarck's power predicted it would, and he gracefully dodged the attack and countering with a slice from his Frame's sword.

"What?! Did he predict my move?!"

"I've only ever needed to use this power against Lady Marianne," the Knight of One declared. "But with the power to see your next move before it happens, your ability is but pale moonlight to my blazing sun!"

Seeing that she was all but completely outmatched, Tara sighed.

"Xemmey, disable the limiter."

Immediately, a rush of energy from the TZUM flooded into the girl, filling her with power and raising her to her four-winged form.

Lifthrasir Titania began to shine as well, and then dove into a portal. But Bismarck waited for her to reappear...yet she didn't.

Just then, a dozen portals opened all around Bismarck, and the mobile-suit sized machine popped out of one. She tried to strike the Knight of One with her blade tonfas, but he was able to parry with his sword. But she used the momentum to enter another portal, then pop out of another. Lifthrasir moved faster and faster with each pass, giving the Galahad's pilot less and less time to react.

But after twenty passes, Tara was ready to truly deal the final blow...

_All right, Bismarck...can you anticipate my move when there's more than one me?!_

As soon as she finished the twentieth pass, a dozen Lifthrasir Titanias came out of the twelve portals and rushed in simultaneously, completely catching the Knight almost completely off guard.

"It seems I've lost," Bismarck sighed as he pulled the ejection lever when he saw the numerous images appear before him. "Forgive me, Galahad, but Eden Vital has not called me home just yet..."

The cockpit ejected from the Galahad at the last moment, just as the twelve Lifthrasir Titanias slashed the powerful Knightmare to bits. The emergency override kicked in just in time, tiring Tara out greatly.

"Tara, your battle has severely taxed the TZUM," Xemmey warned her. We should return to one of the ships to rest and allow it to recharge."

"Good plan. I'm pooped as it is. Besides, it looks like we're about ready to initiate the rest of the operation."

* * *

Lelouch found himself in quite a bind. After shooting down a trio of Gareths, something huge and white lunged at him...an EVA Series. He was able to dodge its attack, but even catching just a glimpse of it as he evaded sent chills down the prince's spine.

The white monster was undeterred - it continues to eagerly grab at the Knightmare Frame, which dodged and wove to avoid its attacks, relying on the Absolute Protection Territory to catch any attacks that would otherwise land. The Shinkiro's strongest weapon was too slow for Lelouch to take advantage of an opening...after all, even he knew his limitations.

But suddenly, the mass-produced Evangelion stopped and let out a roar of pain before crashing to the ground, and dispersing into cosmic dust. Lelouch looked down and saw what had saved him - the Mark Nemo, stained with the monster's blood.

"Big brother, are you all right?"

"Y-yes. Thank you, Nunnally. We're almost ready to engage in the second phase of the plan."

He watched the Mark Nemo dash off to continue the battle. The very thought of Nunnally engaging in such bloodshed, even if their enemies were mind-warped cultists or abominations from other timeline, was almost too much for Lelouch to bear.

_Nunnally...I know you said you wanted to support me however you could; but did you truly have to go this far...to stain your delicate hands in blood and gore? _

He held up the same sort of remote control that he had used so many times and raised his thumb to press it.

_I'll...I'll end this before you follow me into hell!_

* * *

Anya, under the control of some unknown individual, looked around on the _Ikaruga _near one of the hangars. Suddenly, she spotted someone - the amnesiac C.C., trying to get away from all the noise.

"There you are! It's been so long since we've met in person! It's me, don't you..."

But Anya saw C.C. backing away from her, as the slave girl she once was would usually do when confronted by a stranger. But it seemed that whoever was controlling the Knight of Six had seen this behavior before.

"C.C.," Anya sighed, laying a gentle hand on C.C. "Don't tell me you've done that again,"

"Please forgive me!" the green-haired girl cried.

* * *

As soon as Anya touched the green-haired witch, her consciousness was transported into the same strange art gallery depicting moments from C.C.'s centuries-long life.

"C.C.?" she called out as she walked down the long straight hallway, rather unfazed by the strangeness of her surroundings. The girl didn't have to walk far before she spotted the "soul" of C.C., whom Lelouch had also encountered.

"C.C.!" she called out to her.

The green-haired maiden looked up. "Who are you?"

"It's me," the pink-haired knight replied. Anya changed into someone quite different - a lovely woman with long dark hair, violet eyes and a simple but lovely orange dress with a ribbon on the back. It was none other than Lelouch and Nunnally's mother, Marianne, who still wore the outfit she had at the moment of her death.

"See?"

"Oh, it's you," C.C. said, her memory starting to return. "What made you come all the way here? Are you concerned about Lelouch and Nunnally?"

"If only I could be such an ideal mother," Marianne sighed. "I'm simply here to make sure you're still on our side."

C.C. tilted her head, not quite sure what the deceased empress was getting at.

"Why did you seal your Code, C.C.?" the woman asked kindly. "You could have let Charles fulfill your wish to die so your soul could return to Eden Vital."

"To be honest, I'm not sure of that myself," the green-haired witch replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"We'll just have to find that out back in the real world, then."

C.C. giggled a bit, like one would in the presence of a good friend.

"It's just like you, Marianne."

"Just like me?" the empress asked.

"Yes...to meddle."

* * *

C.C.'s sealed memories returned to her, as did all of her powers. The personality of the slave girl she once was slept again, and the personality of the immortal witch that Lelouch knew so well returned.

"I really must thank you for giving me this Geass power," Marianne said, once again in the body of Anya.

"...Even if you did violate our contract."

"Did I, now? Listen, if I'm not mistaken, DREAM has something very important to our plan in its possession. Can you tell me where it is?"

"...Where what is?" C.C. asked.

"Why, Evangelion Unit 01's core, silly," Marianne replied, smirking a little. C.C. began to whisper something in the girl's ear.

Janus, eavesdropping from just around the corner, leaned in and tried to hear what he could, only to retract his head when he saw the possessed Knight look his way.

"Looks like a certain someone's trying to hinder us," Marianne said with a chuckle.

"I'll handle him," C.C. assured her. "You do what you need to do." Marianne hurried down the hall to get into the Mordred and wait for the right moment to make her move. Once Anya was out of earshot, Janus approached her angrily, while C.C. once again wore her uncaring, almost smug expression.

"You two-timing little..."

"Shouldn't you be out on the battlefield, Janus Olendra?" C.C. said, cutting his insult off before he could finish. "Lives are at stake, you know."

"They'll be fine," Janus replied spitefully. "I'm not going to look the other way while you hand that pink-haired friend of yours the keys to triggering another Third Impact."

"...Or the keys to completely ruining the enemy's plans," the witch said in her usual devil-may-care manner as she walked several steps past Janus. "It all depends on how you and Lelouch act from here, shard of Metatron."

"Who's this Lelouch?" Granlif's pilot demanded angrily; "And what do you mean, how he and I act from here?"

"Your girlfriend can answer the first question," the immortal witch replied; "As for the second one, if you can't figure THAT out on your own, then you have no hope of defeating Atik Yomin..."

* * *

_The Code Geass and Evangelion finales draw ever closer. But next time, we finish up the events of this battle, and then take a quick hop over to the Ruined World to continue the plots of Shin Mazinger and Zeorymer..._


	110. Chapter 77

_Time to finish up Final Battle Tokyo II, and then see what's going on with the plots of Shin Mazinger and Zeorymer..._

* * *

**Chapter 77 - FLEIJA's Power Denied! Final Battle for a Free Japan!**

Upon pressing the switch, the Gefjun Disturbers did their job. Upon seeing the lights go dark, Lelouch radioed his comrades.

"This is a message to the _Ra Calium_, _Ikaruga _and _Archangel _fleets! All utilities, communications and Knightmares of fifth generation and earlier have been disabled...the enemy's remaining battle strength has been all but completely defeated! Hit all major facilities to ensure the occupiers can't resist any further!"

But before he could finish, each of the Shinkiro's limbs were grabbed by a slash haken. He looked around and noticed that four pink and red custom Vincents had managed to snag him in his moment of distraction; he then looked up and saw the Percival, a white, gold and purple Knightmare with a claw similar to the Harmony Gundam's.

"Damn it...another Knight of the Round!" Lelouch cursed through clenched teeth. "Did they anticipate my move?"

"You're pathetic, Zero. Did you honestly think that your little group was going to successfully overthrow His Majesty? Ha! The Black Rebellion was destined to fail!"

The claw on the Percival's left arm began to open up and start spinning around its arm, forming into a lance shape.

"Tell me something," the Knight of Ten said cruelly. "What is the most precious thing of all? Certainly, it must be your life!"

Luciano stabbed the lance at the Shinkiro, but Lelouch was able to put the Absolute Protection Territory in time. Unfortunately, the Knight of Ten was nothing if not persistent. He continued to push against the field, draining the Shinkiro's energy bit by bit...

* * *

Tara landed the Lifthrasir Titania on the _Ikaruga_'s launch deck since it was the closest ship. As she landed, the girl saw the results of Lloyd, Rakshata and Lowe's teamwork - the Guren SEITEN. It looked much like the original, but with a larger energy claw and two shoulder extensions that looked like they would be wings of some kind, and had an overall more powerful look. She saw Kallen rushing up to the deck where she could enter the Knightmare. Nearby, Nina, Rakshata and Lloyd all stood around as Lowe prepared the launch sequence.

"Hey Kallen, nice new ride!"

"We can talk later, we just lost contact with Zero!" the red-headed ace replied. "I have to get out there and make sure he's okay!"

Kallen hopped into the cockpit and quickly examined the controls.

"The basic system seems to be the same," she said to herself. "Lowe, could you send me the IFF data?"

"Gotcha!" the junker replied as he typed in a few commands. "All set! Go ahead and start her up, Kozuki!"

"Confirm activation," Kallen called out as the shoulder extensions fanned out, looking like vestigial wings.

"Activation confirmed!" Lowe replied, giving her a thumbs up. "You're all set to launch!"

The Knightmare projected four pink-red panels of energy that served as wings. It then pulled out a maser vibration dagger and got into a launching pose.

"Kallen Kozuki...Guren SEITEN Eight Elements...launching!"

The Knightmare Frame took off with unbelievable speed, the force of the displaced air and resulting sonic boom nearly knocking Tara down as she exited her machine.

"Holy cow, I knew this thing would be fast, but WOW!" Lowe cheered. "Hey Tara, looks like your machine's been left in the dust!"

But Tara couldn't hear him, as her ears were still ringing from the sound...

* * *

Chiba stopped and watched in awe as a pink-red streak zipped around the battlefield, wiping out enemy troops at frightening speed.

"Is that...Kozuki?!" she exclaimed. "That machine she's in...how could it possibly be so fast?!"

Meanwhile, Luciano Bradley was continuing to wear down the Shinkiro's barrier with his spinning lance.

"Ha! This barrier is the only thing good about your Knightmare!" he laughed; "Valkyrie Squadron, don't let him go, no matter what!

"Yes, my lord!" the four Vincent pilots called out in unison.

_Damn it...if only I hadn't expended all that energy on that monster from before_, Lelouch thought, frantically typing in an effort to keep the Shinkiro's barrier up as long as possible.

"Commander Zero, we've got Earth Alliance mobile suits and Moebius mobile armors coming in from orbit!" Murrue said. "And it looks a bunch of those Moebius are carrying large missiles of some kind."

_So...Blue Cosmos has cast its lot with Eden Vital as well_, Lelouch thought. _But why would they equip those outdated Moebius with..._

A chill of absolute terror coursed down the prince's spine.

"All units, forget that order! Stop the mobile armors and disable those missiles! We can't allow the tragedy of the Tenth Angel to repeat it...!"

"But Commander Zero!" Kira cried, having spotted the Shinkiro and the enemies that had it held captive.

"No, you idiot!" Lelouch roared. "Leave me! We can't allow the Settlement to be anni..."

But his moment of distraction allowed Bradley's lance to slip through his defenses, striking the crystal on the Shinkiro's chest.

"Neat plan, huh?" Luciano Bradley taunted. "We knew you'd send your troops after our FLEIJA-equipped reinforcements rather than have them protect your sorry hide. That's what happens when you get soft, Zero. Now...to finish you..."

* * *

"Cripes, Blue Cosmos is using FLEIJAs here too?!" Koji exclaimed. An equally large wave of Strike Daggers and FLEIJA-equipped Moebius was heading for Giga Float.

"I suspect that if we try to destroy the warhead, it will only cause the missile to go off prematurely," Hayato said grimly.

"Aim for the missiles' propulsion systems!" Kouji called out as Mazinger Z struck one of the missiles with a Rocket Punch; "That's what Amuro did to stop a nuke during the One Year War, right?!"

"That's as good a plan as any," Juzo of the Combattler team quipped. "There we go, locked on...it's all you now, Hyoma!"

"BIG BLAST...DIVIDEEEER!" Hyoma called out.

Combattler fired a large missile from its hips, which then split into numerous smaller missiles. The missiles zoomed through the air, each one targeting the propulsion systems of several FLEIJAs.

"That's it, everyone, keep it up!" Simon called out. "Viral!"

"Right!"

"FULL DRILLIZER!"

* * *

"Persistent little punk..." Luciano growled. "That shield's lasting a lot longer than I gave it credit f-"

Suddenly, he noticed the pink and red streak swooping across the sky. He backed off, just in time for it to run through the four Valkyries that accompanied him, taking them out in one shot. The Shinkiro backed off as the streak, which turned out to be the Guren SEITEN, got between Zero and Bradley.

"Well, if it isn't the Vampire of Britannia," Kallen said calmly yet heroically as she opened her Frame's wings. "I heard about you from a friend."

"Ah, you mean that Knight of Eleven whore?" Luciano replied with a laugh. "So, she really IS here!"

"Final preparations took longer than anticipated, Zero," the ace said to her commander; "but Kallen Kozuki, captain of your personal guard, is back to front...I mean, 'THE front'!"

Kallen giggled a bit, and even Lelouch couldn't help but snicker. It was a surprisingly relevant pun. The Knight of Ten, however, was suitably angered.

"First, you kill my pretty Valkyries, then you ignore me while spewing bad puns?!" Luciano roared. "You'll pay with your life, filthy Eleven!" The Percival raised its shield, which opened to reveal several missile ports, which fired at the Guren SEITEN...

But the incredible agility and speed of the red machine allowed it to dance around the missiles with astonishing ease. Lelouch, seeing that the Knight of Ten was distracted, decided to head for the now poorly defended government bureau to deliver the final blow to the Settlement's defenses.

Meanwhile, Kallen raised the Guren's energy claw and pressed a trigger, causing the claw to shoot out like a slash haken. She then started firing hadron blasts from the flying limb, essentially using it like a cross between a rocket punch and a wire-guided bit. After retracting the claw and reattacking, dozens of explosions occurred simultaneously, signaling the destruction of the Percival's missiles, as well as a large number of other enemy Knightmares and mobile suits. However, the Percival itself avoided the entire attack.

"Eleven," Luciano said mockingly, having regained his composure. "Do you know the great truth of the battlefield?"

Kallen lowered her claw and looked at him suspiciously.

"If a man kills another, it's normally considered a crime. But when a man who kills many others on the battlefield, he's considered a hero!"

"So the vampire wants to be a hero, then?" Kallen retorted.

Luciano smiled wickedly. "No, I just enjoy taking what people value most from them...their lives!"

_Just as she said_, Kallen thought as she readied the Guren SEITEN's knife. _This guy's just a psychopath. _Luciano thrust the spinning lance at Kallen, who blocked it with her knife. The lance shattered after a few seconds.

"Sorry pal, that won't work on me."

"Ah, but at this close range..."

The Percival fired a slash haken on its shoulder at point blank...only for the Guren to catch it mid-flight.

Luciano's moment of distraction gave Kallen the opportunity to grab the Percival's head with her Knightmare's energy claw.

"So, tell me...what is it YOU value most?" Kallen taunted coldly. "...Your own life?"

The frustrated and terrified Knight of Ten could only babble and rant incoherently.

"Farewell then."

Kallen smirked a bit as she held her finger over the energy claw's trigger.

"And now...HEAT END!"

She pressed the trigger and sent a burst of energy into the Percival, completely overloading it.

"NO! THIS CAN'T BE! MY LIFE...MY LIFE HAS BEEN CUT SHORT...BY A MONKEY LIKE YOOOOU?!"

The Percival exploded, consuming the sadistic Knight instantly.

"Man, Tara must be rubbing off on me," Kallen said to herself after backing off. "She's making me act like Domon. Well, I guess I better help with those other FLEIJAs..."

* * *

"PHOTON BEEEEAM!"

Mazinkaiser's eye beams struck a FLEIJA's propulsion system, forcing it to drop harmlessly out of the sky. The Super Robots had been scrambling frantically to stop both the forces of Eden Vital and Blue Cosmos' Peacemaker force, but they stopped as the surviving troops suddenly beat a hasty retreat.

"Yeah, you better run!" Koji taunted.

"Guys," Mari said uneasily when she heard the sound of a missile still approaching; "I think we missed one..."

Sure enough, a FLEIJA was headed directly for the mass driver.

"Damn it, one of them is gonna hit!" Benkei moaned.

"No! Giga Float will be wiped out!" Mikoto cried.

"It doesn't matter, all of the people have evacuated!" Guy called out.

"All units, withdraw and scatter!" Taiga bellowed.

But suddenly, a roly-poly figure with a cape appeared atop the mass driver and caught the missile as it descended. The figure struggled a bit, but after a few moments, the missile ran out of fuel.

It was Boss Borot, only somewhat larger and much less like a hunk of junk...and it was being piloted by both Bosses, both Nukes and both Muchas.

"Just when all seems lost..."

"From out of nowhere, a savior appears!"

"With guts unequaled, and strength unrivaled..."

"He springs into action!"

"He is the demon who walks beneath the skies of two linked worlds..."

**"SUPER BOSS BOROT!"**

"Nice catch, Boss!" Akira said with great relief.

"Thanks!" both Bosses said simultaneously. "But you haven't seen ANYTHING yet!"

The roly-poly robot began to spin around and extend its arms similar to Shin Getter 3.

"ORYAAAAAH! **DAISETSUSAN BOROTOSHIIII!**"

Finally, the machine sent the FLEIJA flying, high into the atmosphere, where it detonated spectacularly, but harmlessly. Meanwhile, the heroic move made Super Boss Borot lose its balance, and tumble into the water. After a few seconds, it resurfaced, wearing a fishbowl-shaped helmet.

"See! We thought of everything!" Mucha of the Flourishing World called out.

* * *

The battle ended, with DREAM exhausted but victorious. Giga Float was empty of its residents, now safely on their way to Macross. Meanwhile, Zero had been able to successfully implant another computer virus into the Settlement government bureau's facilities, without any surprise visits from Muge Zolbados either. This put the final nail in the coffin of the old Britannia's hold on Area 11, as well as cementing the power of the still infant UFN to stave off its rival powers.

With peace cemented for the time being, DREAM needed to show that it would not disregard the basic human rights of any remaining Britannian civilians...especially the students of Ashford Academy, many of which had friends in the group.

But it would be a truly awkward return for the numerous Ashford students who had cast their lot with the UFN and Empress Euphemia. For the Britannians who didn't know DREAM that well, the fall of the conquering regime put their lives at risk.

"Hey Riv..." Kallen began when she spotted her fellow Student Council member, Rivalz as she arrived at the old meeting place with Suzaku and Tara, who had been a member during her stint as Knight of Eleven. The television was on, with the news going.

"Please don't hurt me!" he cried, cowering in fear. "I'm no loyalist!"

"Rivalz, it's all right," Suzaku reassured him. "We don't plan to hurt you, or any other Britannian civilians."

"You sure?" Shirley said in an annoyed tone. "Those blowhards Boss, Nuke and Mucha were bullying other students earlier, throwing their weight around like they own the place!

"What?" Tara exclaimed. "I could have sworn Koji and Sayaka set them straight...unless they're the OTHER ones..."

"OTHER ones?" Rivalz said, surprised. Arthur, the council's cat, leaped onto the table and prepared to pounce on Suzaku's hand.

"Oh...yeah...it's kinda hard to explain," Kallen said. "But either way, we'll set the record straight with them that they don't have any right to bully others."

"Yeah, it goes against everything DREAM stands for!" Tara added. Rivalz glanced over at the TV and saw that Milly Ashford was on.

"Hey, guys, Milly's gonna deliver a report!"

"In other news, Earth Alliance military police are still determining where the imprisoned scientist Dr. Hell may have escaped to," the journalist began.

"What?! Dr. Hell broke out?!" Shirley exclaimed. "Oh, this is not good at all."

"This footage shows a mysterious individual breaking into a secret prison somewhere on the moon and breaking Dr. Hell out," Milly continued. "Here we see him him entering what appears to be a portal; it has been viewed as similar to the one generated by some of the mobile weapons used by the paramilitary group DREAM."

"Guys, this isn't us," Kallen reassured them. "DREAM fought and defeated that jerk in the first place...there's no way we'd let him out!"

_That portal...that's a Threshold for crossing universes, not moving within one! _Tara thought when she recognized the nature of the portal. _And that winged guy...that looks like one of Atik Yomin's generals!_

"Don't worry, guys," Tara then told her fellow council members. "DREAM's gonna find that wacko before he causes any more trouble."

* * *

A great rumbling shook the desert sands of Neo-Mongolia as Hau Dragon's fortress rose again from the sands, having retreated underground during the incident with the Devil Gundam and the falling moon.

"Resurfacing complete, my liege," Lurahn said. "Based on our scans, it seemed that the group that Zeorymer joined up with has stopped the fall of the moon."

"I see," the empress said. "Well, at least now we can ensure that our Hades Project will be the one to succeed at bringing an end to this filthy world."

"And will you attempt to recapture Zeorymer?"

Yuratei thought carefully about this, but she was quickly interrupted when an unfamiliar voice echoed throughout the throne room, coming from the rafters.

"If you wish for help with that, then lend me your ears, Empress."

The empress and scientist looked up and saw what appeared to be an overlarge, tailless tiger with saber fangs. On its lower back was the upper half of a humanoid figure with green skin, red hair and beard, dull iron armor, a crested helmet, flowing brown cape and a leather battle-skirt that showed that the rider was, quite literally, attached to its steed.

"You! How did you get in here?!" Yuratei declared angrily. "How dare you enter MY sacred throne room without my permission!"

The green-skinned being laughed.

"I approach you with hand extended in friendship, and you rant and rave with indignity at me. You humans have changed so little over the ages."

"State your business, then," Yuratei said, sitting back down.

"I am Duke Gorgon, and I come to you as a representative of the sleeping Mycenae Empire. I believe we are mutually acquainted with Kushiel of Atik Yomin."

That got Yuratei's attention.

"He said that you would do something for him in exchange for a favor he gave you," Gorgon continued, smirking a bit.

"Yes, but he never said what favor would be," Lurahn replied. "Besides, we could not hold on to the gift he gave us for long."

"It matters not!" Gorgon declared, the tiger stamping its foot down. "It is time for you to repay him...and you will do that by helping in the resurrection of our empire!"

"Hau Dragon will NOT follow the whims of another power! We will make this world our own through the power of Hades!"

"I never said anything about enslaving you, human," Gorgon replied, again amused by Yuratei's defiant tone. "I was thinking more along the lines of an alliance. We share a mutual foe, after all."

"Please, my Empress, allow me to negotiate on your behalf," Lurahn said humbly, seeing that this situation could turn out to be a golden opportunity.

"Very well," the empress said.

"Even though we Mycenae still sleep, we have observed your Hakkeshu machines, and they clearly possess might equal to that of our greatest mechanical gods."

Lurahn smiled and chuckled. "Indeed they are. Burrstone of the Mountain, with its five hundred missiles; Dinodilius of the Earth, with its ability to cause volcanic activity anywhere thanks to its wave-motion transmitter; and Omzack of the Thunder, whose Nuclear Disintegrator cannon can stand up to any foe...against these three, all of the military might possessed by the powers in the Earth Sphere would not be enough to defeat them...and with your help, not even Zeorymer could stop them."

"Then it is settled. In exchange for ensuring the resurrection of the Mycenae Empire, you, Lurahn, will be granted a place amongst our seven generals."

He then turned to Yuratei, approached her and gently lifted her chin.

"And you, Yuratei, shall become our Emperor's bride and share power with him, for he has taken QUITE an interest in you."

Conflicting emotions and thoughts ran through the mind of Hau Dragon's leader. On the one hand, she understood that teaming up with this powerful force would ensure the birth of their underworld, and she personally would share control of the entire world with the ruler of Mycenae. But on the other hand, she could never be able to love such a person. There was only room for Taiha in her heart.

But in the end, the will of Masaki Kihara won out.

"I...accept your terms."

* * *

Zero and the other captains, along with Hayato, Amuro and Char all met in a conference room on the _Nadesico. _ Taiga and Lordgenome joined in on video conference.

"So, it seems that Dr. Hell has managed to escape to the other world," Zero began. "At least, that's what Tara Zifell concluded, based on her familiarity with Thresholds."

"Yeah...and I have a hunch about where he might have gone," Hayato said grimly.

"You're not thinking..." Amuro exclaimed when he realized what Shin Getter 2's pilot was implying.

"Yes. Since he was defeated by Mazinkaiser and my world's Mazinger Z," Hayato continued, "He probably thinks he lost because there were two Koji Kabutos."

"So he's gonna try and team up with his OWN double!" Yurika exclaimed. "That's not good!"

"There's also the matter of Hau Dragon," Bright added. "If I'm not mistaken, we still have to destroy three more Hakkeshu robots."

"And the Anti-Spirals may have begun to move," Lordgenome said. "We must prepare for their assault if need be."

"Then it's settled," Misato said. "We'll head over to the other world and beat the crap out of..."

"Wait," Taiga said. "It may not be the best idea to take Evangelion Unit 01's core with us. We still haven't tested the effects of Threshold travel on the core in its current state. For all we know, we could lose Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami during the jump."

"So we're just going to leave it here, where the enemy can get at it?!" Misato exclaimed, appalled at the idea. "I care about Shinji and Rei too, but is it really worth risking both of our worlds just for them?!"

"I'm more concerned about the possibility of something far worse occurring than just their disappearance," Max interrupted. "Our scientists ran an analysis on the strange circle that formed in the atmosphere during Near Third Impact...and found that its properties were very similar to that of a Threshold."

"It also resembled the portal created during Second Impact," Taiga added. "It's clear that the Evangelions and Thresholds are closely linked."

"Oh, I see your point," Misato said.

"Here's an idea," Char chimed in. "How about the _Wunder, Battle 7 _and say...one other ship stays behind? I'd be more than happy to lend some of Zeon's ace mobile suit pilots to the cause, assuming the peace talks haven't gone south."

"A fine idea, Char Aznable," Zero said. "Then I will stay behind on the _Ikaruga _to protect the _Wunder. _I also wish to help Empress Euphemia deal with the Holy Theocracy of Eden Vital. We'll try to avoid direct conflict with them while the rest of you are away. Is that agreeable?"

"No problems here!" Yurika chirped.

"I'm also interested in seeing how the peace talks are going," Bright said.

"That's fine. We'll store the core on Macross," Max said with a nod. "Of course, you can take Gamlin and Fire Bomber along now that the Protodevlin are no longer a threat."

"Acceptable," Lordgenome answered. "I will make preparations for departure immediately."

"I've never been to the other world," Murrue said. "I just hope that things don't go crazy between ZAFT and the Earth Alliance forces."

"I wouldn't worry about Azrael and his cronies for now," Andrew quipped. "They wasted a lot of FLEIJAs and Moebius trying to nuke Giga Float and Tokyo. I'm interested in seeing the other world, too!"

"What about GENESIS?" Murrue asked.

"Oh, Ruri's having our little friend Ed keep its crew busy for the time being..." Yurika said with a grin.

* * *

The crew of GENESIS was in chaos, scrambling to deal with a certain computer virus of DREAM's design.

_"Do not adjust your set!"_

"The cannon's OS is under attack!" one of the crew members cried out. "Our firewalls can't stop it!"

_"Quack!"_

"All of the passwords are being rewritten! We can't access the main functions!"

_"I am one with my shoe size, Double D!"_

"Severe all outside connections!" Patrick Zala ordered. "It will at least keep the virus from spreading!"

"All outside connections severed, sir!" the operator said.

"Good, now let's crush this virus and teach those Naturals not to make light of us with their childish tricks!"

_"Whack me! Whack me! Whack me!"_

"Sir, none of our anti-virus programs are working!" another operator cried. "The virus' code is mutating too quickly!"

"Then we have no choice," Patrick sighed. "Perform an emergency shut down and then reformat the data drives!"

"But sir..."

"There's a reason we do frequent backups of our important data!" Patrick boomed. "Do it!"

_"COOKIE DOUGH! YUM-YUM-YUM-Y..."_

"System shutdown complete, sir," the operator said. "Commencing data drive formatting."

Rau le Creuset, who had accompanied Athrun's father to Jachin Due, turned to his superior. He couldn't help but be tickled by how the virus had wreaked such havoc. But he knew very well that no Natural could come up with a virus this insidious. It was definitely the work of DREAM...more specifically, Kira Yamato and Nicol Amalfi.

"Even with the backups," he said, "It will take weeks to get everything working again, and the Naturals are likely to target Jachin Due next."

"Well then," Patrick said. "I hope your new mobile suit is up to the task of defending this battle station, Creuset."

Rau smiled. "Yes, I'm quite sure my Providence Gundam is capable of that much..."

* * *

_Next time, we return to the Ruined World, and bring the Gundam SEED team there for the first time, and then set up for the finale of Shin Mazinger! How will the events play out, and what role will the Hakkeshu play? Find out next time!_


	111. Interlude 8

_Since there's a crossing between worlds, it's time for another interlude! Hope you all like this.  
_

* * *

**Interlude 8 – Doors and Thresholds**

"Hi, mom...hi, dad," Tara said, tearing up a bit as she stood before the shared grave of her mother's family. "Grandma...Grandpa...Uncle Choujo...I'm sorry I couldn't visit you all until now."

This was the first time she had visited her family's grave plot since her parents' deaths. To make up for lost time, she began to relay the major events of her time since her last visit, from the Black Rebellion to her adventures in the other world, to her travels to Mars and Jupiter, and finally with recent events, speaking to them as if they were standing before her.

"And guess what? Empress Euphemia is going to officially liberate all of the Areas once we deal with the Theocracy of Eden Vital! Japan is really going to be free this time!"

"Miss Tara!"

Tara turned and saw, much to her surprise, Mamoru and what Tara assumed were his Earth parents, Isamu and Ai Amami. She wiped her tears away as they approached.

"Mamoru! What are you and your folks doing here?"

"Oh, we're just here to pay our respects to the family," Isamu said. "I take it you're doing the same."

"Mm-hm," the girl replied, sighing. "I never got to my parents' funeral because of everything that happened with DREAM."

"I'm sure they've forgiven you," Ai said kindly, "You've helped the world so much."

"Yes, Haruhi and Gilbert were both very kind and understanding people."

"You knew my parents?"

"We were acquaintances, that's all," Isamu replied. "I can say that your father was central in coordinating GGG's and Britannia's efforts in regards to BioNet. If anything, he's the reason GGG's existence was allowed to continue after Britannia took over Japan."

"Wow," Tara said, surprised that her father was so important; "I had no idea."

"Indeed, your parents were in quite a number of different circles in the scientific community, based on what I've heard. I'm sure Chief Koutaro could tell you more."

"You work for GGG, Mr. Amami?"

"Yep!" Isamu said, puffing out his chest in pride. "After hearing about all the good Mamoru was doing, I wanted to contribute to protecting the Earth in whatever way..."

"Dearie, let's allow Tara to visit with her family more," Ai said. "Besides, we can't keep ours waiting."

"Oh, all right," Mamoru's father said, his gut bouncing back into place. "Take care, then."

"Thank you; you too."

Tara looked back at her family's graves and smiled a bit.

* * *

"Just a word of warning, _Archangel _and _Eternal _crews," Yurika said cheerfully, almost acting like an airline stewardess as the ships lined up at the Threshold near Photon Power Labs; "If you feel weird during or after the jump, don't worry...it's perfectly normal."

"Understood," Murrue said before turning to her crew. "All hands, prepare for dimensional transfer!"

"Thanks for the heads up, Captain Misumaru," Andrew said before turning to his own crew. "All hands, shock positions! We'll be entering the Threshold shortly!"

One by one, the five ships entered the large Threshold, each getting stretched to their very atoms. After the instantaneous eternity, the ships reached the other side, returning to normal as they left. Those who were unfamiliar with the transfer found themselves in a brief daze upon regaining their usual shape.

"Wow..." Nicol exclaimed as he came out of his daze first. "That was...interesting."

"Hey!" Megumi exclaimed when she saw the outside on the _Nadesico_'s monitor. "It's a lot sunnier than the last time we were here. The Getter Ray readings are also completely gone too...I guess Shin Dragon really DID absorb all the Getter radiation!"

"On the other hand, there appears to be some sort of ludicrously huge battleship in the orbit the moon used to occupy," Ruri added in her usual deadpan manner. "I assume that is the Cathedral Terra our dear head-in-a-jar spoke of?"

"Yes," Lordgenome said, the term not bothering him in the least. "For now, the Cathedral Terra is remaining in orbit to prevent any unnecessary damage to the Earth's ecosystems. But when the time comes, we use it to attack the Anti-Spiral and Atik Yomin; of course, we will set the real moon in its place."

"Very well," Murrue said. "So, where's our next destination?"

"To Photon Power Labs," Bright answered. "That is...this world's version. We'll rendezvous with _Tower_ and head for Kurogane House, the place where we've been staying during our time here."

* * *

Surprisingly for DREAM, Neo Hong Kong was still a bustling city of trade, even though it was no longer the center of political power in the Earth Federation. They had somewhat expected that the city would have been turned into a ghost town after Neo-Japan's victory in the Gundam Fight.

As they had hoped, Photon Power Labs and Kurogane House were still around as well; Both newcomers and returning visitors wasted no time in getting comfortable.

"Wow, it's like all the tension just melts away," Tara said with a sigh of pleasurable relief as she dipped her body into the ladies' side of the hot spring, submerging herself from the neck down. "Man, I wish I had stayed with you guys the last time I was here!" She had joined Rain, Yoko, Chan, Christina, Four, the Aestivalis girls and Allenby.

Soon, Murrue, Cagalli and Lacus appeared, chatting it up while in bathrobes as they approached the springs, only to stop dead in their tracks and blush heavily when they got an eyeful of their colleagues' naked bodies.

"What?" Chan quipped.

"Um...you're all naked." Cagalli said.

"That's how you use an onsen, dearies," Sister Kiku said as she shuffled by. "Of course, you're perfectly welcome to use our private baths if you're not comfortable."

"C'mon, it's not like the guys can see us," Christina said, motioning for them to come in. "They raised the wall up several more feet and plugged the hole in it."

"And it looks like you got rid of that tanuki statue those boys used to spy on us that time," Rain added.

"A-all right, if you say so," Lacus said nervously as she disrobed. Murrue followed suit, blushing beet red as well as they dipped their bodies in.

"I-I'll just soak my feet," Cagalli stammered as she walked up to the edge and dipped her feet into the water.

"Well, looks like Yoko's still the reigning champion of hotness," Tara quipped as she quickly noted the assets possessed by Murrue and Lacus. "But I can see what Mu likes about you, Captain Ramius!"

"Tara! There's no need for that kind of talk!" Rain scolded her.

"Loosen up," Hikaru said. "This is what we're supposed to talk about in these sort of scenes, at least when a man would be writing it. Now if it was ME who was writing this..."

"Can it, Hikaru!" Ryoko yelled, dunking the otaku's head into the water.

* * *

"Question," Ryoma asked as he, Kouji and Hayato looked up at Super Boss Borot inside _Tower_'s hangar while the Ruined World Boss and his gang beamed with pride; "How did you idiots manage to build this new Boss Borot without us knowing?"

"Hey, what did you think we were doing on the way to Mars and back?!" Boss replied, annoyed that such a stupid question was asked of him.

"But Boss Borot was more or less a hunk of junk that was thrown together," Kouji said, scratching his head. "SUPER Boss Borot definitely looks solid and well-built. It's no Mazinger Z, of course..."

"Perhaps the parts' repeated exposure to the various kinds of energies our other machines use affected the machine," Hayato theorized. Boss nodded eagerly, willing to take anything for an explanation as long as it sounded awesome.

"But that doesn't explain how all six of you could fit in there," Ryoma quipped.

"Shut up, and don't go looking a gift horse in the mouth!" Mucha said, shaking his fist at Ryoma.

"Yeah, we saved your asses big time!" Nuke added.

"That is true, I guess," Benkei said with a laugh. "Thank you, you three."

"You guys really are too kind!" Boss said with a proud chuckle. "Now if you'll excuse us, we three heroes are off to the hot springs!"

* * *

Haman Khan and several Neo-Zeon officials stepped out of an Earth Federation military building, just in time to see Char approaching. They saluted each other and exchanged greetings in the usual way.

"Lord Char, I'm glad to see you back safely," the pink-haired Newtype said as the other officials headed for a nearby ship.

"How are the negotiations progressing, Haman?" Char asked.

"Steady, but slower than I had hoped," Haman replied, shaking her head in disappointment. "The legacy of the Titans is not something the Federation is terribly eager to let go of. Their souls remained weighed down by gravity."

"They'll come around before long," the leader of Neo-Zeon replied optimistically. "We can't afford to continue quarreling amongst ourselves. There are still threats to the Earth Sphere, after all." The two started to walk toward the space port. "Speaking of which, have we seen any movements from Dr. Hell or the Invaders?"

"Dr. Hell is definitely preparing for something major," Haman answered. "As for the Invaders, there's no sign of them on the Earth, but..."

"...But?" Char said, knowing that "but" implied bad news.

"We abruptly lost contact with the new Jupiter Fleet a week ago. I'm going to have some of our men look into it. Right now, Dr. Hell is breathing down the necks of the Federation."

"Are you implying we should help them?" the ruler of Neo-Zeon asked somewhat skeptically, even though he had every intention of doing so anyway.

"Of course," Haman replied with her usual smug smile. "It would give us more leverage if they owed us."

Char laid a hand on Haman's shoulder. "That's why I put you in charge of negotiating, Haman. But with Dr. Hell approaching, we may need to put the negotiations on hold temporarily, as we'll be needing your help."

"So you're asking me to join their little band," the pink-haired Newtype said, leering a bit. "Well, if it is your command, I'll do it."

* * *

The excavation of Bardos Island, under the close supervision of the Ruined World's Dr. Hell, continued. The Iron Masks and bronze Talos worked day and night to extract the Mechabeasts of Bardos from their slumber.

One soldier, yawning from exhaustion, having worked for three days without a break, swung his pickaxe a little too hard, and shattered a weak section of wall, revealing a door, surrounded by whitish green crystals. It just so happened that the mad scientist was passing by, and carried the rod that Baron Ashura had used to control Danube Alpha 1.

"Dr. Hell, I've found something!" the Iron Mask exclaimed.

"Ah, well done, soldier," the scientist said without really looking. "A new Mechabeast, perhaps?"

"No...it appears to be some sort of door. But I'm sure you would know better, my lord."

The scientist, curious as always, worked his way down one of the ramps that led to the work site and approached the door, but his eyes were immediately drawn to the crystals near the door. His eyes widened with awe and excitement as he spotted a loose piece and picked it up off the ground.

"This is...Japanium ore!" Dr. Hell cackled gleefully after a quick examination. "I can't believe it! It's really Japanium ore! I thought it could only be found under Mt. Fuji!" He hopped into the air and clicked his heels, such was his excitement.

"Sir? Are you all right?" the soldier said, not used to seeing his master act this way.

"Look at it!" the scientist said, his voice filled with twisted elation; "THIS is the mineral from which Photon Power and Z Alloy are derived!"

"What shall I do, my lord?" the Iron Mask said nervously. Dr. Hell's usual frown immediately returned.

"OPEN THAT DOOR, YOU DUNCE!" his master roared, waving the rod around angrily; "And I mean NOW!"

Somehow, the way Dr. Hell waved the rod around caused the door to begin to glow, which the soldier quickly saw.

"Dr. Hell...the door's opening!"

The scientist turned around and gazed with surprise. The door slowly opened, revealing a silver Threshold as its glow faded.

"Oh-ho...it must have reacted to the rod of Bardos," he thought out loud. After a moment, he turned to the Iron Mask. "Soldier, find some of your comrades and extract this ore. Meanwhile, I shall investigate what lies beyond this portal myself."

"Yes, sir. Do be careful, Dr. Hell."

The scientist stepped into the portal, and he immediately felt his body being stretched out all the way to his very atoms as he was sucked in...

* * *

Amuro, Lowe and Andrew led Kira and Athrun back to the _Eternal_, the Junker and the battle-scarred Coordinator looking rather excited to show them something. They soon arrived at the songstress' ship, where they saw three massive machines that resembled gigantic crosses between weapons platforms and fighter planes. However, only two of them looked complete.

"Ta-da!"Lowe said with his usual wide grin.

"Hey, the METEORs are done!" Kira exclaimed. "You said they would take more time!"

"Amuro helped things along on the way to Mars last time," Andrew explained, giving the Londo Bell commander a hearty slap in the back. "He deserves a lot of credit on making these babies happen."

"Hey, if you want to give credit to someone, give it to Lt. Kou Iraki," Amuro replied modestly. "He was the one who provided the data from the GP-03 for the project back when we were dealing with the Devil Gundam."

"Will he be joining us?" Athrun asked, half-eager to get a new friend.

"He can't, which is too bad," the Newtype replied, a bit of disappointment in his voice. "But he's been helping with the peace negotiations."

"By the way, who's the third METEOR for?" Kira asked, noting the incomplete one behind the two completed ones. "I thought they were only for the Justice and the Freedom?"

"The third one is for my best pal Gai!" Lowe said with a grin. "I built his from scratch, while yours were already partially completed."

"Don't you think that guy has enough firepower, Lowe?" Andrew asked, surprised at Lowe's choice. "I mean, you already outfitted the Astray Blue Frame with a Lohengrin. This seems a bit...overkill."

"Hey, these are only going to be useful in space, unless..." the Junker replied before a light bulb went on in his head. "Unless...maybe I can outfit them with sub-flight lifters or something! Let's do that, Andy!"

"Well, so much for them being completed," Kira sighed.

* * *

After a length of time that felt both like an eternity and an instant, Dr. Hell returned to normal on the other side of the Threshold, only to find himself in Iophiel's chamber. The scientist looked around, baffled.

"What?! There's no Japanium ore here!" he cried out, stamping his foot. "What is the meaning of this?!"

He then noticed a great door similar to the one that Mamoru and Kaidou had unsealed, and his scientist's curiosity overpowered his anger.

"Eh? This writing...it's definitely not Mycenaean writing," the scientist mumbled as he perused the runes; "Yet I KNOW I've seen it before."

He looked up, and saw that the second circle in the left column was glowing and pulsing.

"That circle...it's reacting to the rod of Bardos as well!" he chuckled; "Perhaps the Japanium lies beyond this great door."

He raised the rod in a commanding way, causing the circle to stop pulsing. To his horror, the door then crumbled to rubble, revealing another blank wall behind it.

"Curses! I've been had!" the scientist cried.

_The second seal has been broken. Eight seals remain._

"That voice...who's there?" Dr. Hell exclaimed, looking all around for the source of the voice; "Reveal yourself to me!"

As if to comply, the ghostly form of Iophiel appeared before his eyes. This time, one could make out her mouth.

_You...how did you break the seal? _she said in her ethereal voice. _You do not possess the power of Zeus._

"That is because it lies behind that door, doesn't it?!" the scientist replied, remembering why he had come here in the first place.

_You crave power. I can see it in your heart. It is full of hatred, despair and loathing...a heart denied all the pleasures of life._

"Do not speak to me about my feelings!" Dr. Hell bellowed, trying not to show that the angel's words had struck a nerve. "Open this door!"

_I also sense...sadness. A deep, crushing sadness rooted in your past._

"Enough!" the madman cried, still trying to shut Iophiel out of his mind. "I command you to open this door!"

_Your past is one without love, friendship, or kindness of any sort. Even when you found someone, you only found her heart belonged to another._

"Are you deaf, or is this more of your trickery?!" he growled; "If you will not open the way, then begone! I will control the power of Mycenae myself!"

Finally Iophiel sighed, realizing that she couldn't get through to him emotionally.

_I see you have closed your heart. It saddens me that even as you cry out for comfort and acknowledgment, you turn away from me. Very well...then let me show you what may come should you continue your mad quest._

She pointed her finger at Dr. Hell, firing a white beam that struck his forehead. Immediately, the scientist's mind was flooded with images of death, destruction, and pain...in particular, his own. All he could tell was that these were not prophecies of his reign over the Earth.

"This...what is...how can this..." he stammered, trying to make sense of it all.

_Do you understand now, Dr. Hell? That you will invite ruin on yourself and the very thing you wish to rule?_

"Yes..." he gasped, realizing what it all meant. "How could I...have been such a fool?! Tell me...if the return of Mycenae is at hand, how can I combat them?!"

_Awaken Goldon, the King of Hell. When you leave this place...the way to its slumber shall be known._

"Thank you! Thank you! I shall do so immediately"

_Wait._

Iophiel approached the scientist and gently placed her hands on his ears_._

_Before you depart, allow me to ease some of your pain. It will ease some of the suffering of my own bloodstained soul..._

The glowing angel then softly kissed Dr. Hell's forehead. A feeling of warmth passed through the old man's body, and he began to change. His blue skin began to shift to a more natural color, and his eyes lost their pallid yellow hue, though his hair and beard remained white as bleached bone.

With that, he disappeared, and found himself back in the chamber where he had entered from, though now several Iron Masks were frantically trying to extract the Japanium ore from around the Threshold. One of them looked up in shock.

"What?! Who are you?!" the soldier exclaimed.

"It's an intruder, trying to impersonate Dr. Hell!" another cried; "Get him!"

The Iron Masks dropped their tools and tackled the confused scientist, piling themselves on top of him, not noticing Kushiel watching from a high platform. He would have been smirking cruelly as he watched them subdue the scientist. Baron Ashura appeared from behind him and stood beside the general of Atik Yomin.

"Why don't they just kill him? Once they do that, I can..."

"Not yet. We can't have his counterpart figuring it out," Kushiel replied. "Besides, I have a few questions for him..."

* * *

Haman Khan sat in the media room of Kurogane House, looking baffled as she stared at the paused opening sequence of an episode of _Gekiganger 3_. Judau, Puru, Roux, Four, and Jiro Yamada were all gathered around as well, watching the Zeon ace go through her unofficial "initiation" ceremony.

"You're joking," Haman said, shaking her head. "You HAVE to be joking."

"Nope!" Puru said with a wide smile.

"You're SERIOUSLY going to make me watch some silly anime just to be a member of your group?!"

"Hey, you don't have to like it, Haman," Judau quipped, eagerly anticipating the sight of Haman squirming. "And you only have to watch one episode!"

"Of course, if I know your type," Jiro said confidently, nudging Char's right hand lady, "Then you're gonna loooove this episode! All right, let's watch!"

The episode began, and Haman braced herself for what was to come. It was a typical episode with relatively little interesting plot development. It did, however, feature the main characters at the beach. Puru, Roux and Four sighed a bit at the sight, while Haman merely tried to keep herself from exploding with psychic fury at the inanity of it all. Judau, however, felt the pressure his fellow Newtype was emitting all too readily.

Finally, the episode ended. Jiro and the three Newtype girls turned to hear Haman's opinion. Judau, however, dove for cover.

"IT WAS TERRIBLE; AN ABSOLUTE DISGRACE!" Haman screeched, her anger exploding so forcefully that the psychic energy nearly knocked the Newtypes off their feet. "JUST WATCHING IT MADE SOME OF MY BRAIN CELLS DIE! I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT YOU PEOPLE ACTUALLY **ENJOY** THIS DRIVEL...I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE **HAAAAATE** IT!"

She huffed and puffed as the flustered group stood, somewhat terrified at the Newtype's outburst.

"Well, regardless, you're one of us now," Jiro said awkwardly after a few moments, not used to having _Gekiganger _so berated. "Welcome to DREAM."

"Good," Haman said, getting up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to numb my mind with official paperwork so I can forget what I just saw."

She haughtily got and left the room, slamming the door behind them.

* * *

"Well, this is certainly laughable," Saiga, a tall man with shocked up, fiery orange hair and purple tattoos on his forehead said as he leaned on the railing near his machine, Omzack of the Thunder; "It seems Her Majesty's unrequited love to her beloved Taiha was not so unrequited after all, now that she's going to marry the Emperor of the so-called Mycenae Empire."

"Only Yuratei knows what Yuratei is planning!" Dinodilos of the Earth's pilot Rockfell, a woman with short brown hair and tattoos resembling upside-down commas on her forehead, said. "Do you have a problem with that, Saiga?"

"Well, I for one am in no hurry to obey some outside power," Saiga said, smiling a bit "I say we cut our losses and pull out. Are you with me?"

"Wh-what?" Rockfell said, taking a step back. Saiga took a step forward and gently moved his hand toward hers.

"Together, we can make her see the error of her..." Omzack's pilot said, taking hold of Rockfell's hand, making her heart quiver a bit.

"Saiga!" a deep, strong voice bellowed. The two Hakkeshu pilots turned and saw Gisou, a powerfully built man with dark gray hair tied back in a braid. He was the pilot of the last of the three remaining Hakkeshu mechs, Burrstone of the Mountain. "So, you're trying to incite a rebellion, are you?" he said suspiciously.

"Rebellion?" Saiga replied, shrugging nonchalantly, not caring at all about the validity of Gisou's accusations. "Don't be absurd; now come on you two, we have a mission to complete."

He turned and entered his machine, leaving Gisou and Rockfell alone.

"Rockfell, you mustn't do what he's telling you to do," Burrstone's pilot warned her.

"I know...our lives are bound to Yuratei," Rockfell sighed, watching Saiga leave with eyes of admiration before turning to Gisou in anger. "But...why must you always go against him, Gisou?!"

"It's because I am...concerned about you," Gisou replied in an awkward tone.

"What?"

"Never mind," Gisou said with embarrassment, turning away from her. "Just forget I said that. We should go."

* * *

**_Ankoku Daishogun, my loyal servant...come to me._**

_I am here, my Emperor. What is your bidding?_

_**Make ready my seven Armies of Darkness; the hour of our return is close at hand. All that is needed now is the final sacrifice.** _

_But in order to do that, we must first eliminate the one who prevents our priest from performing the rite. What's more, we need IT to ensure that you return fully formed._

**_Yes, it's ironic that the Legacy of Mu is required for Mycenae's complete revival. But once we obtain the relic it possesses, even the power that the traitorous Zeus left behind will not be able to stop us! We will reclaim our place as rulers of this planet...AND beyond!_**

* * *

_Next time, the finale to Shin Mazinger and the beginning of the end for Zeorymer's plot! I'm excited for this one, and I hope you guys are too!_


	112. Chapter 78

_How about some surprise Dancougar plot before we get Shin Mazinger's finale underway?! I've been thinking about how to handle this one for a while, and then I realized that we haven't seen Muge's goons in a while..._

* * *

**Chapter 78 – Man's Blackest Hearts Reborn! Muge's Surprise Attack! **

"Helmut! Gildrome!" Muge Zolbados' voice boomed throughout his castle. "Come to me, my generals!"

The two Muge generals appeared before their emperor, warping in as was their usual method of entrance. However, a third, unknown figure stood behind Gildrome.

"Yes, my liege?" Helmut said as he and Gildrome got down on one knee.

"Speak, and we shall obey!" Gildrome declared humbly.

"Tell me...is everything ready?" the overlord asked, leering a bit.

"Our two-pronged offensive will be underway before long," Helmut said affirmatively. "As we speak, Cohen and Stinger's forces are moving in to distract the Spiral King's warship that would otherwise be aimed at our own."

"My forces, meanwhile, are preparing to attack DREAM," Gildrome added; "And take that which the Legacy of Mu keeps in its care."

Muge Zolbados smirked.

"And the Pas-Q Machine?"

"Repairs are progressing smoothly. It should be operational by the time our offensive on Atik Yomin."

"Excellent. Commence the attack on DREAM once your preparations are fully completed. Now, off with you!"

Helmut teleported away, but Gildrome and the hooded figure remained behind, much to the Emperor's annoyance.

"Gildrome, why are you still here? Unless you have something else to report, I told you to be off!"

"My liege, I do in fact have something to report - it seems that my experiments on the Invaders have taken a rather...interesting turn."

He motioned for the third figure to step forward. It did so, and removed its hood. It was a handsome man, almost like Shapiro if he had foregone makeup. He had fair skin, thick, tied-back purple hair and strong violet eyes. But one unusual feature soon made itself known, a single long black tentacle with a single eye on the end poked out from beneath the man's hair. He then got down on one knee in deference to the overlord.

"I am Paptimus Scirocco of Jupiter. I humbly thank you for bringing me back. In return, you have my unwavering loyalty."

* * *

Daisuke sat inside Grendizer's cockpit, making some adjustments for the battle ahead, while Janus did the same in Granlif. However, after making a small adjustment to his machine's sensors, the Fleedian prince heard the ominous sound of another machine nearby starting up. He looked to his right and saw Raideen slowly march out of its parking spot, its eyes glowing with hostility.

"Duke!" Rubina cried. She was nearby working on Double Spazer, but stood terrified for her fiancee's life as he frantically tried to start up the UFO Robo. But it couldn't happen fast enough - Raideen began to punch Grendizer repeatedly.

Akira, having sensed that Raideen had activated on its own, rushed in and immediately saw what his robot was up to.

"Raideen, stop it! That's not the enemy!" Akira cried out loudly and telepathically as the Mu-forged robot prepared to attack Grendizer, raising its fist to smash its target in the face. Much to everyone's relief, the sentient robot stopped, but then turned toward its pilot and spoke to him telepathically.

"Hades?!" Akira exclaimed out loud so that Duke and Rubina could know what his machine had just said. "Raideen, I don't understand what you mean!"

Raideen responded by projecting another image - a tablet with the image of Raideen and Zeus fighting a demonic being that had a surprisingly strong resemblance to Grendizer...which Janus recognized from his dream back then.

"I see...so you thought that Grendizer was Hades," Akira said, recognizing what his ancient machine was trying to show.

"Hades?" Rubina asked uneasily.

"He was one of the great Mycenaean leaders along with Zeus. After Zeus defected, Hades became their sole leader, and fought against Zeus when he attacked. But when his body was destroyed, his spirit manifested as a great evil flame. Raideen intervened and sealed it within the Star of La Mu."

"A case of mistaken identity, obviously," Daisuke sighed. "Still, the close resemblance between Grendizer and this Hades is rather eerie."

"And why now?" Janus then asked. "It was around Grendizer plenty of times and didn't react at all; but the first time it got a look at me, it mistook me for Metatron right away."

"Perhaps it is paranoid that Mycenae is going to truly return," Akira said thoughtfully.

"That's easy enough to prevent!" Granlif's pilot said with a grin. "We just beat the snot out off of the two Dr. Hells!"

"Whatever the case, it looks like I'll need to redo all of my adjustments," Daisuke sighed.

* * *

The Dr. Hell of the Ruined World couldn't believe that he had been so humiliated. Imprisoned by his own men, who were now marching to their ruin under the command of his naive counterpart; and without the rod of Bardos, he had no means of escaping from his barred prison and reclaiming his rightful place.

His only solace in this grim situation was that he had finally gotten, even for a brief moment, the very thing that drove him into the depths of madness: a little love and kindness. At least he would not die unfulfilled, while the kin of his hated enemy, Kouji Kabuto, would either perish at the hands of his men, or in the flames of Mycenae's return.

Suddenly, Kushiel appeared before the scientist.

"Hello, Doctor."

"Deceiving angel! When you said that your benefactor would bring me aid, you merely sought to replace me so that you could revive Mycenae, and destroy that which I have worked to rule for all these years!"

"On the contrary, Dr. Hell...we had every intention of having you and your counterpart work together. Unfortunately, you learned too much, and now your goals oppose ours. Tell me, did a glowing woman with six wings reveal the truth behind Baron Ashura and Mycenae to you?"

"Perhaps. What of it?"

"I see. So you came into contact with HER, then. Little wonder that your appearance changed."

"You know her?"

"The nature of that relationship is not for you to know. But if you so choose, you may ponder it while your soul returns to Eden Vital."

"What?!" the scientist said, baffled by this cryptic statement.

Just then, the blue-skinned Dr. Hell from the other world stepped into the room with a gun in hand.

"...You!" the imprisoned scientist exclaimed furiously as his counterpart raised the weapon and aimed at his head.

"Hello...and goodbye, weak reflection of mine. It appears there is only room for one Dr. Hell in this world."

Without any further hesitation, the blue-skinned scientist fired at his counterpart...

* * *

"Y'know, this feels kinda off," Tara said as she, Simon and Yoko did some final checks on their machines in preparation for the big fight ahead while Nia looked on. "I mean, the major foes we've been facing have gotten smaller."

"What do you mean by that?" the digger asked.

"The Z-Master was bigger than the Earth itself - we fought Cathedral Lazengann, which was as big as the moon, and now we'll be fighting Dr. Hell. I feel like it should have been the other way around."

"You of all people should know that being huge isn't everything," Simon quipped. "It's not about the size of your body...but the power in your heart. THAT, my friend, is what effort and guts is all about."

"That's right!" Nia chimed in.

"Is that another Kamina original?" Tara asked. Simon smiled a bit.

"As long as we're on the subject," she then asked; "What was your big brother like? I never did hear that from you."

"Kamina wasn't really my biological brother...I just called him my 'big bro'. But he's definitely my inspiration."

"Mine too," Yoko commented. "Heck, everyone in Team Dai-Gurren got their fighting spirit from him. As loud, perverted, bullheaded and stubborn as he was, Kamina was a great guy."

"You think he would have liked _Gekiganger 3_?" Tara then inquired, a slight twinkle in her eye.

"Eh, not really," Simon answered without missing a beat.

"...You're kidding, right?" Lifthrasir's pilot said, a look of utter disbelief on her face.

"He would have said they were pansies compared to us," Yoko said with a giggle. "I mean, we've overcome challenges greater than anything _Gekiganger _ever..."

Suddenly, alarms started going off.

"Attention all troops!" the voice of Bright ordered over the loudspeaker; "Level one battle stations! I repeat - all troops, level one battle stations!"

"Speaking of challenges," Tara quipped as she settled herself in Lifthrasir's cockpit; "Looks like the next one's heading our way. Let's go, guys!"

* * *

The three Mazingers, Final Dancougar, Zeta Gundam, Methuss, Psyco Gundam mk III, Nightingale, Haman's Quebley, Lifthrasir Titania, Granlif Yggdrasil, Raideen, Hi-Nu Gundam, the two Tohou Fuhai practitioners, the Black Selena and Super Aestivalis all gathered around Photon Power Labs in anticipation of the incoming enemies. The _Ra Calium _and _Nadesico _hovered nearby.

But it wasn't Dr. Hell's forces that were approaching...instead, it was a mix of the grey Invaders and Muge Zolbados' goons, led by Gildrome's personal battleship.

"Well, well," Alan quipped as he saw the images of the approaching enemies on his viewscreen inside the Black Wing. They included a mix of "Looks like the Muge Zolbados Empire have come out to play again."

"Been a while since we had a throw-down with them!" Shinobu said eagerly, gripping his controls eagerly. "I've got a good mind to pay them back for what they did to us on our way to Jupiter...in spades!"

As they drew closer, Four sensed something terribly familiar as the battleship opened its launch pad, which released a mix of mobile weapons that those who had fought in the Gryps Conflict instantly recognized.

"Kamille, those are..." she gasped.

"...Titans mobile weapons!" Char exclaimed, shocked beyond belief.

"Man, the Muge Zolbados Empire must have one of those things Azrael had!" Tara said in frustration. "I guess they're working with Atik Yomin too, huh?"

"No...a very different power is at work here,"Akira said grimly.

"Yes," Xengar added. "These are not dimensional anomalies. They are merely abominations of spirit."

"Whatever they are, we'll still kick their asses!" Kouji declared. "C'mon! Let's take out these chumps quick in case Dr. Hell decides to show up!"

* * *

It was just Asuka and Mari piloting the EVAs now - Shinji, Rei and Kaworu were gone, and now NERV was her enemy, not the Angels. Thankfully, the _Wunder _has the facilities to keep the Evangelions repaired.

As she awoke in her quarters the day after the othersleft for the Ruined World, the redhead noticed a manilla folder filled with papers sitting on the small table next to her bed with a little note scribbled on it in Misato's handwriting:

_Asuka:_

_Kira Yamato said that it was critical that you saw this. It's related to your very existence or something. Don't worry, I haven't peeked. _

_-Big Sis Misato ^w^_

Asuka grumbled at Misato's insistence of being all cute and opened the file, then looked at the picture on the front.

It was her mother - her biological mother.

As Unit 02's pilot began to read through the report, which told every detail of her origins, the feeling of being mentally violated filled her again. On the one hand, Asuka knew that she had been born at a sperm bank as the result of a meeting between her mother's egg and an unknown sperm.

On the other hand, the reasoning behind her mother's choice shook her to her very soul:

_Subject had gone through recent divorce, appears to harbor deep-seated resentment toward former husband. During egg extraction process, subject was heard murmuring about having a "perfect daughter, one better than hers" even while under anesthesia. _

"This...this has to be fake!" Asuka exclaimed. "There's no way my mother would treat me like a doll!"

Asuka threw the file down and then clutched her head as she tried to force the memories she had suppressed back into her mind - memories of her mother's descent into insanity...the doll that she started calling her daughter...her hands around her neck...and finally, seeing her hanging from the ceiling on a noose.

As it happened, Rolo and Nunnally, who were visiting Shinji and Rei aboard the vessel, saw Asuka lying the floor in a fetal position, with her back turned to them. Her eyes were streaming with tears as she kept murmuring the word "Mommy" over and over again.

Nunnally, who had always been somewhat afraid of Asuka ever since that incident, hesitated to approach her, but Rolo, wanting to impress his dear adopted sister, approached her.

"Asuka...you okay? If you need someone to talk to, Nunnally and I will..."

"Then just don't do anything." the redhead sobbed angrily. "Don't come near me...because all you do is hurt me...and hurt everyone else..."

Rolo gasped.

"You...you don't care about me..." Asuka continued, still yelling in between sobs as she got to her feet. "You only care about yourself! The only reason you like that cripple is because she makes you feel good! You run to her when no else will praise you, knowing she'll be a selfless little twat and give you what you want!"

Nunnally gasped and sobbed a bit.

"You've never cared about anyone seriously, not even that cripple! You only care about yourself, but you don't even like yourself! You..."

The killer's instinct that had since melded with his desire to make Nunnally and Lelouch happy suddenly surged out. Without any weapons on hand, he lunged at her, grabbing her by the throat with both hands and squeezing. Asuka's body suddenly went limp.

"Rolo, stop!" Nunnally cried in the girl's defense, upset as she was by Asuka's words. Rolo immediately relinquished his grip on the Evangelion pilot's throat and dropped her, a look of deep guilt and shame running across his face. Asuka fell limply to the floor like a rag doll, eyes still streaming with tears and breathing weakly, while her now-regretful attacker bolted, too ashamed of himself to be in Nunnally's presence.

"Stupid...stupid...Shinji..." Asuka muttered just loud enough for Nunnally to hear. "Why do you..."

_She wasn't talking to Rolo, _she thought. _She was talking to Shinji..._

But that realization just hurt the young princess all the more...

* * *

"Yeah! Eat it, ya freaks!" Akito whooped as he fired the Black Selena's machine cannons at a group of Titans machines. Instead of going out in fiery explosions, the Titans machines burst into chunks of black or gray Invader flesh. A squad of Zei Fars fired beam shots at Akito, but Jiro rushed in and deflected them with his own machine's Distortion Field before counterattacking with his own guns.

"Gai? Akito dear? would you mind getting out the way?" Yurika said. "We're about to fire a Gravity Blast."

"Whoops! You heard the lady!" Jiro exclaimed. Both Aestivalis swooped out of the way as the _Nadesico _unleashed a powerful Gravity Blast, flattening the machines in one shot.

However, Akito didn't see a gray Invader swoop in from above and tackle his machine, causing it to start plummeting to the ground.

Luckily, Domon was around - upon spotting the falling Black Selena, he pulled out God Gundam's beam saber and sliced the Invader in twain.

"That's another Martian Bowl you owe me, Tenkawa," Domon said. "Looks like your machine is kinda busted, though." To Domon's surprise, the Black Selena then started to emit some steam. Its armor unceremoniously detached and tumbled to the ground, revealing a souped-up version of Akito's maroon Aestivalis underneath before flying away.

Unfortunately, this distracted him enough to let another two Invaders throwing themselves on God Gundam.

As the Gundam Fighter struggled to throw them off, a beam cloth slashed them into bits, destroying them instantly as Master Gundam landed. The two martial artists immediately stood back to back as a small group of Invaders and Titans mobile weapons gathered around them.

"Domon, you let your guard down again," the old martial artist scolded.

"I'm sorry, Master. I'm just surprised that there was something under Akito's mech."

"Now is not the time to let your mind wander, Domon!" Master Asia bellowed as he fired some beam shots from Master Gundam's hands at the enemies. "You need to focus!"

Master Asia looked up and saw Final Dancougar swooping down, pounding three of them before landing near the two Gundam Fighters.

"Looks like a lot of the troops are guarding the commander's vessel," Alan said. "Clear us a path, would ya?"

"Say no more," Master Asia answered with a grin. "Domon, are you ready?!"

"Yes, Master!"

**"CHOKYUU!"  
**

**"HAOH!"**

**"DENEI'DAAAAAN!"**

Master Gundam became a burning whirlwind of fists, which Domon struck with all his might. The Gundam Fighter zoomed forward, blasting a swath through the enemies.

"That looks fun!" Masato said excitedly. "Hey Domon, let us try!"

"Very well," Domon replied with a nod. "There's still more enemies, anyway."

God Gundam became the same whirlwind of blazing fists.

"Now, launch me as hard as you can!"

"Ryo," Shinobu called out. "It's your turn!"

Ryo focused his spirit into Dancougar's fists, then struck Domon with as much strength as he could, sending God Gundam blasting forward as well, destroying as many enemies as Master Asia did. However, Domon was also able to strike Gildrome's battleship. The attack was quickly followed by a number of beam shots from the mobile suits on the ground.

"Cyber Beast Force!" Char called out.

"Finish it off!" Haman cried.

Dancougar began to shine bright blue, then split into its component machines, which all rushed at the battleship at incredible speed. The twin cats, the mammoth and the Black Wing each blasted through it, dealing heavy damage to it...and as Shinobu blazed in, a single thought ran through his mind.

_This...is for ASUKA!_

The bird-shaped machine punched a gaping hole in the battleship. But before it could crash, the ship warped away, a last-ditch defensive maneuver, leaving a mess of additional Muge machines and Invaders in its place.

"Damn it...he got away," Sara sighed as Dancougar recombined.

"Well," Ryo said, "let's just finish these grunts and call it a..."

"Everyone, scatter! Missiles are incoming!" Bright called out. "Three hundred and fifty in number!" DREAM's forces scattered just as dozens upon dozens of missiles struck the remaining enemies, consuming them all in a series of massive fiery explosions that scorched the landscape.

But that wasn't the end of it - a few seconds later, the entire landscape began to shake and heave, as if the ground beneath them was convulsing.

In the midst of the massive dust cloud that the missiles kicked up, they couldn't see the three remaining Hakkeshu machines there, with Dinodilus of the Earth's claws jammed into the ground...

* * *

_Sorry this one was on the short side, especially after you waited so long for it. I promise I'll make the next one worthwhile!_


	113. Chapter 79

_NOW we get the finale of Shin Mazinger under way! For those who are annoyed that the twin Dr. Hells matchup was canceled, don't worry. I've got something just as awesome planned!_

* * *

**Chapter 79 – Photon-Powered Showdown! Dr. Hell's All-Out Attack! **

A great crash sounded as the dust cloud generated by the missiles got thicker as something massive began to collapse. But Kouji could easily guess what had just fallen, and it was the last thing he had wanted to fall.

"No...the Labs!" Kouji cried as the dust cloud finally began to clear. "Professor Yumi! Mori-Mori...Sewashi...Nossori..."

Kouji slammed his fist down on his controls, while everyone else gasped in horror to see Photon Power Labs in ruins.

"...SAYAKAAAAA!"

"Kouji, calm down!" Juzo Kabuto said, surprisingly unfazed by the destruction of the labs. "It's not a major loss."

"...Not a major loss?" Kouji growled, angry and distraught beyond words. "...Not...a major...LOSS?!"

With an uncontrolled scream of rage, Kouji spurred Mazinger foward, at the Hakkeshu machines which stood about a thousand yards from the group. Rockfell and Gisou felt uneasy about what they had just done, but Saiga was grinning evilly.

"Wait! Stop!" Koji cried, realizing the insane power possessed by the three Hakkeshu machines that stood before them.

"...PHOTON...BEEEEEAM!"

"And now for the second part of our task," Omzack's pilot chuckled as Kouji rushed at thim. "Kouji Kabuto...see the power of my Proton Thunder for yourself!"

Mazinger Z fired a fully-powered blast from its eyes - but with the God Scrander, he could maintain his momentum. But the beam met Omzack's nuclear-powered energy bolt...and was quickly defeated. Mazinger was blown back, all the way into a nearby mountain, buried underneath a massive pile of rubble. Kouji quickly disengaged the Pilder, just in time to avoid getting caught in the avalanche. God Scrander detached from Mazinger as well, though it tumbled a bit farther in the process.

"...Mazinger...failed?!" Kouji gasped as he hovered there, shocked at how easily his grandfather's machine had been defeated.

"Well done, Saiga!" a familiar voice boomed. "I knew I was smart to place my trust in you and your fellows!" Suddenly, a massive island rose from beneath the sea, one that had been silently approaching for days now - Bardos Island. In the center of it, amidst numerous ruins, was a mountain with three identical carvings of kingly faces with well-trimmed beards at its peak.

"Dr. Hell! You got the Hakkeshu to join you?!"

"It was only to deal with you," Saiga chuckled. "But we've apparently destroyed Zeorymer, which you foolishly kept at the labs, so it's a bonus for us. It's too bad your counterpart isn't able to enjoy this victory."

Dr. Hell was flustered for a moment. Had they already figured out that he had killed his counterpart? Nonetheless, he maintained his arrogant stance.

"Ha, don't be ridiculous!" the scientist declared; "I am the only Dr. Hell there is!" He then dramatically pointing the rod of Bardos as his armies began to march forward. It consisted of numerous Mechabeasts, aquatic and aerial fortresses and Energer Z copies.

"Well, I suppose we'll be leaving now," Saiga chuckled as Omzack started to withdraw. "Rockfell, Gisou...let's report back to our leader."

"Get back here!" Koji bellowed angrily as he prepared to spur Mazinkaiser after the Hakkeshu machines. "You're gonna pay for what you did!"

"Koji, stop! We have enough on our hands as it is!" Amuro warned; "Drawing them back into the fight will only make things more difficult than they already are!" Koji scowled and turned Mazinkaiser back towards Dr. Hell's approaching forces.

"Mechabeasts!" the would-be despot commanded. "Count Brocken! Viscount Pygman! Let us sound the requiem of the fools who would defy this world's new king!"

"Hey, pal!" Boss radioed his friend. "Lorelei and us are gonna try to dig Mazinger out from out of the rubble while everyone else holds off Dr. Hell and his goons! Come with us!"

"Yes, we can protect you!" the android pleaded.

"I agree," Juzo's hologram said. "The Pilder is not capable of fighting these kind of enemies on its own, but it should have no trouble breaking through rubble. I'll help as well!"

_Damn it all!_ Kouji thought. _And we don't even know WHICH Dr. Hell this is!_

* * *

"Excellent," Ashura thought as it sat cross-legged in Bardos Island's depths; "The Dr. Hell from the other world is doing exactly as the faceless one had said...now all that has to be done is to ensure his own demise, and then our new world will rise!"

The two-faced golem then held up a crystal cube and gazed at it in the red light.

"But for the time being, let us begin the preparations for the ritual..."

Ashura closed its eyes and began to chant, speaking words of a language it had not spoken in ages - the Mycenaean tongue. In response to this, the cube began to shine brilliantly. After several seconds, a Threshold opened up in the floor, and something was spat out of it:

Baron Ashura from the Flourishing World...the one who was supposed to have died at Hell Castle against Mazinkaiser.

The newly arrived Ashura sat up and rubbed its head before it looked at its surroundings. bewildered.

"W-where am I?" it exclaimed. "Where is Hell Castle?! Where is Mazinkaiser?! Where is Dr. Hell?!"

"Why do you care for that arrogant man," the Ruined World's Ashura said as it approached its counterpart, "He who would usurp our beautiful Mycenae?!"

"You...you are us!" the other Ashura exclaimed. "What's going on here?!"

"Allow me to answer that."

Archduke Gorgon stepped out of the darkness.

"Who...who are you?!" the Flourishing World Ashura's female half exclaimed.

"I am Archduke Gorgon - your friend and ally. Do you remember?"

"...N-no!" the summoned one's male half exclaimed.

"I am...I am Dr. Hell's servant and his alone!" both halves then cried out. "It was he who raised us from..."

"It was Dr. Hell who CAUSED our shameful state!" the Ruined World Ashura screamed, grabbing his counterpart by the collar and lifting it up.

"You speak lies!"

"Then see the truth, wayward one," Gorgon bellowed. "And reclaim your lost identity!"

The Mycenaean general grabbed hold of the Flourishing World Ashura's face with one hand, and took hold of the crystal cube with the other, and held it in front of its eyes. Instantly, memories came flooding back - memories of the day Mycenae was destroyed by Zeus and Raideen; memories of being split into two by the power of the Star of La Mu; memories of being sealed in a cocoon by Mu soldiers, and then being thrown into a Threshold; memories of being found by the Bardos expedition; memories of having half of their bodies rotted off...

Finally, Gorgon relaxed his grip and put the horrified Ashura down, who dropped onto its hands and knees.

"...I am...we are..."

The Ruined World Ashura placed its hands on its other self's shoulders.

"Yes...we are Tristan and Isolde, priests of Mycenae! All that remains is the death of the remaining Dr. Hell, and then we can fulfill our purpose!"

* * *

Viscount Pygman skidded to a stop at the edge of a small, murky pond in the middle of a forest, working to avoid Shin Getter and Great Mazinger, who were out looking for him. Of course, there were several Energer Zs nearby to keep them busy.

"Ah, this should do just fine," he muttered.

The shaman sat down and took out a bag full of weird and gruesome ingredients, used in his eldritch rituals. He also took out a crystal cube much like the one Ashura had. He began to take out ingredients one by one, and drop them into the water, turning it red over the course of the ritual.

"Spirits of the land...spirits of the bones...spirits of the blood...spirits of the dead leaves...spirits of that far-off time...COME TO ME!"

Suddenly, the cube shined brilliantly, and numerous Thresholds appeared in various places, including right beneath Pygman's feet. And out of them came a wide assortment of giant mechanical dinosaurs, which only Tetsuya recognized - after all, they were from his world, not Ryoma's. Pygman stood atop the largest of them, a pair of long-necked dinosaurs with a small fortress on top of them.

_Incredible, _Pygman thought. _This cube's power magnifies the power of my magic a thousandfold!_

"Holy...those are the Dinosaur Empire's troops!" Great Mazinger's pilot exclaimed.

"Dinosaur Empire?" Ryoma said, having never fought them in this world.

"I remember fighting alongside your counterparts against them back in my world!" Tetsuya explained as he drew his machine's sword. "Dr. Hell must have learned the same trick that Muruta Azrael did!"

"Does it matter?" Hayato quipped.

"Yeah! We'll scrap 'em all the same!" Benkei replied.

"Let's go, guys! GETTER TOMAHAAWWWWK!"

* * *

Tsubasa watched the battle through the window in the former's room while the Kurogane Five fought off waves of Dr. Hell's Iron Masks. Shiro clung to his mother and buried his head in her chest, while she gently caressed her son's head.

"Sayaka...and everyone at the labs..." Shiro whimpered. "They're..."

"Shiro, they're fine," Tsubasa reassured him; "Everything will work out."

"R-really?" the boy said, looking up.

"It will," Tsubasa said with a gentle smile. "I promise."

"...Or will it?"

Tsubasa turned and saw him - the man that Brocken had disguised himself as when he first used Energer Z...Kenzo Kabuto.

"You..." Tsubasa said with a sneer.

"I've been waiting, love," Kenzo said in an unusually gentle voice.

"D-dad?! It's really you this time, isn't it?" Shiro said, unsure of whether to be scared or elated to see his long-lost father again.

Kenzo nodded. To the boy's shock, Tsubasa reached into her kimino and pulled out a Z Alloy knife roughly a foot long before letting out a cry of rage and charging at her husband.

But when she lunged, the scientist slipped into a Threshold, and reappeared in another part of the room.

"Tsubasa, I understand that you resent me..."

"Shut up!" the woman spat; "You're supposed to be dead, and now I'll make sure of it!"

She lunged again, and he dodged in the same manner, but this time, appeared behind Shiro and grabbed him. With one arm, the scientist lifted his son up to his chest and then pressed a gun to his head.

"Tsubasa, I hoped to avoid this, but you leave me no other choice. Come with me peacefully, unless you would watch me blow our son's brains out."

The mistress of Kurogane House scowled, clenching her teeth and her knife.

Kenzo, his expression unchanged, cocked the gun.

"Wait!" Tsubasa cried, her maternal instincts kicking in.

The scientist silently put the gun away as Tsubasa sheathed the knife and put it back in her robe. She looked at her son, and saw that he had fainted out of pure terror.

"Take me wherever you want to go," the woman said with a sigh of defeat. "Just don't hurt Shiro."

A purple Threshold opened behind him, and Kenzo backed into it, carrying Kouji's brother in his arms, while Tsubasa followed him close behind. This was why she didn't want to have her two sons find out she was their mother - because her enemies could use them against her...

* * *

"Begone, ghost of the Titans!" Haman cried out commandingly as her Quebley launched funnels at Count Brocken, who rode in a custom Mechabeast that resembled his head, except it had a small pair of arms and spikes around its collar.

"Foolish Spacenoid!" Brocken replied as he extended some tentacles to block the funnels' lasers. "I no longer serve the Earth Federation - only Dr. Hell! But I assure you, once my master rules the Earth, I will personally lead his campaign into space, and lay waste to you Zeon vermin!"

To Haman's shock, the tentacles were able to deflect the beam shots from her funnels with alarming ease. It then stretched them out and jammed into the ground, trapping the mobile suit - two of the tentacles then smashed the flap on the Quebley's back, disabling Haman's funnels.

"That won't work on me anymore! My Mechabeast, Brocken V-2 Schneider, was designed to combat Newtypes like you, Haman Khan!"

The tentacles then began to retract, pulling Brocken's Mechabeast toward the Quebley. The beard on the robotic head's chin then straightened, forming into a rather vicious-looking drill.

The Mechabeast stopped just short of the mobile suit.

"Eh-hee-hee-hee...I'm going to have so much FUN punishing you, Newtype! First, I'm going to peel off that cockpit armor, and then..."

But before much else could happen, some mega-beam blasts struck Brocken's machine, knocking it to the ground. Several funnels, shells and beam shots, were also fired, striking the downed enemy with great force. Finally, a Getter Beam blew a hole right through it.

Haman looked up and saw the Psyco Gundam mk III, Gundams mk II and III, the Quebley mk II, Getter Q, Ryoko's Aestivalis, Yoko M Tank and Methuss all headed her way. She was surprised that so many people were around to help her. While the Methuss began to work on repairing the damage to Haman's mobile suit, the others continued their advance.

"Enemy of women!" Elle called out.

"Sick men like you deserve no mercy!" Michiru declared.

"Wha?! Where did you all come from?!"

"Prepare yourself, Count Pervert, because you're the one about to be punished!" Four declared, pointing the Psyco's hand at him. "I'm gonna kick your head around like a soccer ball, just like Kamille did!"

"I'm gonna use it as a flower pot!" Puru said in as mean a tone as she could.

"I'm gonna use it for target practice!" Yoko said with equal indignation.

"I'm gonna squash it!" Roux called out.

"I'm gonna make it listen to Izumi's jokes all day!" Ryoko cried angrily.

"I authorize all of that!" Yurika declared authoritatively. "Ruri, ready the Gravity Blast!"

Haman could only watch, jaw hanging open slightly, as her fellow female pilots unleashed a barrage of heavy fire on the downed Mechabeast, topped off with a Gravity Blast from the _Nadesico_.

"But I didn't DO anything yeeeeeeeeet!" Brocken cried out as he and the Brocken V2 Schneider were completely annihilated by the massive wave of force.

"There, that should do it," Fa said with a sigh, having finished patching up the damage Brocken had inflicted on the Quebley.

"I..." Haman began, too stunned by the display to speak coherently; "Um..."

"Don't mention it," Fa replied as the Methuss helped Haman's mobile suit back onto its feet. "You're not only a fellow woman, but you're a DREAMer now."

* * *

"GETTER BEEEEEAM!"

"BREASTO BUUUURN!"

Shin Getter and Great Mazinger were barely managing to hold off the mechanical dinosaurs that Pygman had yanked from another timeline, and with the others fighting Dr. Hell's main forces or helping get Mazinger Z out from under the rubble, they were only ones who could keep them busy.

What was worse, Tetsuya suddenly got a bad feeling - he couldn't explain it, but something bad had happened to Tsubasa. It was as if a voice in his mind was warning him of her peril...and that he had to get to Bardos Island immediately.

"Ryoma...I don't know why, but I think something bad happened to the mistress of Kurogane House," he said.

"What makes you think that?" Hayato asked as Shin Getter 2 parried an incoming strike from one of the mechanical dinosaurs.

"I don't know, it's just a feeling...no! I can't abandon you or the rest of my friends! She wouldn't want me to do that..."

But then, a huge positron blast zipped over their heads, destroying a pterodactyl-like machine. Tetsuya turned around and saw some much needed help - the _Archangel _and the _Eternal_. Standing atop the former was the Astray Blue Frame, equipped with what appeared to be a mobile-suit-sized version of the _Archangel_'s Lohengrin cannons.

"Sorry, Tetsuya!" Lowe radioed in as he launched out in the Astray Red Frame. "We got caught up in..."

"Save it for later!" Great Mazinger's pilot said. "Help Shin Getter with these mechanical dinosaurs! I'm going to Bardos Island - I think Miss Nishikori was taken there!"

"We can confirm that," Andrew said. "We got a call from that little old lady who works at Kurogane House; she said that she saw the mistress and her kid get taken by some guy named Kenzo...

That was all Tetsuya needed to hear.

"...I'm off then! SCRAMBLE DASH!"

Great Mazinger's wings opened, and it took off into the sky at full speed, hoping to reach Bardos in time. A few moments later, the various Gundams possessed by the two foreign battleships launched out as well. The Strike Gundam, with the Launcher frame, stood atop the _Eternal_.

"Well, whaddya know?" Mu exclaimed with unusually pleasant surprise when he saw the mechanical dinosaurs. "Mechasauruses! I haven't seen these guys in ages; never was able to shoot 'em down."

Mu fired the Launcher's Agni, blasting the head off of one in a single shot, though it had been weakened by Shin Getter already. Meanwhile, the Freedom and Justiceall sped towards Viscount Pygman while the Strike Rouge and Harmony helped Getter with the other grunts.

Surprisingly, it was Kira who was first to fire at the shaman - such a sinister man could not be allowed to live, in his mind. He readied all of the Freedom's cannons and looked on.

"Take this!"

But the shaman's magic, amplified by the crystal cube, blocked the Gundam's beam shots.

However, the Mechasauruses he stood atop of was not afforded the same protection - many of the shots bounced off of Pygman's shield and onto it. The next thing the shaman knew, the two dinosaurs collapsed to the ground, knocking him off and causing him to drop the cube.

Seeing his chance, Athrun dove down, and with one graceful motion, drew his beam saber and slashed at Pygman in mid-air, hitting him dead on. Both the outer body and the small man inside couldn't survive such a blow, and Pygman was vaporized immediately. Athrun landed the Justice in a small clearing to retrieve the cube, when suddenly, he heard an ominous rumble...

* * *

The husband, wife and son emerged on a long spiral stairway with steps made of light leading into darkness in either direction. With only the light of a lantern to guide the way, Kenzo started walking down the steps, while Tsubasa followed close behind. She recognized some of the carvings - it was Bardos Island.

As they drew close to the bottom, Shiro started to come around. Frightened, he struggled to escape his father's grip, causing the scientist to drop him. The boy then tumbled down the few remaining steps. After regaining his bearings, he looked back up just in time to see his mother stab her father in the gut, having taken advantage of her husband's moment of distraction.

"Mom!"

But to his further horror, Kenzo fell forward and tumbled down, landing in a way that was impossible, even for a dead body.

"Hmph...an android, huh?" Tsubasa said coldly. "All right, Kenzo, I'm here and I know you are, too! Show yourself!"

"Very well," the man's voice echoed from within a mysterious dark cloud hovering high above them in the center of the room. "But before you kill me, please listen to what I have to say."

"What do you want THIS time?!" the mistress yelled, now focused on the cloud, where she could just make out her husband's head and face.

"Perhaps it's best that I show you my body," Kenzo replied.

Kenzo began to descend, the cloud slowly dispersing as he did so. And as he descended, mother and son saw what had happened to the man:

He had no arms, legs, or gut - only his head, chest and shoulders remained. Where the missing pieces would have been was instead replaced by a mass of short gray tentacles - those of a Kedora. Shiro's face turned deathly pale with horror, but couldn't bring himself to look away.

"I-I suppose it's a just punishment for what you did back then," Tsubasa said, still stunned at seeing her beloved reduced to this state.

"Indeed. I was also bewitched by the secrets of Mycenae, just as Dr. Hell was. I let him implant a Kedora in me when I lost my hand in an accident..."

"And it was that monster that made do those things, wasn't it, Dad?" Shiro said meekly, trying his best not to look away from his father's sad eyes.

"Yes," Kenzo said, ashamed as he was. "But two things saved me. The first was Zeus' arm, who let me free myself from those accursed chains; and the other...was one who is the daughter of wisdom."

"Daughter of wisdom...there you go, being all enigmatic again," Tsubasa said with a sigh.

"It was she who revealed everything to me," Kenzo continued. "And helped me hide here from Dr. Hell for the past ten years..."

* * *

Dr. Hell slammed his fist down on his throne. Things weren't going his way at all, especially now that the _Archangel _and _Eternal _had appeared.

"Curse you, Koji Kabuto! Curse you, DREAM!" he cried angrily. "Why must you get in my way and destroy everything I have worked for?! For that, I will PERSONALLY crush you and your pathetic friends, then claim Zeus' Photon Power for myself!"

Bardos Island began to shake violently.

"Arise, my ultimate weapon!" the scientist cried, raising the rod over his head; "Arise, Hell King Goldon!"

The three-faces atop the mountain in the island's center began to crack. After several ominous seconds, it crumbled as something gargantuan rose from out of it: a four-armed colossus near twice as large as EI-01; its beards were a fiery red, and its crowns were all golden. It wasn't as lithe as Hell King Gordon, which this Dr. Hell had manufactured on his own.

The colossus took a few steps and then jumped off the island, landing just short of the ruins; the shockwave was enough to make the earth beneath everyone's feet tremble, knocking those who weren't airborne to the ground.

"Fools, now perish, and make way for this world's new master! GOLDON FIRE!"

The monstrosity opened up countless air vents on its body, and generated huge fiery tornadoes, blanketing the entire area in intense flame. But DREAM held in spite of the heavy damage this inflicted.

"Ah, it seems you lot are tougher than I thought," the mad scientist laughed. "But this...THIS shall finish you! GOLDON..."

But for a third time in the past hour, the earth began to shake again, this time in the area near the ruins. Yellow energy balls shot out of it, striking Hell King Goldon and knocking it off balance.

Then...it appeared! It suddenly appeared!

...A gigantic fortress made for battle...capable of traveling over land, sea and air, and possessing Photon Power weaponry of the highest order! Meanwhile, concealed within its walls was a vast quantity of Japanium ore, which it was built in secret to protect from all enemies!

It was a fortress built from, by, and for Photon Power...the beacon that would signal the dawn of the coming age that energy would usher in!

**THE SCIENTIFIC FORTRESS OF PHOTON POWER!**

"Kouji! Everyone!" the voice of the Ruined World Sayaka called out.

"Sayaka! You're okay!" Kouji exclaimed, overjoyed to hear his dear friend's voice again.

"And so is everyone else!" Masato added; "Everyone from the labs was evacuated here in advance!"

"We were going to tell you," said Professor Yumi, who stood on the balcony; "But then those other enemies showed up first." He then bowed his head and shook it, as if ashamed of himself. "But...I didn't want to have to resort to this...Photon Power was supposed to be used for peaceful purposes - to make the future shine!"

"Don't worry your little head," Juzo quipped, appearing on a nearby console. "I made that thing for just such an occasion."

"But that's not all!" the scientist trio then said in unison. Several hangars surrounding the facility opened up, and dozens of smaller Super Robots, each packing one of Mazinger Z's weapons, flew out in perfect unison.

"Million Alpha!" said two blonde women within a silvery torpedo-shaped, somewhat feminine looking machine with two bladed arms, and the dual cockpits in the area where breasts would be.

"Bion Beta!" said the lead pilot of the squadron of green robots that utilized the Rust Hurricane.

"Dion Gamma!" bellowed the lead pilot of the squadron of red robots that utilized the Breast Fire.

**"MAZINGER ARMY, SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED!"**

From the central hangar, where Mazinger usually was, came Zeorymer.

"We're okay too!" Miku said. "And so is Masato."

"The Hakkeshu haven't gone far," the young man said with surprising confidence. "Let's finish Dr. Hell off before we go after them!"

"Mazinger Army!" Yumi ordered; "Engage all-out counterattack!"

"Let's help out, everyone!" Yurika called out. DREAM and the Mazinger Army began to unload everything they could on the iron colossus. But Dr. Hell smugly activated a gold-colored barrier around Hell King Goldon. It deflected all physical bullets and absorbed every energy-based attack being thrown at it.

"Bwa-ha-ha-ha! Fools!" the madman laughed. "Hell King Goldon cannot be stopped by your pathetic attacks! Now, taste its CYCLONE FIRE!"

A huge wave of flame burst from the Hell King's body, damaging everyone in close proximity heavily...

* * *

Tetsuya hurried down the stairs of light, following the voice of Tsubasa and of the man who was probably Kenzo. Knowing she was alive was of great relief, but he feared how much longer that would be, and whether he would get there in time.

He reached the bottom to see Tsubasa kneeling in front of Kenzo, who was now on the ground, his tentacles digging into it like tree roots. Tsubasa's knife was stuck in the stone as well. But Great Mazinger's pilot didn't immediately see the man who had raised him in the other world until he got close enough!

"Tsubasa!"

"Tetsuya?!" Tsubasa exclaimed. "How did you know I was here?!"

"Ah, you must be the Tetsuya of the other world. I had hoped you would come."

"Fa...I mean...Kenzo," Tetsuya said, momentarily forgetting that it wasn't the Kenzo he had known; "What on Earth happened to you?"

"It is my punishment for pursuing the secrets of Mycenae. And even if you defeat Dr. Hell, humanity itself will soon be punished as well."

"Tetsuya...we've been total fools!" Tsubasa sobbed angrily. "Me, Juzo, Dr. Hell...and even Kouji! We've all been nothing but fools!"

"What?! You mean..."

"Yeah," Shiro said weakly, huddled in a fetal position; "Mycenae's gonna come back..."

Without another word, Tetsuya turned right around and sprinted back up the steps. Tsubasa helped Shiro up and allowing him to cling to her back as she started up the stairs as well...

* * *

The battle against the colossal Hell King Goldon was not going well - the barrier seemed impenetrable, no matter what DREAM threw at it. However, a glimmer of hope for victory was about to appear.

"Tara, I'm detecting an energy source within Hell King Goldon with a similar signature to the TZIM and TZUM," Xemmey suddenly said to Tara, who was firing off a torrent of beam shots.

"What?!" Tara said, surprised to hear such a thing. "You can't be serious!"

"The intensity is somewhat weaker," the AI replied, "but it's definitely the same kind of energy."

"Xengar's getting the same reading," Janus quipped. "It looks like we're not the only ones with TZIM and TZUM systems."

"But ours are better!" Tara said as an idea came to her. "Xemmey, can we absorb it like we did with **THE POWER**?"

"If you and Janus can sync yourselves," Xemmey answered with a nod. "It should be quite doable. We'll activate the energy absorption systems."

Granlif and Lifthrasir began to shine brilliantly as the two pilots drew out their winged forms. They then began to absorb energy from the barrier - which manifested as the barrier itself being drawn to the two mechs.

"What the? My power is being taken?" Dr. Hell cried. "If you want to play tug of war, then I'll gladly oblige!"

Hell King Goldon began to reabsorb the energy from the crystal cube, and began to pull the two white robots toward it.

"Tara, let's give it all we've got! Disable your limiter!"

Both machines began to shine more brilliantly, and began to suck away more and more of the colossus' energy.

"Nooooo!" Dr. Hell cried. "I cannot be defeated! Not now! Not when I was so close!"

With one final heave, the engines that powered Granlif and Lifthrasir slurped up the energy from the cube, giving the two mechs a major power boost.

"Dr. Hell!" Janus yelled.

"This ends now!" Tara cried. The two machines burst forward, initiating their trademark combination attack. They dashed between portals at breakneck speed, slashing the three-faced monstrosity with each pass.

But Raideen started telling Akira something that seemed completely implausible.

_Raideen...this gigantic machine was also made by Mu?!_ _Does that mean..._

"Noooooo!" Tetsuya cried as Great Mazinger flew in, with Shiro and Tsubasa nestled in the robot's hand.

"Stop iiiit!" the mistress cried out.

**"RAGNAROK..."**

**"...REQUIEM!"**

Tsubasa began to weep in dismay as the two robots sliced the King of Hell in twain, along with its pilot. However, only they, Shiro and Akira had any inkling of what was about to happen - everyone else cheered wildly as Dr. Hell's final weapon shattered and collapsed into pieces.

"We did it! We did it! We beat Dr. Hell for real!" Tara cheered. "...In your FACE, Kabuto!"

"Yes, and we must thank you for that!" Ashura's voice suddenly echoed, somehow reaching them from all the way on Bardos Island.

"What?! Baron Ashura?!" Kouji exclaimed - he had to sit out of the entire fight in his Pilder while Lorelei and Boss Borot finished digging Mazinger out.

"No way...there's two of them?!" Minato exclaimed when she got a visual of the two Baron Ashuras standing side by side.

"Thanks to you, the wheels of time have begun to move again!" said the Ruined World Ashura. Tetsuya scowled and raised one finger to the heavens, calling down a bolt of lightning, and unleashed a Thunder Break on the two Ashuras. However, Archduke Gorgon raised the crystal cube from before, which spawned another barrier.

"But it seems the life on this planet is as inferior as ever," Archduke Gorgon then said, his gaze meeting Tetsuya's.

"Pilots of Mazinger Z and Mazinkaiser," Flourishing World Ashura said. "There is something you should know...both Dr. Hells were nothing more than pawns in the grand scheme of things, and now their usefulness has ended!"

"When Zeus and the Mu laid waste to our people ages ago," its female half began, "They entombed us and divided our spirits into two separate sets of individuals, and then banished one set to another dimension, believing that we could never be united!"

"Originally, we of Mycenae were planning to use the Dr. Hell from this world to free ourselves from the seal that Mu had placed upon us!" Gorgon continued. "However, it seemed that he came into contact with someone that revealed everything, and nearly ruined our plans!"

"In their foresight," the Ruined World Ashura's male half then said. "our heavenly brothers in Atik Yomin brought the other Dr. Hell over to replace him!"

"So that means...this world's Dr. Hell was already dead..." Sayaka exclaimed.

"Yes, and you've also taken out Hell King Goldon, the weapon which the Mu civilization left behind to prevent us from rising up!" Ruined World Ashura's female half said.

"It was created to utilize Zeus' Photon Power," Flourishing World Ashura's male half then explained; "The only power capable of challenging we Mycenaeans!"

"And now that both Dr. Hells are dead, and we are together once more," the two Ashuras said in unison "Tristan and Isolde can finally fulfill their purpose! We now possess that which is required for that rite!"

The two Ashuras grabbed hold of each other.

"DAMN YOOOOOOOOOOOOOU!" Kouji cried, powerless to do anything.

"THE BLOOD OF OUR SELF-SACRIFICE!"

The two Ashuras pulled at each others' faces with all of their might, both grinning wickedly.

"BE REBORN, GODS OF MYCENAE!"

With one astonishingly easy motion, the Ashuras tore each other in half. The souls of Tristan and Isolde rejoined, and flew into the heavens...which caused beams of evil purple light to pierce through the clouds, while marble columns of unbelievable height descended from the heavens.

_No..._Tara thought. _This...this is MY fault...all my fault..._

* * *

_Dr. Hell may be dead, but the Shin Mazinger finale isn't over yet! Next time, the big battle against Mycenae, and the events of Mazinkaiser the Movie!_


End file.
